Help them fly

Have you ever tried origami? I’ve just spent 20 minutes trying to teach my twin four-year-old grandchildren how to make a paper aeroplane. When they were a little younger, I would make them a plane and they would throw it. But now, at the age of four, I thought that, with some guidance and instruction, they should be able to fold their own paper aeroplane. So, we all sat down at the kitchen table with an A4 sheet of paper, I made the first fold on mine and they copied me, then the second and so on to the sixth and final fold that makes the plane. During the process, I gave some feedback – either guidance of what to do, correction if one of them was folding in the wrong way or lots of praise at anything resembling the correct step. They both managed to produce an end product that was a reasonable copy of mine and were very pleased with their efforts. At the end of the 20 minutes, their ability to concentrate on any further ‘teaching’ was at its end – and I needed a cup of tea! The next stage, maybe tomorrow, will be to sit them down with a sheet of paper and this time, instead of them watching and copying me, will be for them to fold the paper following my verbal guidance. The following stage will be for me to not give ongoing guidance, but to give feedback if they are making a wrong fold or have forgotten the next fold. Finally, they should be able to make the aeroplane without me there at all. Even if you have never helped a child to make a paper plane, I’m sure you can imagine and identify with the logic and process described above.