Scissor Skills, what is the point? Why bother?

Have you been receiving my emails about THE SCISSOR SKILLS BOOK and being wondering, why even teach kids to cut?

Some children love creating and experimenting.  They love picking up scissors and cut anything they can get their hands on.  They love craft and collages. 

And yet...

There are some children who may have scissors presented to them at home, in their child care setting or at school... and yet never choose to pick those scissors up and try them!

Just an aside... did you ever sit in algebra class in school and wonder "what is the point of this?" or may be for you it was studying Shakespeare or reading Jane Austen (although our friendship will be tested if you say this is you), for others it is sport... What is the point? Why bother?

I'm all about practical!

What is the point of using scissors? Why both teaching scissor skills?

It is so beneficial when teaching a skill, to show the practical ways that these skills may be used.  How can this skill be applied to everyday life? What is the point? What is the purpose? Why?

10 Practical Ways to Teach Scissor Skills to Kids!

1. By example!
For children, it is important for them to see YOU using scissors! They may watch you cutting up a BBQ chicken, cutting up material for sewing, cutting a string to tie a package, cutting/pruning the garden, cutting a pizza into slices, cutting nails with nail scissors, cutting flowers to put into a vase... and the list goes on.

Now over to the kids to try their hand at using scissors for themselves in every day activities.

2. Use scissors to open packaging.
Open packaging for cookies, crisps, candy, new pyjamas, envelopes or a new game.

3. Use scissors to gift wrap.
Involve your child in gift wrapping for all those birthday parties they are invited to.  Involve them in choosing the wrap, ribbon, tissue paper or cellophane.  Have them manipulate the scissors to cut the paper.  Draw a line for them to cut and fold the paper at the same point.  Early scissor users can do the "snip" required to cut ribbon/string.

4. Use scissors to cut off price tags or clothing tags from new purchases.
An easy "snip" to cut off these tags. They will be motivated especially if the new item is for them, however it is also great when the new item is a gift which is then wrapped for a friend or family member.

5. Use scissors to cut larger paper so you can make note paper.
You could turn this into a game of "postman" by making simple cardboard "post boxes" for members of the family.  Have your child cut large paper into pieces depending on their ability.  You could start with a snip off a long strip or fold the paper to create "shapes" such a large triangle. Alternatively the note paper could be used to write down a shopping list or things to do list for your child.

6.  Use scissors to cut wax or grease proof paper from a roll to wrap a sandwich.
Have your child help to cut kitchen paper and them wrap their sandwich or roll.

7. Use scissors to cut sticky or masking tape.
Leave the dispenser aside and have your child make the "snip" to cut sticky tape or masking tape.

8. Use scissors to cut out a clipping from a magazine or newspaper so it can be kept.
You could find things of interest to your child (eg. they might love dogs) or you might pick a theme like colours, shapes, textures to find and cut out.  Depending on your child's ability, you may want to draw a shape around the image for cutting.  You could also cut out interesting "letters" from the newspaper to spell out words or names!

9. Use scissors to cut up old receipts (or paper grocery bags).
Put the "shredder" aside and have your kids help to "cut up" old receipts or documents! There is no "right" or "wrong" with this sort of "cutting"!  Place all the "cuttings" in the recycling bin or use the cuttings to make a sensory bin (slowly adding it each time there is "cutting practise") where you can hide objects to find.

10.  Use scissors to cut out "coupons".
Some households cut out and collect "coupons" more than others.  Even if you are not one who would normally cut out coupons, this is an excellent way to encourage scissors skills in a practical way.  Coupons are usually rectangular or square in shape (not always) so they are the perfect shapes to work on manipulation of the page (turning).


Using scissors is a complex skill that we take for granted as adults.  Would your child be more "engaged" with learning how to use scissors when shown how they are used in a practical context?

Next week, we look at how to help children who have difficulty with their "pencil pressure" when they are writing!

I hope you join me again!

Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this article to promote products that I recommend. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale.   Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand.

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Ever have an arm wrestle?  or pulled in a "tug of war"?  or have you tried indoor rock climbing?

These activities all require a significant amount of upper body, hand and finger strength. We might not all win arm wrestles ... but we all require adequate strength in our arms, hands and fingers to perform daily activities. 

Children need adequate hand and finger strength to carry out their daily "jobs" such as writing, using scissors, doing up buttons and using a knife and fork.  When muscles in the hands are strong, children can hold tools for longer and use them more efficiently.

If a child has weak hand muscles they may tire quickly (giving up) or swap hands (to give the other hand a turn). In using scissors, they may have difficulty opening and closing their hand adequately to cut the page or drive their scissors forward.  In using a knife and fork, children with weak hand muscles may not be able to apply adequate pressure to stabilize or cut the food properly. In handwriting, children with weak hand muscles may have difficulty applying pressure to their pencils or they may not be able to write as much as others.

Some children may have poor hand and finger strength due to low muscle tone, developmental delay or a neurological condition.   There are sometimes no known cause for a child's hand weakness, however medical advice should be sought if you are concerned.

Activities which help with the development of strength involve some weight bearing or resistance.  They involve pushing or pulling and may also be considered "heavy work" when looking at a sensory diet.  Read more about sensory diets here. 

You could try the following activities to encourage the development of strength!

Upper Body Strength and Stability(hands, arms and shoulders).

1. Wheelbarrow walks
2. Animal walks (crab, bear, etc)
3. Crawling through tunnels, over cushions, under thin mattresses, etc (read more about the benefits of crawling here)
4. Hanging and swinging from monkey bars (or trees limbs)
5. Working on a vertical surface (eg. painting, drawing, washing windows, using easels/whiteboards) or even lying on the floor to work on the underside of a table (place some paper on the surface first).
6. Hanging and swinging on trapeze rings or bars
7. Overhead flying fox or zip line
8. Climbing upwards on a slide
9. Walking a ball "up a wall" with one's hands without dropping it
10. Push-ups (can be modified on knees)
11. Plank (can be modified on knees or over a small therapy ball)
12. Scooter board activities lying prone over the board
13. Therapy ball activities lying prone over the ball
14. Throwing and catching a basketball (or similar)
15. Pulling on a rope
16. Chair push-ups (from a seated position, lifting whole body up from a chair with arms straight)
17. Pulling a wagon of toys
18. Lifting school chairs onto a table
19. Woodwork activities such as hammering or sawing
20. Carrying buckets of water or sand

 Hand and Finger (Pinch) Grip Strength

1. Squish, squeeze, poke and manipulate play dough or putty (Read more play dough ideas here.)
2. Play with rubber bands (use geoboards, make them in a rubber band ball, wrap them around a tennis ball can, etc)
3. Pulling apart construction toys (such as Duplo bricks, LEGO bricks or pop beads)
4. Squeeze  "popper toys"
5. Squeeze stress balls or other fidget toys
6. Use tongs to squeeze and grasp small objects (such as pom poms or blocks)
7. Scrunch newspaper or other paper into balls and throw them
8. Tear and rip paper into small shreds
9. Sharpen pencils with a hand held pencil sharpener (Read why I don't want teachers to sharpen pencils for their kids here.)
10. Squeeze a hand-held hole puncher or craft punch
11. Squeeze a sponge to soak up water and squeeze out the water again (ie. washing outdoor toys or furniture)
12. Squeeze bath toys
    
13. Squeeze juice from an orange (or other fruit)
14. Squeeze a water spray bottle  to water plants or spray paint
15. Help to grate vegetables (ie. carrots, zucchini)
16. Help to use a sifter that has a squeezable handle (Read more about the benefits of having kids in the kitchen here.)
17. Pushing hands directly with another child or adult
18. Squeezing clothes pin (pegs) in games or to hang out laundry
19. Playing with wind-up toys
20. Using eye-droppers to transfer water

For even more suggestions for building hand strength read more pincer grip ideas here! Read about heavy work for little fingers HERE!

