parentstuff-need a pep talk

http://www.instawares.com/teacher-s-pack-assorted-5-length-acme-united-assorted-colors-blunt-school-scissors-soft-handle-teac.acm14155.0.7.htm?LID=BZRT&srccode=cii_10043468&cpncode=07-69894999-2

Loop scissors.  I assure you, he is not the only kid having fine motor issues.  If you wanted you could purchase the loop teacher pack above (if there is some spare cash in the "fun" money).  Then give it to the teacher.  Most kids want to be like the others.  If the option to use different tools is available to all, the kids who need them are more likely to use them.  You can also help motor development by sacrificing some cookie sheets (no sides).  Get some modeling clay and some dowel rods sharpened like pencils.   Roll a layer of clay on the cookie sheet about a half an inch think.  In your best handwriting (print using the model alphabet from the teacher).  Trace a shallow outline of the shape, letter, number, etc, you wish him to practice.  Have him trace over pressing all the way to the cookie sheet.

 As to sounds go to the library and get books with alliteration   http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson849/booklist.pdf

Work on reading that book  you read a line, pointing to each word.  He "reads"  saying each word as you point.  Be careful he is looking only at the word you are saying.  Go in slow motion initally and slowly speed up as he improves in speech accuracy.

PM me if you want more.

Gina, don't freak. Try to look at this from an outsider's point of view. We've got a concerned parent who is on top of things and a teacher who is carefully evaluating the kids to best meet their individual needs---both very good things.

As for focusing on social skills---that is probably far MORE important than scissor skills. How many hours a day is he going to be using scissors??? Okay, how many hours a day is he going to need social skills?

If he can't cut worth a darn it may frustrate him, but he will learn and 5 months from now it won't be held against him. :)   OTOH if he has social difficulties it can make it hard to make friends and adjust to school. Five months later, those early social problems and his perception of school could still be impacted. An important thing at this age is for him to enjoy learning and school and feel safe and comfortable so he can be successful.

Don't beat yourself up because you couldn't work on every little thing----be glad you chose something which will impact every area of his school life. Being able to follow directions will enable him to learn how to use scissors properly and a lot of other things.

Fine motor skills are one of those things that develop at different rates for different kids---boys tend to be later.  Needing to work on fine motor skills at this age doesn't mean he will have any long term problems with this. My oldest son (age 12) has gorgeous penmanship but HE held his scissors wrong in K, and had a horrible pencil grip, etc.

Let Eli go crazy with the cutting. Maybe he could go nuts with some toy catalogs and cut and paste an early Christmas list???

Would he like to try scissors that cut a pattern? Like a zig zag?

Here are a couple of links. Sure, he needs to learn how to cut straight lines, but it might be fun to use these other scissors:

http://www.shopscissors.com/craftkids-assorted-children-craft-edger-scissors-p-124.html

http://www.toystogrowon.com/sku786

http://www.kaplanco.com/store/trans/productDetailForm.asp?CATID=11%7CAR1035%7C0&CollID=12808&Max=9&ID=3&Page=1

http://www.kaplanco.com/store/trans/productDetailForm.asp?CATID=11%7CAR1035%7C0&CollID=13913&Max=9&ID=7&Page=1 

Do you have any adult-sized lefty scissors? Maybe you could get a pair and you can learn how to cut lefty too. It might make it easier to help him because you'll have take what you know how to do with your right and translate it to your left hand. In other words, you'll have to figure how how to teach yourself and that will help you with him.

He isn't sure which part of the scissors goes where? Why not put a happy sticker or something on the part of the scissor loop that sits on the outside of his thumb? So when he slips them on he has a way to visually check he has them on correctly? When he is more comfortable with the scissors he won't need the sticker any more.

Good luck and try not to worry too much over this. If he has hit a bump it sounds like it isn't a huge one and it was picked up at the right time to work on it.

Have fun cutting----maybe he can wrap presents with you???

rwbeagles

Interesting. I just had him cut some stuff and he wanted to use BOTH hands to cut...lol. Like loppers, one hand on each half of the scissors. He also told me "maybe you should go to the living room or something" because he didn't want me to see him...hmm.

I know a little boy like this.  He's OK at trying New Stuff, as long as he can try it ON HIS OWN, so he can be pretty good at it when he does it in front of other people.  I'm a bit like this and so is DH and it turns out William is a bit that way too.  The first time they showed him the flash cards at nursery he just STARED while they went through the cards and did all the actions.  Then a couple of weeks later they got the cards out and he was doing the actions himself.  From 0 - 60, just like that!