cutting and gluing

cutting and pasting.

D (almost 5. girl) was at the collage table. She had made a crown for “princess day”. I sat down to see what she had done. Her crown was finished and she was moving onto another task. She found a piece of paper on the table that had been folded in half and glued. She picked up the scissors and stated cutting. She managed the scissors confidently, and started cutting straight. She stopped, then about 2cm away from the first cut, she started cutting straight again. She then turned the corner and said, “I cut a square”. D then started spreading some glue all over the paper she had just cut from. Then placed the square she had cut out onto the paper. She continued spreading the glue around. I asked her “what else are you going to stick on the glue?” She looked around and saw the black triangles left over from someone else’s crown. She put two triangles in place. I showed her how she and made a loop at the top of the paper. She could thread something through there and then she would be able to hang it up. D looked around a all the collage things on the shelves. She found a ribbon. With some guidance, and using the scissors to poke the ribbon through we were able to then tie the ribbon. She was so excited. “Look Mum”. Her mother was grateful for the little gift. She praised and thanked D.

Smorti (1999) writes a definition of technology as a “creative purposeful activity aimed at meeting needs and opportunities through the development of products, systems or environments. Knowledge skills and resources are combined to find solutions.” This was one of those activities that evolved as D went along. She was fully involved was thinking through the activity. I made a conscious effort not to talk too much, or suggest too many ideas. I just let her move at her own speed, and hurray up

Children will design, make and appraise their work. D was so proud to give her creation to mum.

Reference:

Smorti, S. (1999). Technology in Early Childhood. Early Education, No.19 Autumn 199