This activity helps children develop fine motor skills by having them squeeze clothespins from a cup using two fingers and clip them onto a colored box to match the clothespin color. It strengthens hand muscles and coordination. The teacher starts with a few clothespins and adds more as the child's skills progress. This activity prepares children for skills like writing by practicing proper pencil grips. It allows children to learn through hands-on manipulation of materials as recommended by Montessori methods.

1. Learning Task: <br />Clothespins on a Box<br />Description:<br />Children squeeze the clothespins from the cup and clip them to the sides of the box using two fingers to hold the clothespins. They will match the colors on the clothespins to the colors on the box to make the activity more interesting. This activity will enhance children's fine motor skills and help them to gain more control of their muscles.<br />Squeezing and clipping the clothespins depends on each child's level. The teacher could start with two clothespins and she could add more according to the child's progress on this activity.<br />This activity will help children to strengthen their hand coordination and their handwriting later on. <br />Learning task adapted from:<br />http://prekinders.com/fine-motor-skills/ <br />Age Group:<br />3 to 6.5 years old<br />Subject Area:<br />Social Studies.<br />Subject Strands:<br />Fine motor skills.<br />Subject Topic:<br />Squeezing and clipping clothespins.<br />Background Information:<br />Fine motor skills that are automatic to adults, like manipulating the fingers accurately, require concentrated effort by young children, especially as they are still developing related skills such as hand stability, muscle tone, strength and balance.<br />Fine motor skills require movement of small muscles, usually in co-ordination with the eyes. They are often for communication purposes, both functional and expressive, e.g. writing or typing text, manipulating tools or creating works of art. <br />Between the ages of three and five children usually make rapid progress in developing fine motor skills and manual dexterity. However, these skills still require time, patience and plenty of practice.<br />In order for children to develop good fine motor skills, there are also other supporting skills that need to be well-developed. For instance children need to have strength and dexterity in their hands and fingers before being required to hold a pencil correctly and begin writing activities. This can help avoid incorrect pencil grips. The previous activity is one that you can do with your child to develop fine motor skills. <br />Student Characteristics Accommodated:<br />This activity accommodating kenestetic intelligences as they use the clothespins.<br />This activity is developmentally appropriate for children and it could be adapted to different developmental levels.. <br />Student Learning Outcomes:<br />Fine motor skills: squeeze and clip clothespins.<br />Prerequisite Concepts, Skills, &Values:<br />Follows class routines for selecting, using and returning individual learning tasks.<br />Understands the idea of the activity; match the colors on the clothespins with the colors on the box and clip the clothespins on that box.<br />Adopts class routines for obtaining teacher support to demonstrate learning tasks and to obtain assistance.<br />Eye-hand coordination to be able to hold and move the clothespins.<br />Has experience in matching between objects and things.<br />Recognize who to use the clothespins.<br />Identify colors and differentiate between them.<br />Learning Theory & Instructional Strategy:<br />Three and five years children usually make rapid progress in developing fine motor skills; this activity responds to their needs of practicing fine motor skills.<br />This activity prepares children for later writing and drawing (holding the pencil correctly) as it will strength the fine motor skills of the child.<br />This activity encourages children's attention as they squeeze and clip the clothespins. <br />Children learn best by doing as Montessori said. This activity provides manipulative materials in order to meet children's needs.<br />Introduction of the Learning Task:<br />Show the child the location of this activity in the shelf.<br />Tell the child the name of the activity quot;
Clothespins on a Box.<br />Tell the child to bring the activity to a table.<br />Ask the child to take the cup with clothespins out of the box.<br />Ask the child to squeeze the one clothespin off the cup using two fingers.<br />Ask the child to match the color on the clothespin with one on the box and clip it above it.<br />Ask the child about the name of clothespins and the colors.<br />As start put 3 or less clothespins on the cup.<br />Demonstrate how to do this activity.<br />Show the child how to tidy up the activity.<br />According to the child achievement add more clothespins with different colors. <br />Checklist of Tray Items:<br />Box.<br />Inside the box a cup that contains 6 clothespins. <br />Preparation:<br />Color the clothespins with different colors using crayons.<br />Find a small plastic cup and clip the clothespins on it.<br />Cutout small colored rectangles (choose 6 colors).<br />Find an empty box and stick or tape the colored rectangles on its sides.<br />Keep the cup with clothespins inside the box. <br />Extension activities:<br />Instead of matching between colors, the child matches between letters, numbers, or shapes.<br />Use harder clothespins to make it more challenge and develop their muscles. <br />Enrichment Activities:<br />Use the clothespins to pick up things like: small cotton balls or wool yarns. <br />Assessment Techniques:<br />Teacher observes children while they are doing this activity.<br />The teacher makes anecdotal notes about:<br />Muscles control.<br />Language: clothespins and the names of the colors.<br />Matching between the colors. <br />Evaluation rubric: <br />Does not know how to squeeze or clip the clothespins.<br />Use more than two fingers to squeeze and clip the clothespins.<br />Use two fingers to squeeze and clip the clothespins. <br /> <br />Feedback Suggestions:<br />Please use two fingers to squeeze and clip the clothespins.<br />Show me how you clip/squeeze the clothespin on the box/from the cup.<br />Why did you clip this clothespin here? <br />Vocabulary:<br />Box, clothespins, cup, colors: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple. <br />References:<br />This learning activity was taken from this website:<br />http://prekinders.com/fine-motor-skills/ <br />Comments, Hints, & Suggestions:<br />Make sure that the clothespins are safe and do not have any sharp edges.<br />Use nontoxic crayons.<br />Consider the individual differences (some children need time more than others).<br />Use sand timer if needed. <br />Key Words:<br />Squeeze, clip, match. <br />Tools Needed:<br />1 Small plastic cup.<br />1 Plastic box (it could be any appropriate box)<br />6 Clothespins.<br />21672551529080<br />Non toxic Crayons.<br />Small colored rectangles.<br />Tape or glue.<br />Scissor.<br />