Blackboard

I have seen many benefits as a result of my little man attending childcare. But one that I can pinpoint with certainty is the way he has become so much more inquisitive and interested in toys and games around him. In a recent post, I mentioned that he loved his new magnetic drawing board that he got for Christmas from my mother. Well, it seems he is beginning to generalise this concept to other things, which is so fantastic to see.

After giving him some time to enjoy the magnetic board, I brought out some chalk and a duster, and introduced him to the blackboard. He took to it straight away! I looooove this so much. It tells me that he was able to broaden his understanding of what it means to 'draw' - that it is not limited to the magnetic board, but can be used with other things too. So far, he hasn't been very keen on crayons and paper, but I don't think it will be long before we work up to it.

His fine motor skills (or lack thereof) do tend to create problems for him. He is still unable to hold a spoon correctly - he grips it with his whole hand kind of like the way a baby still in the learning stages would. The same holds for his grip on a crayon or pencil. As I stood watching him explore the blackboard, I began to notice him adjusting the way he handled the chalk and duster. I cannot begin to say how much joy this brought to me.... that right before my eyes, he was learning and working things out for himself. In the pictures you can see how he changes the way he uses the duster, and how he moves from two hands needed to manipulate the chalk, to one hand and a reasonably correct grip.

Two hands to manipulate the chalk ... and lots of dots! He loooooooves drawing dots for some reason.

Working out a good grip on the chalk - I like this because it is exercising his fine motor skills.

From dots to lines - 'round and 'round! I adore those cute scribbles *hearts*

He starts off using the duster with the flat of his hand - obviously this is not going to be very efficient, but at least he knows what to do with it!

Wait a sec..... he is using his other hand to hold it steady while he guides the duster with his fingers. I realise this makes no practical sense, but as I watched him work, that was indeed how he was using it. Definitely a step up from trying to 'wipe' it around the board though!

Yay! He finally figures out the best hold on the duster and uses it like a pro - rubbing out anything his sisters try to draw on "his" blackboard haha!!

Beautiful beautiful scribbles :)

These beautiful scribbles are worth more than Monet to me *hearts*.

xx