Lakeshore Learning sells their own brand of plastic safety scissors, and I like then so much that I wouldn’t recommend any other brand for children under 4. Toddlers are just too curious about how scissors work and too excited to listen to safety precautions. These scissors mean that they can develop solid hand skills earlier…… Continue reading Lakeshore Scissors for Toddlers That Only Cut the Paper, Not the Toddler
Category: occupational therapy
Take Notes with a Paper Notebook, But Only if You Can Write Quickly
Research in Psychological Science last spring and in an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education suggests that writing notes by hand requires the listener to synthesize a lecture more effectively than laptop note-taking. Three studies showed that testing immediately after a lecture and even a week later still saw improved retention of conceptual information when students…… Continue reading Take Notes with a Paper Notebook, But Only if You Can Write Quickly
Preschool Handwriting Activity: The Tally Sheet
Preschoolers love to play games. Take a few sheets of scrap paper and a crayon, and turn a game of chance into their first lesson in handwriting. This activity is also very effective for older children with motor or sensory processing issues that need the extra practice on grasp, pencil control, bilateral hand use, ocular…… Continue reading Preschool Handwriting Activity: The Tally Sheet
LEGO Duplo My First Car Creations: Putting Together Cars, Building Hand Coordination
UPDATE: LEGO has changed a few things, including the name of this toy. It used to be “Combine and Create”. The new version is really great as well. They have added some fun pieces with more graphics. The piece that could morph from dump truck to tanker trunk is gone, and the dump truck piece…… Continue reading LEGO Duplo My First Car Creations: Putting Together Cars, Building Hand Coordination
Teach Capital Letters First With Your Preschooler And Watch Writing Take Off
Teaching your preschooler to recognize and then write uppercase or capital letters is a key to early handwriting success. Many, if not most of the commercially-available workbooks (and preschool teacher handouts) teach them at the same time. Zaner-Bloser is a common style of handwriting instruction that uses this approach. If your child has been identified…… Continue reading Teach Capital Letters First With Your Preschooler And Watch Writing Take Off
What Makes A Child’s Handwriting Legible?
For most parents, the answer to whether their child’s writing is legible is like the Supreme Court justice’s comment on pornography: “I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it”. For occupational therapists, it is relatively easy to identify whether a child’s handwriting is legible or not. Does legibility still matter? The…… Continue reading What Makes A Child’s Handwriting Legible?
Does It Matter How Your Child Holds A Pencil?
The simple answer is: maybe. The standard tripod or quadrupod grip that every occupational therapist teaches will give your child a solid, controlled hold on a pencil for handwriting. Most children can learn this grip by 4 years of age. Some children watch adults and seem to copy it effortlessly. What happens to the rest…… Continue reading Does It Matter How Your Child Holds A Pencil?
Routines Really Matter When You Have Kids With Sensory Modulation Issues
Young children thrive with routines, but for kids with sensory modulation difficulties, the difference in their abilities when you support them with routines is amazing. Adults thrive with routines as well, we just don’t think about it. Try going through your morning routine, for example, in a different order. Drink your coffee before OR after…… Continue reading Routines Really Matter When You Have Kids With Sensory Modulation Issues
Move n’ Sit Cushions Can Also Be Stand n’ Balance Cushions
The trusty Move n’ Sit cushion that a generation of kids with sensory seeking or postural instability issues have used on their chairs can also be a great upright surface for toddlers with the same issues! Here is a two year-old client on his favorite piece of equipment. He calls it his “bumpies”, and loves…… Continue reading Move n’ Sit Cushions Can Also Be Stand n’ Balance Cushions
Swaddle at Night, but Get Moving During the Day
A correctly swaddled baby that is also using white noise and all the other Happiest Baby strategies can sleep amazingly long periods at night. But as your baby goes from a 2 week-old to a 2-month-old, they are up and awake for longer periods of the the day. Nobody wants to swaddle them all day,…… Continue reading Swaddle at Night, but Get Moving During the Day
Start Teaching Pencil Grasp Early With Fingertip Feeding Games
Many preschoolers have difficulty holding a pencil. Some teachers and occupational therapists don’t even suggest pencil use until kindergarten. And the developmental progression is slowing down to reflect the limited amount of time children under 3 are getting to refine their pinch and manipulation skills that create the foundation of pencil grasp. Standardized testing may…… Continue reading Start Teaching Pencil Grasp Early With Fingertip Feeding Games
When Should Your Child Use a Stylus on an iPad?
Earlier I wrote a post on the App Crayon stylus to develop pencil grasp in preschoolers. But should all preschoolers and even toddlers use a stylus? The issue is more complicated than you might think. The App Crayon is still my favorite stylus for older toddlers. The triangular shape and the boldly colored, non-slip grasping…… Continue reading When Should Your Child Use a Stylus on an iPad?
Teaching Handwriting to Toddlers Isn’t as Easy as Connecting the Dots
I recently saw a preschool homework sheet with dots forming the child’s first name. My initial thought was “Not again!”. And then I decided to be a bit more kind. Preschool teachers aren’t given any solid instruction in how to teach pre-writing. They are trying their best, and hoping that the workbooks they have in…… Continue reading Teaching Handwriting to Toddlers Isn’t as Easy as Connecting the Dots
Why is W-Sitting Such a Big Deal?
Does your child sit on the floor with their legs rotated out to the sides, feet pointing in front of them? Is this their preferred pattern of sitting on the floor? Is it, in fact, the only position your really ever see them use on the floor? Well then, you have yourself a W-sitter.…… Continue reading Why is W-Sitting Such a Big Deal?
Sensory Processing Issues And Toilet Training Your Toddler: The Overview
Toilet training is never fun. At it’s best, a sweetly cooperative child quickly connects urges with actions, and parents deal with an occasional accident. In a few short weeks or months, you feel free to go anywhere without extra clothes, creme, wipes and diapers. Not when a child has difficulty processing sensory information. Sensory processing…… Continue reading Sensory Processing Issues And Toilet Training Your Toddler: The Overview
Toddler Apps That Make Tiny Hands and Tiny Minds Work Together!
One of my favorite app designers are the folks at Tiny Hands. They have a suite (but you can buy apps separately and get free mini trials) of apps for the 2-5 set that are progressive in challenge but consistently high in fun. Since I am always looking for positive (read: active) tablet use, I…… Continue reading Toddler Apps That Make Tiny Hands and Tiny Minds Work Together!