Thank you for checking out my Blog and YouTube channel. As most children are home, I wanted to reach out to families. I know teachers are connecting with their students and providing academic calendars to engage children while at home. This may look different between districts.
I work in an elementary school that is “Dynamic”. I have been in this district for 24 years, working with a group of amazing teachers and staff.
In this video (Blog) I am going to share some strategies you may find helpful for your elementary school students as they do school work from home.
WRITING TASKS:
-Pencil grip: if not a good grip- use words like “pinch your pencil”, if necessary give child a small object to hold in palm of hand with 3 fingers (cotton ball, small eraser, Lego) while holding the pencil.
-the hand holding the pencil, that arm should rest on the surface. The non -dominant hand should be holding the paper down.
-3 ring binder: to use if arm does not rest on table surface. Placing paper on 3 ring binder so child is working on an incline.
-tape to wall or refrigerator: this encourages wrist to rest on surface.
-have child lay on their stomach with a book under their paper.
Writing paper:
If letters are not printed on the line and not legible.
Red Base line: Draw a red line on the line the letters are to sit on.
Yellow Boundaries: Highlight the area where small letters go; (a,c,e,i,m,n,o,s,u,v,w,x,z)
Finger Spacing between words: If work is not legible, check for spacing.
Coloring:
Writing forearm needs to rest on the surface.
3 ring binder: place coloring page on binder to color on an incline.
Tape coloring paper to wall or refrigerator to color.
Lay on stomach with a coloring page on a book to color.
Encourage coloring within the boundaries.
Have child color in circular motion to improve accuracy when coloring.
Good grip on crayon: encourage appropriate grip when coloring, using “pinch the crayon”.
If poor grip is demonstrated:
break crayon into small pieces- then the child can only pinch. (small object in palm of hand if needed.
Scissor Skills:
Thumbs up when cutting with scissors.
Thumb in the small hole of scissors.
cut on the bold line.
when cutting a square stop at the corner before turning the paper.
If cutting with scissors is difficult for your child, start with ripping paper, or old magazines into strips.
My Plan:
Is to post new Blog and video’s on Wednesday’s.
Moving forward the videos will be for the children. We know the children love YouTube.
- The theme Wednesday will be Lego’s. You can have your child get their Lego’s ready for Wednesday.
Before I say Goodbye. I wish you all QUIET times with your children and EMBRACE this moment. To my kiddo’s at school, “WHO ARE WE?”
Thank you for tuning into “Tinkering Fingers” See you Monday.
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Tinkering Fingers 