Name of material: Dressing Frames Image(s): Photo(s) courtesy of - PDF document

Name of material: Dressing Frames Image(s): ¡ Photo(s) courtesy of Think Education Supplies. Visit www.thinkeducation.com.au to purchase this material. Video : Point(s) of interest: The soft fabric, in visually appealing colours and patterns, of the Dressing Frames. Primary purpose: Main objective To acquire fundamental self-help skills related to dressing and undressing. Secondary purposes Incidental benefits Development of attention and concentration. Promotion of independence. Refinement of finger grasps. Control of error: The Dressing Frames are, in themselves, acting as a control of error for a real experience. Without Dressing Frames the child would have to rely on mastering these skills from fastening/unfastening their own clothing. This is extremely challenging as it is difficult for the child to easily observe the fasteners on his/her own clothing (due to the perspective of

having to look down on the fasteners, not directly at them) and the fasteners on clothing tend to be small in size, many in quantity and subtle in colour. The Dressing Frames overcome these challenges by providing a material that recreates the fastening/unfastening experience in a way that is easily observable with fasteners that are large enough to manipulate effectively and that contrast from their backing fabric to help the child build visual understanding of the necessary motions. EYLF Outcome 1.2: Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency by engaging in exploration, problem-solving and self- correction (rather than relying on an adult to identify the error and suggest the answer). Presentation : Please ¡note: ¡ ¡ Please ¡note: ¡Montessori ¡presentations ¡will ¡vary ¡slightly ¡according ¡to ¡the ¡specific ¡training ¡ institute, ¡Album ¡or ¡educator’s ¡experience. ¡The ¡following ¡outline ¡is ¡intended ¡as ¡a ¡guide ¡and ¡ highlights ¡important ¡points/procedures. ¡Educators ¡should ¡build ¡on ¡this ¡from ¡their ¡own ¡ experience ¡and ¡their ¡understanding ¡of ¡the ¡children ¡in ¡their ¡care, ¡so ¡that ¡all ¡presentations ¡will ¡ have ¡some ¡universal ¡similarities ¡but ¡no ¡two ¡will ¡be ¡completely ¡identical ¡because ¡of ¡the ¡unique ¡ needs ¡of ¡the ¡child, ¡cultural ¡context ¡of ¡the ¡school ¡and ¡interactions ¡between ¡educator ¡and ¡student. ¡ Preparation: • The Dressing Frames are usually presented as a result of the educator observing the child attempting to fasten or unfasten his/her own clothing. • The educator shows the child how to hold the Dressing Frame by the wooden ends so that the fabric is untouched. The educator invites the child to hold it in this way and carry it to the table. • The teacher sits to the right of the child if the adult is right-handed and to the left of the child if the adult is left-handed (this avoids the issue of having the adult’s hand/arm block the field of vision of the child). Lesson 1: Zipper Dressing Frame Unfastening: • The educator places the non-dominant hand flat on the left panel of the fabric to hold it down. • The educator takes hold of the zipper between the thumb and index finger (‘pincer’ grasp). • The educator uses slow and exaggerated movements to show how the zipper is slowly pulled down along the zip to release the ‘teeth’ from one another. • When the zip has been released the educator pulls the right panel out to the side so that it lies flat on the table, and then does the same to the left panel of fabric. • The educator then resets the frame, by fastening the zip, and invites the child to attempt unfastening the zip. Fastening: • The educator unfastens the Dressing Frame so that the left and right panels of fabric are stretched out on the table in the ‘open’ position. • The educator highlights the small clasp at the bottom of the zip on each panel of fabric.

• The educator lifts the left panel of fabric and places it back inside the frame. • The educator lifts the right panel of fabric and places it back inside the frame. • The educator uses the ‘pincer grasp’ on each hand to hold the small clasp at the bottom of the frame (left side in left hand, right side in right hand). • The educator couples the clasp. • When the clasp is fastened the educator places the left hand flat on the left panel of fabric (keeping the hand down at the bottom of the frame, close to the clasp). • The educator takes hold of the zipper between the thumb and index finger (‘pincer’ grasp). • The educator uses slow and exaggerated movements to show how the zipper is slowly pulled up along the zip to connect the ‘teeth’ to one another. • The educator then resets the frame, by unfastening the zip, and invites the child to attempt fastening the zips. Lesson 2: Snaps (Studs) Dressing Frame Unfastening: • The educator places the non-dominant hand flat on the left panel of the fabric to hold it down. • The educator takes the edge of the right panel of fabric in between the thumb and first two fingers (‘pincer’ grasp), holding it close to the stud. • The educator uses slow and exaggerated movements to show how the right panel of fabric is pulled back slowly to release the stud. • When the stud has been released the educator pulls the right panel out to the side so that it lies flat on the table, and then does the same to the left panel of fabric. • The educator repeats this process for the remaining five studs. • The educator then resets the frame, by fastening the fabric, and invites the child to attempt unfastening the studs. Fastening: • The educator unfastens the Dressing Frame so that the left and right panels of fabric are stretched out on the table in the ‘open’ position. • The educator highlights the stud areas by touching the exposed metal studs. • The educator lifts the left panel of fabric and places it back inside the frame. • The educator holds down the left panel with the non-dominant hand. • The educator lifts the right panel of fabric, holding it near the stud using the pincer grip. • As the stud with the protruding piece approaches its mate on the flat panel of fabric the educator slows down and takes great care to align the two pieces. • The educator pushes one stud into the other then uses the right hand to push down firmly on top of the aligned studs to make them ‘click’ together. • The educator repeats this process for the remaining five studs. • The educator then resets the frame, by unfastening the fabric, and invites the child to attempt fastening the studs. Lesson 3: Buttons Dressing Frame First introduce the Frame with Large Buttons. When the child has mastered Large Buttons introduce the Frame with Small Buttons. Unfastening: