Instead Of "Dot...Dot...Not A Lot"

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Revised | Originally Published: July 7, 2021 @ 10:54 am

For those seeking a more effective alternative to the “dot…dot…not a lot” glue culture that exists in many early learning settings, here’s an option.

This is Lilly. She loved gluing. You can see it on her face; she concentrated hard as she squeezed the glue from the bottle. And rightfully so–it took a lot of strength, coordination, and focus to get the thick fluid flowing.

She went through a lot of glue before she had the strength, coordination, and self-control to create the small dots of glue that teachers seem to love. A LOT of glue. So much glue.

And that was OK.

Making those dots is a skill mastered only after a child develops the necessary strength and coordination. And that requires lots of squeeze bottle experience. Here are links to handouts about precision grips and power grips.

Instead Of “Dot…Dot…Not A Lot”

Instead of pleading, scolding, begging, cajoling, or demanding young children make those dots, consider making sure they have ample opportunity to squeeze. Opportunities to squeeze glue bottles, sure, but not only glue bottles. They can squeeze washrags during water play. They can squeeze stress balls or other small objects during story time. They can squeeze play dough during…well…during play dough time. Heck, if you’re really brave, they can squeeze their own ketchup and mustard onto their burger at the next class cookout.

Lots of squeezing will develop the skills needed to make those beloved dots much quicker than growling in a sing-song teacher voice, “Dot…Dot…Not A Lot!” or assigning glue dot worksheets.

Dot…Dot…Not A Lot Wrap-Up

Here are some final thoughts on the dot…dot…not a lot topic:

Worried about wasting glue? Dilute it with water at a 1:1 ratio. This will double your glue supply, and the construction paper pieces will still stick together. You’ll find more glue dilution ideas here and application ideas here.
You can fill empty glue bottles with water and host a Squeeze Fest at the water play table
Heavy Work also builds the muscle strength and control needed to make dots of glue, so providing lots of opportunities for carrying, pushing, and pulling will help
If a child decides they want to practice making dots, hand them a bottle of glue and a blank sheet of paper and wish them well. There’s no need for a worksheet.
Squeezing sheets of paper (or aluminum foil) into balls is another activity that builds hand control and muscles.
In the long run, focusing on creating a play space that supports squeezing is much more effective (and less frustrating) than focusing on those dots.