Ready, Set, Play!

Ready, Set, Play!

By: Brittany Haller, MS, CCC-SLP

I couldn’t tell you how many times I have had both children and adults tell me “You’re so lucky to be an SLP! All you do is play all day!” I have to admit that they are not wrong. What people may not realize is how important play is for speech and language development. In fact, there are even developmental milestones for different types of play!

The following link will show you more about the wonderful world of play: https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/welcome-to-kid-confidential/full/

You will see a chart that goes over types of play, descriptions of those types, age norms, and several great examples of each type. With so many great benefits....I say “ready, set, play!”

How to Encourage Development of Scissor Skills

How to Encourage Development of Scissor Skills

By: Ashley Akers M.S. OTR/L

Cutting is a foundational activity for children that incorporates so many great skills children need to learn! To name just a few, cutting addresses fine motor strengthening skills, bilateral coordination, sequencing, attention to task, and visual motor skills (eye-hand coordination).

Parents are often surprised when I tell them that cutting skills begin EARLY! Kiddos should be working on snipping paper by age TWO! Yes, 2!  So, how can you encourage the development of scissor skills?

1.      Practice the sequence of opening/closing various items such as tweezers/tongs, squirt bottles, and chip clips.

2.      Tear paper! This is an important prerequisite skill to using scissors.

3.      Always encourage your kiddo to hold their scissors in a “thumbs-up position” i.e your kiddos’ thumb should be in the top, small hole when cutting. (You can make it easier for your kiddo to remember this by placing a sticker on top of the thumb hole).

4.      Before snipping paper, start with snipping Play-Doh!

5.      When kiddos are first learning, using spring-loaded or loop scissors can help decrease their frustration as they provide more assistance and require less strength.

Here is an excellent handout from Super Duper Publications to help you with developing your little one's scissor skills! https://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/140_Scissor%20skills.pdf