Hi there, my names Heidi, today I’m going
to be talking about the building block "I can
use a knife and fork and open my own lunch
box".
The Early Learning Goal for this is Physical
Development- Moving and Handling
The statement reads:
Children show good control and co-ordination
in large and small movements.
They move confidently in a range of ways,
safely negotiating space.
They handle equipment and tools effectively,
including pencils for writing.
When children start school it is preferable
if they can use cutlery for eating school
dinners or to be able to open their own lunch
boxes if they take a packed lunch.
You can imagine how hectic it would be if
the teachers had to help everyone.
It doesn’t have to be ‘Finishing School’
perfect, they just need to be able to sit
at a table and feed themselves.
The only way children can learn to sit at
a table and feed themselves is by practising
it on a daily basis.
Get in to the habit of having at least one
meal a day at a table, using cutlery, preferably
all meals if that is possible.
Model using cutlery by eating with your child
(even if it is only one meal a day), encouraging
them to use cutlery and feed themselves.
I realise this can be a time consuming task,
so chose a meal that is not rushed.
If you will be sending your child to school
with a packed lunch, it is a good idea to
get them to practise opening and closing their
lunchbox.
When purchasing a lunchbox, test it out before
you buy, to ensure your child will be able
to open and close it.
Perhaps have a few picnics and pack your child’s
snack into their school lunchbox so they feel
confident to use it when at school.
Using cutlery requires children to have good
motor skills, here are a couple of activities
you can do at home to strengthen their fine
motor skills.
Use a sponge to transfer water from one bowl
to another by soaking the water in to the
sponge and squeezing into the bowl, this will
help to strengthen hand muscles.
Place clothes pegs in a bowl and get children
to peg them to the side of the bowl, this
is great for strengthening fingers
Use a pair of tweezers to transfer beans or
beads from one bowl/plate to another, this
is good for eye-hand co-ordination and refining
the pincer grip needed for writing
Have fun trying to eat noodles with chopsticks,
this is also great for eye hand co-ordination
and pincer grip.
Playing with playdough is something most children
enjoy and it is great for developing fine
motor skills as well as imagination.
Threading- there are a lot of threading activities
available to buy but you could also thread
cheerios on to spaghetti!
These are just a few examples of activities
you can do with your child.
Have a look at the links below for lots more
ideas.
If you would like any further information
on school readiness, please have a look at
other videos in this series.
Take care of yourself.
