This is the second video this week I have seen that shows young children do not always need bells and whistles to entertain them. Sometimes we work too hard as therapists, teachers and parents to make sure we have the latest and greatest toys to entertain our children. Confucius once said “Life is really simple, […]
Students desks can get very messy but when a student has difficulties with organizational skills it can be even more difficult. Pencils roll away, worksheets get lost or crumpled and books are on the floor. Here are three simple ways to clean up and organize that desk space: 1. The Anti Roll Pencil – just […]
The Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention has published research on predicting handwriting performance in kindergarteners using reading, fine motor and visual motor measures. During the second semester of kindergarten, 48 students were assessed and the following results were recorded: 1. significant correlations were found between reading, handwriting, fine-motor, and visual-motor measures. 2. […]
Practice spatial reasoning, visual motor skills and visual closure skills with this freebie from Grid Drawing. Download it at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/griddrawingfreebie.html [subscribe2]
A recent Dartmouth study of 85 participants (ages 17-21 years old) compared selective visual attention, reading comprehension and stress levels of low income and high income students following 12 minutes of jogging in place in the individual’s target heart rate zone. The following results were recorded: 1. both groups saw improvement in selective visual attention up […]
Need a summer motor activity in a hurry? Check out these freebies: 1. Watermelon Multisensory Handwriting Activity Page at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/mssummerfreebie.html 2. Hand Out on Fun Physical Activities for the Summer at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/summerfree.html 3. Summer Tic Tac Toe at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/summerfitnessfreebie.html 4. Outdoor Bingo at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/fmsummerfree.html Happy Summer!
Make some exercise rocks! Here the kids thought of some exercises and we wrote them on smooth rocks with metallic pens. Try these activities: 1. Scavenger Hunt: hide the rocks outdoors. When you find a rock perform 10 of the exercises on the rock and then return it to start. The person or team with […]
Here are some simple suggestions to increase family (child, parents, siblings, other care givers, etc.) involvement in a child’s therapy plan of care: 1. Ask the family what their goals are in terms of therapy. Collaborate to create appropriate goals. 2. Take your time and be attentive. Don’t rush the family when talking about the […]
Here is a super easy brain break for a large group. Have all the children stand in the middle of the room. Designate one side of the room to be a certain activity i.e. running in place and the other side of the room to be a different activity i.e. squats. Explain to the […]
With the end of the school year, kids sometimes need a little motivation. How about using these free reward punch cards. After 10 punch holes for completing an activity or following the rules, the child wins a prize. Download the free printables at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/freepunchcards.html Need cheap prize ideas? Check out this previous blog post at https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2010/09/03/positive-reinforcement/