Some months ago, I was able to “witness” the scissors work of a 7-year old ( a son of my officemate). My son hasn’t learned to cut paper on his own then. I was already so amazed even at his not too perfect cuts then.
Looking back, I can only smile. Know why? Because without bias, I can fairly say that in a couple of months I can see my son (who will be 4 by then) doing the same work as that 7-year old kid. No kidding. And I say that without being biased and with much conviction because I trust his capability like I trust my favorite anti wrinkle cream.
My son has yet to refine his cutting skills but he has already learned to cut fairly well - and on his own. Thanks to this book:
Yes, thanks to this workbook. Indeed, the Let’s Cut Paper! workbook with it’s fun-filled pages, of colorful pictures, has helped my son learn the necessary control skill for cutting i.e holding the scissors properly, stopping on corners and following cutting lines. And because the learning system is a step-by-step process, it won’t be frustrating for kids to learn a new skill.
He’s actually got less than 5 pages to do on this workbook before he gets his completion certificate and I must say that his cutting skill has tremendously improved from Day 1 with this book. It still needs a lot of polishing but he’s already on his way to do that.
Many months ago, I bought an origami book for myself. Actually, I’ve been planning to learn simple origami crafts that I can share to my three-year-old son. As luck would have it, though I had plenty of time reading about identity theft protection, I still haven’t found time to do the crafts from the book up to now. Tsk, tsk. What a slacker!
But okay, the saving grace is..
I have found an interesting workbook, about a month or so after purchasing that origami book, that is very helpful in introducing origami crafts to kids. Yes, siree! And I just couldn’t NOT buy it!
Know why? As part of the Kumon First Steps Workbooks for kids ages 2 and up, Let’s Fold! is specifically designed not only to help develop fine motor skills but for kids to have fun while folding papers and doing the basic origami activities. Like the previous workbook that I first bought for my son, the More Let’s Sticker and Paste!, every page of this book is a visual treat for kids. I’m really happy to have found this book . Similarly, my son and I always have a great time doing the activity pages, which we do regularly (yeah, I always find time for this *smiles*).
The (More) Let’s Sticker And Paste! workbook is actually a memorable book for me (and for my son, I guess). First, because it was the first workbook that introduced me to the Kumon method of teaching. Hence, (secondly) it is the first Kumon Workbook that my son finished.
When I saw it in a local bookstore, I knew right there and then, my son has got to have one. But because the copy I had in my hand looked not too new to me, I had requested for another copy from the sales clerk. But I found out that it was the only copy available then. Talk about blessings! So despite its not too new state, I count myself blessed to have found it among the litters in the bookstore =D. (It’s the kind of feeling you get when you find the right slimming pills after searching and searching for what’s best for you.) And then anyway, it’s the content that matters most.
And for the content, I must say that when I first saw what’s inside, I know in my heart my son would love it. And he did! My son thoroughly enjoyed every single page of this workbook. And I too enjoyed seeing my son enjoying the stickers and pasting.
I’d have loved it too if I were given this workbook in my younger years. Every page is certainly a visual treat even to my adult eyes and so how much more to kids! And because Kumon employs a step-by-step method of teaching, kids would find it easy to finish an activity page. Trust me, they’d even ask to do more pages in one seating.
I was in the mall yesterday to buy some supplies, yeah dog supplies included, and out of habit, I dropped by the bookstore. As expected, I came out not empty-handed. I went home with a copy of a Kumon workbook series entitle My First Book of Mazes.
When my son saw the plastic I had with me, he instantly begged that I open the bag. To make the long story short, I had a fun time doing the mazes with my son. He did 6 mazes yesterday. Actually, he did the 5 mazes twice (using a colored pen the send time)! I couldn’t be more happier since I specifically bought the mazes in the hope of developing his pencil-control skill. My son doesn’t like to trace letters or pictures and I’ve been finding ways to let him write. So when I saw the workbook, I thought okay, mazes are always fun especially to the kids so maybe, just maybe they might do the trick. And my hunch is right.
First, Book of Mazes is truly a treasure. Apart from helping the kids develop fine motor skills, solving mazes will also help their reasoning abiliites. So I highly recommend this workbook for toddlers.
