Grasping

For ages: 2, 3, 4

Skills: hand-eye coordination, fine motor development, concentration, independence, order

Materials:

A tray with a tall rim, two identical semi-shallow bowls, large beans, and a table.

Presentation:

1. Invite the child to a lesson on grasping.

2. Walk with the child to the shelf where the material is kept.

3. Slide the tray gently from the shelf using two hands (thumbs on top, fingers on the bottom).

4. Holding tray at waist level, elbows close to the body, carry tray slowly to the table.

5. Bend slightly, gently place the tray on the table. The bowl with the beans should be on the left side.

6. Grasp the back of the chair with two hands and slowly pull out.

7. Sit down in accepted manner.

8. Look at material.

9. Extend dominant hand over bowl on left. Lower hand into the bowl, grasp beans.

10. Slowly close hand to form a fist. Lift hand, move to right hand bowl, slowly open hand. Release beans. Watch and listen as they fall into the bowl.

11. Repeat procedure until no more beans can be grasped with entire hand.

12. Remove remaining beans with a three-finger grip.

13. Look at material.

14. Grasp both sides of tray with full-hand-grasp and turn tray clockwise 180 degrees using two movements. Now the full bowl should be on the left.

15. Repeat procedure as desired. (I highly recommend repeating the process at least one more time.)

16. Grasp seat of chair with both hands and gently push away from table.

17. Stand in accepted manner and push it gently.

18. Grasp tray with both hands, raise to waist level, and carry slowly to shelf.

19. Slide gently into place on shelf.

Points of Interest:

The appearance of the beans, the appearance of the bowls and tray, feeling the beans in the hand, releasing beans slowly, seeing and hearing the beans fall into the bowl, seeing the contents of one bowl get smaller as the other gets more full, turning the tray, and repeating the exercise.

Control of Error:

• Seeing the tray tilt, seeing bowls move on the tray, seeing and hearing materials spill onto the tray, grasping material is of contrasting color to tray, tray with tall rim to prevent bowls from sliding off of the tray.

Language:

• Bowls, beans, grasp, empty, full, open, close, hand

Variations:

Use a variety of materials (beans, shells, beads, pasta, rocks, cotton balls, etc.).

Extensions:

Use tools: spoon, tongs, scoop, tweezers, etc.

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