FM.F.123 COLOURS IN AREAS USING TEMPLATES

This is the beginning of colouring in.

A template is a flat piece of material with a shape cut out. A wipe-clean surface, such as plastic, works best. Your newsagent or toy seller may stock templates or could order some in for you. Choose templates with reasonably large, simple shapes. If you can’t find a suitable template in the shops, improvise with plastic bangles or enclosed shapes cut in thick cardboard.

How to Assess

Materials: A crayon, paper and a template (as described above).

Method: Place the paper on the table and put the template over the paper. Demonstrate colouring inside the template, covering the entire area. Lift the template to show the results. Direct your child to have a turn. You may prompt him twice, if necessary, to ‘Do some more’.

Score plus if your child colours inside the template so that 90% of the area is covered when the template is listed.

How to Teach

Use plenty of verbal encouragement to motivate your child to colour in all of the area. Point out to him any uncoloured areas.

You could try lightly drawing a face or object on the paper and telling your child you are going to ‘Hide the . . .’.  Then make a game of persisting with the colouring (using the template as a guide) until the object is completely hidden.

Playtime and Round-the-house Activities

Try colouring inside the template with finger paint or brush and paint. It is easier to get a complete coverage with paint, so this will help your child to see what he is aiming for. Painting inside a large shape cut from cardboard, with small rollers, is great fun and gives a satisfying result.

Remembering and Extending

When your child has mastered this skill you could introduce a very simple colouring-in book. At this stage you should not expect your child to stay inside the lines (though you can demonstrate in your own work). It is more important that he colours an area thoroughly. Encourage him to colour different parts of the picture with different colours.