Folding Exercise

Materials

  • 4 squares of materials with stitches in a bright colour.
  • The first cloth square-The stitches marking the median.
  • The second cloth square-The stitches marking a diagonal.
  • The third cloth square-The stitches marking two medians.
  • The fourth cloth square-The stitches marking two diagonals.

Direct aim

Acquiring the skill of folding along the stitches.

Indirect aim

  1. An indirect preparation for geometry, triables,etc. and fractions.
  2. The muscular coordination needed for writing.
  3. Helping the child to learn to concentrate for long periods of time.

Control of error

The control of error is in the stitches showing if the cloth is not exactly folded.

Age of great interest

2½ to 4½ years.

First Cloth Presentation

  1. Place the cloth so that the median is parallel to your own body.
  2. Using index finger and thumb of each hand lift up the corresponding corners of the cloth to meet the top corners.
  3. Using the right index and middle fingers, press along the stitches.

 

Second Cloth Presentation

  1. Place the cloth so that the diagonal is parallel to your body.
  2. Place the left hand on the cloth above the diagonal. Using the right index and thumb, lift the bottom corner and bring it to meet the top corner, remove the left hand when the corners meet.
  3. With the right index and middle fingers, press along the fold.

 

Third Cloth Presentation

  1. Place the cloth so that one median is parallel to your body. 
  2. Using index finger and thumb of each hand lift up the corresponding corners of the cloth to meet the top corners.
  3. Using the right index and middle fingers, press along the stitches.
  4. Turn the cloth so that the other median is parallel to your body.
  5. Repeat 2 and 3.

 

Fourth Cloth Presentation

  1. Place the cloth so that one diagonal is parallel to your body. 
  2. Place the left hand on the cloth above the diagonal. Using the right index and thumb, lift the bottom corner and bring it to meet the top corner, remove the left hand when the corners meet.
  3. With the right index and middle fingers, press along the fold.
  4. Turn the cloth so that the other diagonal is parallel to your body.
  5. Repeat 2 and 3.

 

Other games following from this.

  1. Folding pieces of cloth without lines. 
  2. Folding papers of different types
  3. Folding all types of articles of clothing
  4. Folding large articles with the help of another child, and thinking before tackling any item that needs to go into a smaller space and seeing how best to fold it.
  5. Folding paper into boats, etc. (Origami).

 

Language given later

Vocabulary such as sides, corners, median, diagonal, parallel to, the square can be given.

 

Acquisitions

Silence takes great bodily control