These hand strengthening activities are a great way to get hands ready for handwriting, scissor skills and more!

Does your child struggle with the strength needed to carry out daily "jobs"?  Are they constantly "swapping hands"? What is your favourite way to help develop hand strength?

Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this article to promote products that I recommend. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale.   Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand.

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Parents, do you remember placing your finger into the palm of your baby's hand? They sweetly wrap their fingers around your finger and you go "awww, their holding me!"

This first "grasp" pattern seen in babies at birth is a primitive "grasp reflex".  It only lasts for about four months, however it prepares babies for voluntary grasp and release patterns. 

Grasp and release patterns are an important part of early child development.   At about four months, babies are reaching for objects with a momentary grasp and by about nine months babies are learning to release objects voluntarily (Parks, 1996).

Coordinated grasp and release skills (and therefore the opening and closing action of your child's hand) are  important for the development of scissor skills.  Children need to be able to hold scissors and guide them to  open and close as they cut across paper.

You can use the following activities to encourage children with "opening and closing hands".

• Play finger rhymes and sing action songs (for example: Open Shut Them, 5 Little Ducks, Round and Round the Garden).  For more finger rhymes refer to this FREE printable.
• Play with hand puppets where the hand can open and close the puppet's mouth to talk or sing.
• Use tongs or tweezers to pick up small objects such as pom poms, cotton balls, ping pong balls, etc.
• Use scissor tongs that are specifically designed with handles similar to scissors, which allow the child to pick up small objects using the "ball" at the end (refer to photograph above).
• Incorporate clothespins (pegs) into games and craft activities.
• Squeeze spray bottles filled with water or paint.
• Use eye-droppers or turkey basters to mix colours or move water.
• Squeeze bath toys to squirt water.

Parks, S. (1996). HELP strands: curriculum-based developmental assessment: birth to three years. Palo Alto, CA: VORT Corp.

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Cutting, laminating, photo copying, lesson planning .... do you do your preparation in the school holidays?

Teachers and OTs (or an other therapists for that matter)... we have a problem!

We never quite "switch off"!

We are always looking or listening out for a great idea that we can implement with the kids we see.  Even on holidays...  I notice ramps and think about access,  I notice toys in shops and think how I could use that or I watch kids play and guess how old they are! Yep, I have a problem!

Last year we were quarantined at home during one school holidays due to illness (gastro from memory).  To make the most of this time, I made these scissor skills busy boxes! I knew that they would come in handy once the illness had passed and I was back at work!  These boxes are perfect for home, preschool or in an OT tool kit!

Yes they take  a little while to set up but they are worth it!

I sourced theseplastic boxes years ago from IKEA Australia and love that they have little compartments which can be adjusted in size.  They also have a lid making them ideal to move around from place to place!

I set up two types of boxes but you could use a combination of craft and cutting strips.  The cutting strips were made from scrapbooking paper.  This is a little thicker than normal writing paper and easier for little hands to hold and to cut (as it doesn't flop around as much and require too much stability with the non-dominant hand).

In the cutting strip box, I wanted to have a range of developmental stages including shorter strips, thicker lines, thinner lines, curves, straight lines, corners and more!  Read more about developmental stages over at MamaOT.   If you are making this box for home, you may want to consider where your child is at developmentally before starting! 

A craft box is a great way to encourage those who are just starting out with scissors! Present a range of things to cut such as straws, crepe paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, wool, ribbon, twine, tinsel, etc! Encourage your child's creativity with some glue to stick down all the things they cut!

These scissor skills busy boxes will appeal to your child if they already interested in cutting or they love experimenting with craft supplies!

However, there are some children who are just...not..interested...in...cutting! These are the kids who are  referred to OTs because of poor fine motor skills, poor hand strength and poor postural control.  Sometimes these children have difficulty with cutting because they have not yet established a hand preference or have poor bilateral coordination (see here for more information).

Here are some tips for using the scissor skills busy boxes!

• Consider your child's stage of development. Provide cutting lines which are age-appropriate or just beyond what they can currently manage.
  
• Choose appropriate scissors for your child.  There are a wide range of scissors available! Consider your child's hand size and ability.  Some scissors provide additional help (such as the spring-loaded preschool scissors below).  There are also specific left-handed scissors available.
• Help your child to NOTICE the cutting line. Use wool, wikki stix, play dough or pipe cleaners to cover the cutting line.  Then take off the material and have your child trace the line with their finger. Help your child to be follow the visual motor cues of the line (even when it turns or curves). I love using glitter to go over the cutting line (and letting the glitter dry).  This provides a "bumpy path" for cutting and further sensory feedback for those who need it. (Read more about using glitter in therapy here).
• Emphasize "turning points".  Use stickers, stamps or even holes to help emphasize when scissors need to turn to stay "on the line".
• Stick it down!  Whether your child is cutting out lines or craft material, turn this into something tangible for your child.  Help them to make a crooked road, cages for zoo animals, design a city or some other fabulous work of art.  Giving your child's scissor skill practice a purpose will be more rewarding for your child than just cutting out various lines for the sake of up-skilling their scissor skills. This will also encourage imagination and play!
• Be on hand to help. You could use these "busy boxes" to keep your child entertain themselves happily snipping and cutting.  If your child is not so keen or is just starting out, be on hand to help.  Your child may need help to open and close the scissors.  They may need help to stabilise the item being cut.  They may need help to use both hand simultaneously. They may need help to turn the page.  They may need help to keep going and persevere with something they find difficult.

Please tell me that I'm not the only one who has trouble "switching off"! Perhaps this is a subconscious reason I started this blog, so that I could record ideas and observations!

Have you got a "busy box" for scissor skill practice? What have you included in your box?

How does your child hold their pencil?  How do you? Does it really matter how the pencil is held? Well the last question was the subject of my very first blog post and you can read that HERE!

Some of the main aspects of pencil control come from how the pencil is held and how it is manipulated whilst in the hand.  Ideally occupational therapists are looking for the following features when it comes to pencil grasp:

• a pinch (between the pads of the thumb and index finger) of the pencil
• support of the third finger along the pencil
• an "O" shape formed with the thumb and index finger
• the pencil resting in the web space of the hand
• control of the pencil made with this tripod grasp (thumb, index and third fingers) whilst the 4th and 5th fingers are held stable
• wrist straight and resting on the writing surface

Here is a quick "trick" to help with the position of the pencil!

This "trick" (or hack - I don't like the word hack though) is for those kids (and adults) who rest their pencil across the index finger rather than in the web space.

This "trick" will help move the pencil into the web space whilst your child "pinches" it near the nib (where the pencil shaving meets the pencil cover).

This "trick" encourages a more dynamic pencil grasp and open web space. 

What to do?

1. Attach two elastic bands together.
2. Place wrist through one elastic.
3. Place the pencil through the second elastic (you may need to loop it around the pencil).
4. Hold the pencil near the nib.  Start writing!

Considerations!

• Choose the elastic bands carefully - too narrow and they will pinch the skin, too big and they will not hold the pencil with adequate tension.  You may need to make extra loops around the pencil or wrist to work out adequate tension.  You could also try a "hair elastic"!
• Tolerance of the elastic band around the wrist.  Some children (especially those with sensory processing difficulties) may have difficulty coping with the elastic band around the wrist.  You may try this over a long sleeve shirt or a glove.
• This will be more "effort" for your child as the tension of the elastic band will form a resistance during writing.  It will also provide proprioceptive feedback.  Keep initial use of the elastic bands to short durations.
• This is a guide and will not "fix" a pencil grasp.  Children may still use a lateral grasp whilst the elastic bands are attached.

Have you tried the "elastic band trick"? Do you know a child who might benefit from trying this?

I’m excited to report that The Handwriting Book has already reached hundreds of people so far this week!

Thank you for wanting to learn more about how to support handwriting development in kids and for being excited about using new handwriting strategies and ideas in your home, classroom, or therapy practice.

Would you like to know more??

Who is The Handwriting Book for - therapists, teachers, or parents?

The answer is...all of the above!  The information in this book is perfect for parents who are trying to support their kids in the development of handwriting skills.

Therapists will love having all of the handwriting information, tips, and strategies they need right at their fingertips as they work with kids and write evaluations and goals for the students on their caseloads.  

The Handwriting Book is also great for teachers who are looking for information and ideas to support handwriting development in the students in their classrooms.

Can I get a print copy of The Handwriting Book?

Not quite yet...if we continue to get a lot of requests for a print copy of the book, we may consider adding an option to purchase the book on Amazon in the future, but for now, the book will be available only as a pdf format ebook.

What was your contribution to The Handwriting Book?

The Handwriting Book is the result of a year long collaboration between 10 dedicated therapy bloggers who are all experienced pediatric therapists from across the globe! We have each written a contribution to the book and have worked together to bring you this unique reference. 

We have been working to bring you our knowledge, experience, tips and tricks ...  creating the ultimate guide to handwriting!

The Handwriting Book will provide you with evidence based practice as well as tried and tested practical tips!

The Handwriting book covers:

• The Developmental Progression of Pencil Grasp and Handwriting Strokes
• Fine Motor Skills
• Gross Motor Skills
• Sensory Considerations
• Visual Perceptual Skills
• Tips and Strategies for the Reluctant Writer
• Ideas for Combining Handwriting and Play
• Activities to Practice Handwriting Skills at Home
• Tips for Sizing, Spacing, and Alignment in Written Work

More questions or comments about THE HANDWRITING BOOK? Just comment on the blog or email me.  Don't forget to use #thehandwritingbook on social media when commenting about the book!

Do you have a favourite "therapist tip" from the book?

Get 25% off with the discount code: HANDWRITINGHELP1 
**Valid until 29th January, 2017 **

DON'T FORGET THE FREE PRINTABLES ARE NOW AVAILABLE UNTIL THE 29TH JANUARY, 2017!
GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

Thank you again for those who have supported me with the purchase of this new e-book! I really hope that you find it a useful resource that you will continue to refer to again and again!

CindyChuan is a registered Occupational Therapist practising in Sydney Australia.  She has two young children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun.

Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.

More great tricks:

Imagine an 11 year old girl attending an evening class at a local school with her friend.  They wanted to learn how to type so voluntarily enrolled in a "word processor" course!

Gosh that was a life time ago and certainly ages me! Have you even heard of a "word processor"? 

Keyboarding and proficient touch typing is an essential skill for the 21st century. I don't believe that it will completely make handwriting obsolete, however I would be living in a cave if I didn't acknowldege how important keyboarding and typing skills are to a student's every learning. 

Learning to use a keyboard and to type isn't easy! It is a false assumption that children with handwriting difficulties will learn to type easily.  It will certainly help these children in the long run, however, it is important to be remember that children with motor and planning difficulties (eg, bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination, motor planning, visual perceptual and fine motor difficulties) in handwriting will also have these difficulties when initially learning to use a keyboard to type.  Accomodations for these difficulties may need to be considered when teaching keyboarding and typing skills.

How do YOU type?
Hands up if you are a "2 finger" typer? Do you use your two index fingers to stab at the keyboard?  Whilst there are a lot of proficient "2 finger" typers out there, I think it is important to teach kids proper finger positioning when learning how to use the keyboard! 

If you have a keyboard in front of you, look down at it for a moment.  What do you see? 

• letters, numbers, symbols
• whole words
• a series of rows
• diagonal colums and straight columns of keys
• function keys
• a track pad or a mouse nearby
• keys split into different sections
• lights
• white on black, black on white, something else?

