Refining Folding Skills in the Early Years

Folding Practice for the Young Child

Apr 19, 2009 Carolyn Marie Choo

A child who has learnt how to make the first fold will need further folding activities to practise this skill.

When introducing the child to folding, a lot of care must be taken to ensure that the child succeeds when attempting the first fold. Once the child has been introduced to folding and unfolding, a series of graded activities may be introduced to allow the child to develop this skill. These additional activities may again involve the square piece of felt as in the first folding exercise.

Folding into a Smaller Triangle

In the first folding exercise, the child works with a square felt that is folded into a triangle. When the child is able to fold into a triangle, challenge the child to do a second fold, creating a smaller triangle. For this fold pattern, you would need a square piece of felt with two fold lines.

After the child has folded the square into a triangle, the child traces with his or her fingers, the vertical fold line from top to bottom. The child then picks up the left corner of the felt and brings it over to meet the right corner. A smaller triangle is formed.

Folding into a Rectangle

The child can then progress on to folding the square felt into half again, forming this time a rectangle as he or she joins two corners of the cloth to the other two opposite corners. More skill is required as the child coordinates and controls both hands simultaneously. Again, the child is encouraged to fold the material away from himself or herself.

Tracing of the fold line is also encouraged. Unfolding is the reverse, and the child unfolds the material towards himself or herself.

Folding into a Smaller Square

The child who is practised in folding the square into a rectangle can be encouraged to fold the rectangle vertically to the other end. To do so, the child holds onto the two corners of the material on the left, and brings them to meet the corners on the right. The result is a smaller square piece.

Another Folded Square

You can also have a square felt with a small cross stitched right in the centre. The child picks up one corner each time and brings it to the centre. The child is challenged to ensure that all four corners meet neatly.

Squares without Fold Lines

The fold line indicates to the child where the material is folded. When the child has this knowledge, it is time to move on to square felt pieces without the fold lines. These blank folding cloths will also encourage the child to try out other folding patterns.

As the child practices with folding along these diagonal, horizontal and vertical lines, he or she goes beyond just an exercise of fine motor control. Concentration is strengthened as the child ensures that corners meet for the fold to be neat. In addition, folding enhances mathematical learning. The child explores symmetry, geometrical shapes and the relationships between the shapes.

The copyright of the article Refining Folding Skills in the Early Years in Early Childhood is owned by Carolyn Marie Choo. Permission to republish Refining Folding Skills in the Early Years in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Explore Folding Patterns with Cloth

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