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Friday, June 12, 2015

Teach Your Child How to Use a Ruler

Using a ruler isn't so simple for some kids.  Kids should have adequate visual motor coordination skills as well as visual perceptual skills.  It seems like a big jargon.  Simply saying, kids should see the lines on the ruler, give a good pressure over the ruler with his non-dominant hand, and draw a line against the edge of the ruler with his writing hand.

So when would be the good time to teach using a ruler?  Obviously you will not ask your 2 year-old toddler to draw a square using a ruler.  Maybe you can show your pre-schooler child how to draw a line with a ruler.  At this age, I am pretty sure your pre-schooler child will be so interested in using the ruler by himself.  But in a minute, the ruler becomes something other than a ruler, like a sword.  Then you may have to take it away for safety and tolerate his whining.  I am just telling you a story about my little one here.  I believe it is a good time to introduce a ruler in pre-school age.  Just casually tell the child the name of the tool "ruler", how to use it, when to use it, and what kinds of things you can do with it.

In the beginning of the Kindergarten year, kids learn numbers and learn to compare bigger and smaller numbers.  As they progress, they learn to subtract and add numbers.  You can start to use a ruler while you play with your pre-schooler or young school-aged child.

Game 1 - Instruction:  "Use the ruler.  Can you draw a line, longer than mine?"

Game 1 - Instruction: Connect the dots with a ruler. (Give two dots to connect.)

Demonstrate how to use the ruler for visual cues.  Say out loud how to use the ruler. "Use your left/right hand to press down on it." "Then draw a line just like me."  

 If your child shows difficulty with holding the ruler down, then you can have your hand over your child's hand and give a gentle pressure.  You can also put your hand over the ruler first and place your child's hand over on your hand.  Tell your child to press down on your hand.  

Then see what happen.  Maybe the first line that your child draws is crooked.  But the last line would be different than the first line.

Enjoy teaching and learning~!      
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