​
Did you notice what I asked you to do? Looking up at a screen then looking down at the keyboard.  Did you easily find your place back up on the screen to read my suggestions? For children with visual perceptual difficulties this is one of the main issues they may have difficulty with as they look up and down and up again.   They may also have to move their hands completely off the keyboard so they can see the keys.  One of the main benefits of touch typing is eliminating this need to look up and down so often. 

Here is a look at the various aspects of visual perceptual skills required with keyboarding and typing. 

Eye-Hand Coordination
Eye –hand coordination is the ability to coordinate eye movement with hand movements and includes the ability to process visual information to guide hand function.  In keyboarding and typing, eye- hand coordination is needed to required to press the required keys. Beginner typists will need to look for each key to be typed, look up at the screen to make sure what is typed is accurate, look down again and so on.  

As touch typing develops, the eye can rest on the screen and monitor what appears rather than how the hand moves.  The fingers are less reliant on "sight" of letters on keys and can move more automatically. 

Children may also need to watch their hand guide a mouse or track ball, with constant looking up at the screen and down at their hand as they work out the visual-spatial differences of moving something on a horizontal plane and how this can affect a cursor on the vertical plane.

Visual Discrimination and Form Constancy
Visual Discrimination is the ability to classify objects or shapes based on visual information such as colour, form, pattern, size or position. Form Constancy is the ability to identify an object, shape, letter, number, symbol when it is presented in a different way (eg. larger, smaller, rotated, italics, bold, different font, sideways, upside down, different colour). 

In keyboarding, and typing, children need to be aware that letters are produced in capital and lower case form.  Most keyboards come with capital letter keys.  Children need to grasp the concept of lower case letters being produced on the screen when capital letters are pressed on the keyboard.  

Some children will have difficulty reading certain fonts on the screen which they may be unfamiliar with.  Some letters look quite different in different fonts (eg. a, g, k).   Some children may also have difficulty with words written in italics and they may  have difficulty with distinguishing letters because of their size on screen.  

​Recommendations and Accomodations for Visual Perceptual Difficulties

1. Use stickers on the keyboard.  There are many stickers on the market to help children to learn to type.  Some of the features that stickers can help with include lower case to cover capital letters, both lower and capital letters on the one sticker, color coding so that the same finger strikes a certain colour.  I purchased my keyboard stickers fromBright Star Kids.  You may also find similar stickers on Amazon.   You may also like to buy two sets of stickers so that you can place the "home key" stickers on your child's fingers. 
2. Change the computer font to reflect a familar handwriting font that your child is familiar with.  In NSW public schools the most common font is NSW Foundation Writing.  
3. Teach proper finger positioning and touch typing. This will mean that over time, your child will not need to look at their hands when typing and they can concentrate their visual attention to the screen and what is being produced.
4. Change the mouse or cursor options on the screen.   On a PC, this may be done through the control panel.   You may want to experiment with options such choosing a scheme with a large cursor (for easier visibility).  I also recommend selecting the "Show location of pointer when I press CTRL key".   This is helpful for those children who have trouble locating their cursor/pointer on the screen within the confusing information that may be presented on the screen.   Other options include downloading animated pointers.   The cursor blink rate may also be changed so that it provides the appropriate visual prompt for your child so that it is not too fast to be noticed. 
5. Provide a vertical easel document holder so that your child can see work to be copied in the same plane as it will be produced on screen.  Some of these holders also include a highlighting line guide to help keep track of where your child is up to on the document to be copied.  You may purchase these from Amazon. ​

Position in Space or Visual Spatial Relationships. 
Position in Space or spatial relationships involves the ability to process information about oneself in relation with their environment in space, orientation and position.  It may involved the ability to understand directional language concepts such as up/down, next to, left/right, over/under, etc.

