Thread: Markers
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nannyde 06:55 AM 09-11-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I didn't say they weren't ever allowed to use them. I re-check for ability every few weeks or so and when they are ready they can have free access to them. These same kids can use the markers when I am directly involved in the use of them so I can make sure the caps are replaced but I am not ususally directly involved in their coloring. I do not have time to sit and be the marker police. If the kids need that much one on one attention just for using markers, they'll need access to them at home and not my house where I have 10 kids everyday.

I help foster and support responsibility. I am not the sole teacher of those skills. The parents need to play a role in the child's learning as well. I do what works for a group of kids. Same goes for scissors. If I am directly involved, the kids who haven't mastered them can use them but if I am not directly involved with the activitiy, they do not get scissors.

There are plenty of other activities that will help children master putting marker lids on instead of actually using markers.

And FWIW, markers are recommended for age 3 and up so I don't feel one bit bad about not exposing a 2 year old to them.

Daycare~ You have also stated you give each child their own set of markers so if they don't put a cap back on, it is their own marker that is ruined. My markers are communal and it isn't fair if one little guy ruins the blue one for everyone else...kwim?
I don't deal with the cap and return thing with markers much because we have an adult sitting there when they are using them. If they can't cap them each use with repeated prompts it just tells us they are done with them and they need to do something else. A few times of getting up from the table and playing with the kids who don't do markers (one and two year olds) then they get they need to do it.

Logical consequences.

I've found that when the first start doing markers they love doing the recap because they like the clicking of it. Once they have done that hundreds of times is when they start getting lazy about it. So it is more common to see the older ones not doing it. By that time they can really get that it leads to the end of the session for them and keep track of it themselves.

I start them at three with them. Any earlier and we have to be too involved in monitoring the caps for mouthing and them coloring the table, their clothes, and themselves. I have them do it when they are old enough to understand that we want paper marking only.

We have free unlimited markers here thanks to one of my moms who supplies us every year so we never run out. We don't leave them out in play so when they do markers they are excited to do it and we rarely have problems. I have one two year old who is running pretty far ahead of the curve so we have sent home a couple of packages of them for home use and her Mom will get her going on them. Once she has some experience at home we will most likely let her onto the table with the biggins.

I NEVER worry about whether or not a child can master stuff like that here. They have at least five waking hours a day with their parents and the most number of kids in the family is two so they have plenty of time in a two adult to two kid ratio or two adults to one kid ratio to get everything they need for their age group. Whatever happens here is just gravy.
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