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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