Development of a scissors skills programme for grade 0 children in South Africa - A pilot study

Abstract

The need for a scissors skills program was identified due to the varying levels of these skills found in Grade 0 children present in South Africa. Essential elements for the development of the program were identified using activity analysis and by evaluating five commercially available programs in terms of program length, grading of practice and picture components, type and thickness of lines and the use of a skills checklist.  A South African Scissors Skills Program (SASSP) was compiled based on the skill level of Grade 0 children. Content validity was assessed through expert opinion of the program and construct validity was assessed in a pilot study carried out on 10 Grade 0 children.  Changes made to increase the validity of the program included picture selection as well as the grading and type of lines used. The teacher instructions for presenting the program were altered to be easily understandable.  The program was finalised for implementation in further research. 

 Keywords

Bilateral fine motor skills, Scissor skills program, Graded program, Grade 0 children