Have you noticed a recent decline in children’s functional skills at school? When it comes to school readiness are children physically ready? A recent study indicated that about 30% of children’s physical development was ‘of concern’ at the start of the school year (21% had significant movement difficulty and another 8% exhibited physical development below […]
Winter oral motor activities can be fun indoor play during these cold months to work on strengthening the muscles in and around the mouth such as your cheeks, jaw, tongue, and lips. By practicing and strengthening oral motor skills, it may help children to improve their feeding skills, arousal level and more. Winter Oral Motor […]
Do you need quick and easy brain breaks for the classroom? You can download two FREE printables that are perfect for the classroom. These activities encourage self-regulation, body awareness, coordination, physical activity and balance all on one page. These freebies are from the complete Roll Some Fun digital download that includes 30 no-prep, boredom busting brain […]
Handwriting practice has diminished significantly over the several decades. Recently, more and more research indicates the importance of handwriting skills for literacy, working memory, orthographic processing and more. The Journal of Educational Psychology published research on the importance of handwriting for writing. Handwriting is very different from writing. In general, the act of handwriting involves […]
The statistics are frightening for the future health of our young people. While schools are fretting over academic achievement to increase brain power, physical inactivity in youth is on the rise. Think about your average elementary school students 30 years ago – many walked to school, had outdoor recess 2-3 times per day, walked home […]
Did you know that a student’s visual-spatial skills influence math skills? Visual-spatial skills provide us with the ability to visually perceive two or more objects in relation to each other and to yourself. Visual spatial relationships are important in everyday tasks. You need to interpret what it means to “stand first in a line”, “sit […]
A recent study in Disability and Rehabilitation examined physical activity and walking in children with cerebral palsy over time. The goal of the study was to create developmental trajectories for physical activity and walking performance for children with cerebral palsy. Methodology The study included 79 children with cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Functional Classification System – […]
There are many academic and personal behaviors necessary for student success that teachers instill in their students. Doing well in school is not all about good grades. Students need foundational skills in order to be successful students. Some examples are persistence, engagement, work habits, organizational skills, communication, collaboration, and self-regulation. Persistence Persistence is one of […]
As pediatric therapists, we often recommend that students work on vertical surfaces such as a wall, easel or slant board to encourage an increase in wrist extension, elbow and shoulder stability, and upright posture. By modifying the environment by moving tracing, copying, drawing, writing or play to vertical surfaces, you change the muscles that are […]
If you have children who participate in sports, you know how high the injury rate is today. Many youth start sport specialization at a very young age training in one sport throughout the year. Parents and athletes NEED prevent youth sports injuries by being educated on the current best practices. Research on How to Prevent […]