Activity of the Week

Okay, make that activities of the week, since two games have been high on my list lately.

The first is Line Tag.  It works when there are 4 or more kids and an outdoor space.  The kids all hold hands or link arms, someone on one end is "it" and they have to tag the person on the other end.  Everyone has to keep holding the others' hands the entire time.  This builds strength and endurance, coordination, the sense of touch and body position in space (proprioception), cooperation, problem solving and teamwork.  That's a lot of benefit from a simple game!

The second is "Hangman".  For some people the theme is a bit gruesome, (and why do kids draw a smiley face on the figure being "hung"?), if necessary just change the theme to draw a person without the gallows.  For younger children, use familiar words and/or tell them what the category is, such as animals, dinosaurs, etc.  This game practices writing, spelling and drawing skills, and executive functioning skills.  Kids need to hold in their mind the word or phrase, the letters, how many spaces are needed for each, they need to draw the correct number of letter spaces, write the letters, decide how many body parts to draw (does the stick figure get ears? hands? feet?), and take turns.

The best part about games such as these is that they are easily adapted for children of all levels of ability.  This way each child can have success, which in turn motivates them to try other things.

Now go play!

Activity of the Week

School is in full swing, and that means homework and handwriting.  For many children, handwriting can be challenging.  So what can we do to make writing easier?

Handwriting relies heavily on shoulder, arm and hand strength, coordination and dexterity.  Here is one, fun way to increase these skills, as well as visual tracking skills which are also necessary for reading.

You will need a pair of tongs, some small bean bags or bundled up pairs of socks, and a target which can be another person or a stationary target.  The goal is to throw the bean bags or socks and hit the target, and then catch the bean bags or socks with the tongs.  It's harder than it looks, even for adults!  

The Balancing Act

Being a teacher is like being a tightrope walker.  It sounds simple, teach children reading, writing and arithmetic.  Instill a love of learning in all students.  Keep parents up to date on how their children are doing.  Collaborate with other teachers and administrators.  Work with the school occupational therapist and speech therapist to help students who need these services.

Consider that there are 24 to 32 (or more) personalities in any given classroom.  Outgoing kids, quiet kids, kids who are quick to learn, kids who need more time.  Then there is the sensory component that occupational therapists are familiar with: kids whose vision or hearing may not work as well, kids who need more time to process what they hear or see, kids who don’t quite know where they are in space so they bump into others unintentionally or fall out of their chair, kids who are easily distracted by what is happening around them, kids who need more stimulation to be able to pay attention, kids who are easily overwhelmed by noise, movement and/or visual input, kids who are dealing with a combination of the above. 

Classrooms have changed considerably over the years.  Gone are the days when the décor consisted of a blackboard (remember those?), a globe, a flag, the ABCs, and maybe a potted plant.  Today’s classroom, walls are decorated with the children’s work, the ABCs, pictures and posters of scenes that pertain to the lessons being taught, brightly colored rugs, a globe or world map, supplies such as pencils and pens are in plain sight, as well as the teacher’s work area.  For many children, this setting helps them to increase their energy to a level where they are engaged and interested in learning.  Others who already are engaged and interested often tune out the visual.  But some children are overwhelmed by the visual input and become dysregulated and inattentive.  How can teachers create an environment that helps all children learn? 

A wise teacher told me how she made this work.  When the school year began, she called all her first and/or second graders around her and read them the story of a boy who was having a horrible day.  When he came to the point where he could not take it anymore, he would shout “I want to go to Australia!”.  After the story ended, she showed the class a corner of the room that she had partitioned off on three sides, and inside she had placed bean bag chairs, and pillows.  She told the children that this was their version of Australia, and that they could go there if they were having a horrible day and/or needed a break. 

Giving children the option of a quiet space where they can go when they need a break is an excellent way to support kids who do better in a calm atmosphere, while at the same time supporting kids who need more stimulation to stay alert. 

Teachers and parents, you’re on the front line every day.  We would love to hear from you, to see what works in your classroom and at home.