MEP: "rolling a paper tape / ribbon or a similar finger motion" ...huh?

[Guest Xapis10]

So we're going along in MEP reception, and I'm a bit lost as to what this activity is:

"Interlude: rolling a paper tape / ribbon or a similar finger

motion (to help develop flexibility and manouverability of

fingers in preparation for writing), with a song or verse if

possible."

 

It's from Lesson 6, activity 3.

[lexi]

I saw that one too (we're a few lessons ahead of you).

 

I went :001_huh: and then decided to skip it. :tongue_smilie:

 

I have no idea what they're talking about! :lol:

[ladydusk]

I never, ever do any of the "Interlude" step. YMMV

[stripe]

So we're going along in MEP reception, and I'm a bit lost as to what this activity is:

"Interlude: rolling a paper tape / ribbon or a similar finger

motion (to help develop flexibility and manouverability of

fingers in preparation for writing), with a song or verse if

possible."

 

It's from Lesson 6, activity 3.

 

I don't understand what you are "lost" about. It is a fine motor activity wherein the child rolls something up, such as a ribbon. A real life application of this is rolling up a fabric measuring tape. The stated reason is to develop flexibility. A song makes it more exciting. You will observe that in reception, the child is not asked to write the numbers. Instead, the child is asked to work on pre-writing muscle development including coloring.

 

If you have watched the film on Hungarian early education, the teacher talks about this, actually, i.e. that her job is to send kids on with more developed muscles so they can learn to write at the next level.

 

I sometimes do the interlude activities. It is often a way to liven things up and take a break. Sometimes I do my own.

 

In my experience, everything is in MEP for a reason. Nothing is random or a filler. Most things are there to build skills, and you will see them come to fruition later on, so I am glad you asked when you don't understand. Btw, have you seen the MEP yahoo group for homeschoolers?

[Sherry in OH]

I don't understand what you are "lost" about. It is a fine motor activity wherein the child rolls something up, such as a ribbon. A real life application of this is rolling up a fabric measuring tape. The stated reason is to develop flexibility. A song makes it more exciting. You will observe that in reception, the child is not asked to write the numbers. Instead, the child is asked to work on pre-writing muscle development including coloring.

 

:iagree:

 

Paper tape = a strip of adding machine paper.

 

Easy substitutes - a 2-3 inch wide strip of copy/printer paper, cloth, or craft felt. Felt is the easiest to roll.

 

The interludes in reception are a fun way of building dexterity. In year one, we found them essential. We even added extras. Sometimes two minutes of silliness changes "I'm too tired" to "I can do this."

[Syllieann]

We loved those activities and I appreciate that reception includes them. We often changed it up and adapted to suit the materials we had available. We are done with reception and my student still isn't writing-ready so we still do some of those activities just for fun. I consider it prewriting.

[Chelli]

I never, ever do any of the "Interlude" step. YMMV

 

:iagree:

[ladydusk]

In my experience, everything is in MEP for a reason. Nothing is random or a filler. Most things are there to build skills, and you will see them come to fruition later on,

 

While I never do the "Interlude" I absolutely agree with this. Usually it's "sing a song" and we don't generally need a break there ...

[stripe]

Here is the video I was talking about

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-elementary-math-hungary

[Guest Xapis10]

It is a fine motor activity wherein the child rolls something up, such as a ribbon. A real life application of this is rolling up a fabric measuring tape.

Btw, have you seen the MEP yahoo group for homeschoolers?

 

Thanks! I had a few different ideas for what "rolling" meant, so rolling up made it perfectly clear :) We are doing similar things in beginning handwriting, so I like the extras in MEP that reinforce it.

Yes, I have joined the MEP yahoo group.

Thanks for posting the video too!

[Incognito]

I love the "sing a song" ones. I'm sure there are particular songs somewhere in the cirriculum, but my children just invent random songs about numbers (with actions as called for). :)

 

Oh, and I am not in love with the posters, so we draw pictures - either me or my older child - to make the posters. :) Her squirrels are much cuter than theirs. ;)

[stripe]

I think the posters are pretty ugly. I have been known to use a busy picture book to hunt for stuff, such as Eric Carle's book about a seed.