FM.D.38 PLACES A PEG IN A CAN

Here the child must aim for the container, and then turn his wrist so that the peg goes in. Releasing above the can will not guarantee that the peg goes in.

How to Assess

Materials: A piece of dowelling or stick 10 to 15 cm long. A small can (such as a baby food can) or cup.

Method: Put the can on the highchair tray in front of your child and demonstrate how the stick goes in. Give the stick to your child and say ‘Put’. Give 3 tries.

Score plus if your child puts the stick in the can. He should do this in at least 2 of the 3 tries.

How to Teach

Some children learn to put the peg in by turning it so that it is vertical, and then dropping it. Others learn to place the end of the stick inside the rim of the can, and then to push the stick down so that it stays there when released. The latter method is more useful when it comes to smaller holes and tightly fitting sticks, but the first way can be accepted at this stage if it works for your child.

Decide on your strategy, and teach by physically prompting your child, gradually withdrawing your help until the skill is mastered.

Playtime and Round-the-house Activities

Spoons and toothbrushes can be put into cups. If you used a posting box in FM.D.36 try it now with a stick instead of a bail. Hold the cardboard tube from a toilet roll and let your child drop sticks through the tube onto the floor.

Remembering and Extending

Try some narrower containers, such as the clear plastic cylinders in which stock cubes are sold. If you have a very loose fitting peg-in-hole toy, you could introduce it now. This skill will be extended in the next skill in this sequence. Introduce increasingly challenging materials until this next objective is met.