I love buying toys, crafts, stationery and games for my occupational therapy practice! It is no wonder that I have amassed a serious collection of materials over the past two decades. This, in turn, has led me to buy many bookshelves to house these materials. When I considered buying a bookshelf to put into an …
Organizing Crafts, Games, and Toys – Tips from an OT Read More »
Occupational therapists often work with children to remediate visual motor skills. These are foundational skills that integrate visual perception and motor coordination. When these skills are effectively working together, children can participate in daily activities such as cutting, coloring, writing, tying shoelaces, catching, or kicking effectively. Visual perception is the ability to perceive, differentiate, and …
Children who struggle with sensory processing may have trouble interpreting sensory information correctly in order to make an appropriate response. They may cry from too much noise in the classroom. Or they may get very irritated by a seam or tag on their clothes. An Occupational Therapist can help with an assessment and recommendations to …
I love lists – they’re quick and easy to reference. So, I wanted to make a “glossary” of sorts to explain the jargon that appears in occupational therapy reports and to provide associated activities that can be worked on at home. Therapy is significantly more effective when parents work alongside the therapist – since motor …
To become proficient writers, students need to know how to handwrite. Although technology is becoming more accessible in higher grades, students in lower grades still depend on pencil-and-paper for written communication. To handwrite, they need to know how to make their letters, and where the letters go on the writing line. Once handwriting is mastered, …
The question of whether to teach children uppercase or lowercase letters first is often debated. Proponents of upper case contend that: Uppercase is developmentally more appropriate because the letters are easier to form. Uppercase letters are easier to recognize. The transition from upper case to lower case is easy. Are uppercase letters easier to form? …
The following video shares five core principles for making handwriting instruction highly effective and engaging. You will learn practical strategies that can be implemented in your classroom right away: Video Script Hi! Today we are going to discuss 5 essential practices to keep in mind when teaching handwriting. SMALL GROUPS The first is that handwriting …
Many students struggle with where to start their letters! Sound familiar? Using three-lined paper makes it easier for your students to know where to start and end their letters. In fact, the use of lines is critical to handwriting development! These easy-to-understand classroom tips and strategies demonstrate how you can use three-lined paper to help …
As an occupational therapist, I have seen children hold pencils many ways. Sometimes this is okay, and sometimes it isn’t. While many teachers do not have the time to address pencil grip during their busy days, the way a child holds a pencil directly affects his or her ability to develop legible handwriting. Here are …
“I can’t read this!” How many times have you seen this written on a child’s homework assignment? When a child has bad handwriting, it is often assumed that he is lazy, not putting forth his best effort or just not sufficiently motivated to write neatly. It is especially confusing when the child’s performance is inconsistent, …
