Travers Brittany G, Kirkorian Heather L, Jiang Matthew J, Choi Koeun, Rosengren Karl S, Pavalko Porter, Jobin Paul
University of Wisconsin-Madison.
University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of California.
J Mot Learn Dev. 2018 Jun;6(1):147-166. doi: 10.1123/jmld.2016-0044.
Folding paper is a seemingly simple act that requires planning, bimanual coordination, and manual strength and control to produce specific forces. Although paper folding has been used as an assessment tool and as a way to promote spatial skills, this study represents the first attempt to document when paper folding emerges across early childhood. Seventy-seven children (ages 18 months to 7 years) and an adult reference group (24 college-aged adults) completed three pre-specified folds on a single piece of paper. Dependent variables included whether children attempted each fold and, if so, the accuracy of each fold. Grip strength, pinch strength, and developmental level were examined as potential correlates of paper folding. The results demonstrated that paper folding emerges as early as 27 months of age but becomes more accurate with age. At least 50% of children between 4 and 5 1/2 years of age completed folds. Additionally, children with more age-appropriate problem-solving skills attempted more folds, independent of age. These findings provide a descriptive framework for the ages at which paper folding emerges and suggest that paper-folding interventions could be implemented at even earlier ages than what previously has been examined.
折纸看似是一个简单的行为，但要完成特定的折叠动作，需要规划、双手协调以及手部力量和控制能力。尽管折纸已被用作一种评估工具和提升空间技能的方式，但本研究首次尝试记录折纸技能在幼儿期各个阶段的发展情况。七十七名儿童（年龄在18个月至7岁之间）和一个成人参照组（24名大学生年龄的成年人）在一张纸上完成了三种预先设定的折叠。因变量包括儿童是否尝试每种折叠方式，以及如果尝试了，每种折叠的准确性。握力、捏力和发育水平被作为折纸的潜在相关因素进行了检测。结果表明，折纸技能最早在27个月大时出现，但随着年龄增长会变得更加准确。在4岁至5岁半之间的儿童中，至少50%完成了折叠。此外，具备更符合年龄阶段解决问题能力的儿童尝试的折叠更多，且与年龄无关。这些发现为折纸技能出现的年龄提供了一个描述性框架，并表明折纸干预可以在比之前研究更早的年龄实施。
