Tips for Setting Up the Classroom
Both the physical and sensory environment in the classroom can impact children's performance. Here are some strategies to try that can help improve students' performance:
Make sure students' desks and chairs are the right size:
sitting on balls for another article. Provide a variety of pencils and some pencil grips to help children hold them correctly:
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Activities To Help Students with
Self-Regulation
Students can benefit by some help with maintaining their attention. Some activities are helpful for younger students, others can help with older students, but there are unlying "Rules of Thumb" for activities that apply no matter what age! Here are some ideas :
For "Deep Pressure/Heavy Work":
For Movement:
To use more touch, auditory, and visual strategies, check out my Pinterest pages:
Self-Regulation
Students can benefit by some help with maintaining their attention. Some activities are helpful for younger students, others can help with older students, but there are unlying "Rules of Thumb" for activities that apply no matter what age! Here are some ideas :
For "Deep Pressure/Heavy Work":
- Resistance bands (Theraband) can be a quick and helpful way to help students get stronger hands. When children use resistance bands, they also get the type of sensory input that will help them focus their attention better.
- Try the following ideas:
- Lead students in exercises stretching the bands in different directions-vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. Stress doing the stretches slowly in both directions.
- Make up a game for recess or choice time. Using a piece of resistance band, the child can stretch it over the foot, aim for an empty bottle, and let go with both hands at the same time. It will fly through the air and knock down the bottle.
- Tie a piece of resistance band around the legs of the desk to keep restless feet busy and provide "heavy work" .
- Having students work while lying on their stomachs can also help with calming them--this is a "heavy work" position.
For Movement:
- A "movement cushion" can help children who need a little movement when sitting to maintain good attention. The cushion can also help with posture when children need help sitting up straighter.
- Diane Henry, OT, designed a movement program that incorporates all the "Rules of Thumb". Check this link for more information: http://www.henryot.com/index.asp
To use more touch, auditory, and visual strategies, check out my Pinterest pages:
- Relaxation Tools for Children https://www.pinterest.com/hosmanjoan/relaxation-tools-for-children/
- Music-A Powerful Sensory Tool https://www.pinterest.com/hosmanjoan/music-a-powerful-sensory-tool/
Links for more ideas:
Fine Motor Ideas
Developing the correct pencil grasp does not always come automatically, however, there are two grasp patterns that seem to be the most functional for children.
There are recent research studies using fourth grade students that found the best intervention for illegible handwriting is practice! This was true even when students had reduced visual-perceptual skills or a non-standard grasp. Here is a link to abstracts that discuss these findings: http://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=1851644. Please let me know if you would like to read the entire articles, as I can download them.
Although the research referenced above indicates that the type of pencil grasp used might not be as important as we think, it is still important to make sure that students use a grasp that allows them to develop good eye-hand coordination so that they can write on the lines without hand fatigue. With that in mind, here are some activities on Pinterest that help develop hand and finger strength and eye-hand coordination:
https://www.pinterest.com/auntgeorge/ot-hand-strengthening/
Here are some ideas for students to work on pencil control for good eye-hand coordination when writing on the lines:
Scratch Art:
Highlight lines on writing paper:
Tracing:
Developing the correct pencil grasp does not always come automatically, however, there are two grasp patterns that seem to be the most functional for children.
There are recent research studies using fourth grade students that found the best intervention for illegible handwriting is practice! This was true even when students had reduced visual-perceptual skills or a non-standard grasp. Here is a link to abstracts that discuss these findings: http://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=1851644. Please let me know if you would like to read the entire articles, as I can download them.
Although the research referenced above indicates that the type of pencil grasp used might not be as important as we think, it is still important to make sure that students use a grasp that allows them to develop good eye-hand coordination so that they can write on the lines without hand fatigue. With that in mind, here are some activities on Pinterest that help develop hand and finger strength and eye-hand coordination:
https://www.pinterest.com/auntgeorge/ot-hand-strengthening/
Here are some ideas for students to work on pencil control for good eye-hand coordination when writing on the lines:
Scratch Art:
- Students can make their own pictures with the scratching tool, which requires more pressure than a pencil so they have to hold the tool firmly. For students who need stronger fingers, a triangle pencil grip can be put on the scratch stick. If needed, wind some masking tape around the stick first to increase the diameter.
- Using stencils, have students trace them to construct a picture and then scratch them to color them in. This helps with developing visual spatial skills as well as eye-hand coordination and pencil grip.
- Draw lines on Scratch Art paper and have students copy a poem or their own greeting to make a special card.
Highlight lines on writing paper:
- It helps to have beginning writers practice straight lines, diagonal lines, and circles to learn to fit letters on lines.
- Highlighting the bottom line can sometimes be just enough for younger students to learn to anchor their letters.
Tracing:
- Use tracing paper for students to make copies of silly faces, profiles of Presidents, or cartoons
- Tape the pictures the students trace to a window; they will have to hold their paper up on the window. This position helps build up their strength and positions their drawing hand correctly.
Learning to Write
There are many different good curriculums for handwriting. The following are some strategies that help children who seem to need a little extra help remembering correct letter formation.
When students need extra help with learning to write letters, making the activity multisensory can help. These students also need to be supervised when practicing so they don't practice the letters incorrectly. Here are some ideas to make practice multisensory:
There are many different good curriculums for handwriting. The following are some strategies that help children who seem to need a little extra help remembering correct letter formation.
- Many children find it easiest to learn writing letters in a developmental order of shapes, rather than "A,B,C," order. Developmentally, children can copy horizontal and vertical lines first, so writing letters such as "i", "l", and "t" are the easiest.
- Next, children develop the ability to write oblique lines, such as those in the letters "w", "x", and "y".
- Last, children develop the pattern of making circles in a counterclockwise direction. Often in kindergarten there are children who still make circles starting at the bottom and drawing in a clockwise direction. It might be hard for them to learn to make letters such as "o", "c", and "s" until their development catches up.
When students need extra help with learning to write letters, making the activity multisensory can help. These students also need to be supervised when practicing so they don't practice the letters incorrectly. Here are some ideas to make practice multisensory:
- Lay a piece of paper on top of a plastic embroidery sheet. Write the letter very large with a highlighter. Use a different color to make a dot where the letter starts. Give the student crayons with the colors of the rainbow, and have them trace the letter using the crayons in order: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Repeat as much as the student needs to be able to write the letter correctly. Then ask him to write the letter with his/her eyes closed, both large, and, if successful, small.
- Letters can also be traced with the child's finger in salt, sand, or using a Scratch Art tool on the Scratch Art paper.
- To help remember directionality, make commonly reversed letters with pipe cleaners. Have the student play a game where they drop them and then turn them all in the correct direction.
- Use foam alphabet puzzles from the Dollar Store, removing the letters to trace inside each letter space. This helps the student learn correct letter directionality and shape.