Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site eosp1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!astrovax!fisher!eosp1!robison From: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) Newsgroups: net.kids Subject: Re: Velcro Closings Message-ID: <1303@eosp1.UUCP> Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 16:07:41 EST Article-I.D.: eosp1.1303 Posted: Tue Dec 18 16:07:41 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 20-Dec-84 04:02:33 EST References: <1946@pegasus.UUCP> <1046@hammer.UUCP> Reply-To: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton Lines: 21 Summary: Children need to develop nimbleness in their fingers at an early age. One of the reasons for this is that they will need to tie their own shoes when young. It seems reasonable to me to give them more time to learn by using velcro for a while. Shoe-tieing is certainly easier for older children. On the other hand, there may be a GENERAL trend among young children, that they are not as deft with their fingers as children used to be. I have heard many teachers of young children complain about this. The usual assumption is that children in the last 20 years have spent progressively more time watching TV instead of doing things, and consequently their motor skills are developing slower. If my children were young now, I would be BOTH letting them use velcro, and encouraging them to play at activities that develop motor skills and coordination. - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) {allegra, decvax!ittvax, fisher, princeton}!eosp1!robison