As mentioned previously, as typing and keyboarding skills develop there is less reliance on visual guidance to find the right keys on the keyboard.  Over time touch typers can understand where their fingers are "in space" and in relationship with other keys to be struck without looking.  This is also true for the use of the mouse and trackball. 

Figure-Ground and Visual Memory
Figure-Ground is the ability to see an object or form when presented in a complex background.  Visual memory is the ability to remember and recall objects, shapes, symbols or movements in short term memory.  Visual memory requires visualization of what to remember. 

In keyboarding and typing skills, both figure-ground and visual memory skills are required to learn the layout of the keyboard.  They are needed to have a map (ie. visualization) of the keyboard in one's mind so that that finding the keys becomes automatic.  Difficulties with figure-ground and and visual-memory may lead to more reliance on the visual skills of looking and scanning (ie. hunting) for the correct keys on the keyboard.  This will slow down the typist and can often be observed with "2 finger typists". 

Both figure-ground and visual memory skills are also needed to enable a child to maintain their place on the screen when looking down and then up again to keep track of what they are writing on the screen.  This is further complicated if the child is copying text to type onto the scren as they are looking at the stimulus, looking at the screen, looking back at the stimulus, looking at the screen, looking a their hands and so forth. 

Locating the cursor/pointer may also be difficult for children who have difficulty with figure ground skills. The pointer may look like a large capital "I" when typing text and be confused with the print on screen.  
​

Well I'm please to tell you that that 11 year old girl who learnt to touch type on a word processor can now type approximately 70 words per minute.  I use this on a daily basis as an OT and for this blog!  

BUT I also pre-wrote most of this article on paper first with scribbes here and there when I edited the order of my work and brainstormed what I wanted to cover!

​So don't throw the pen and paper away just yet! 

This article is part of the "Functional Skills for Kids Series by Pediatric Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapist". This is the last  month of the 12 month series so do go back and check out any months you might have missed!  You will find all the childhood functions HERE.  Read all Your Kids OT’s monthly posts HERE

Find more information about “keyboarding and typing”, read what other Occupational and Physical Therapists participating in the “Functional Skills for Kids series” have written: 

When is My Child Ready to Learn to Keyboard? | Miss Jaime, O.T.
Fine Motor Skills and Typing  | Therapy Fun Zone
How to Implement a Keyboarding Club | Sugar Aunts
10 Keyboarding Modifications to Help Kids Type Better | Mama OT
Activities to Help Children Learn to Type | Growing Hands-On Kids
Assistive Technology for Kids Who Struggle With Handwriting  |  The Inspired Treehouse
Work Station, Positioning and Keyboarding Skills| Your Therapy Source
Visual Perceptual Considerations When Typing  | Your Kids OT

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!

Have you enjoyed this 12 month series about Functional Skills for Kids?  It has been an honour to work along side these amazing therapy bloggers.  You can stay in touch with our whole team by joining us on FACEBOOK.  Join THE FUNCTIONAL SKILLS FOR KIDS GROUP PAGE to be find out about the books we will producing based our this series and much more! 

​Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this article to promote products that I recommend.   Your Kids  OT is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Your Kids OT.  Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand.

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We are going to be late! Hurry up!
I can't do this button up! I can't!
Put on your jacket, it's cold out! 
I can't do the zip! I can't!

The morning rush out the door to get to school can often be a struggle.  Getting dressed can be a chore and then there are fastenings on school bags to manage too!

This month in the "Functional Skills for Kids" Series, we look at helping kids with fasteners such as buttons, zippers, snaps (press studs) and more! My blogging colleagues will look at fine motor, gross motor, visual perceptual and sensory motor considerations.  We will also cover when we should expect our kids to manage these tasks and how to incorporate this learning in play.  Find the links for these articles below!
​

So it is time for your child to learn how to manage fastenings on their own but where do you begin? It helps to have an understanding of the steps involved with each of these tasks.  I have outlined the steps involved in managing common fastenings here through visual photo sequences. For your printable copy of these sequences, download them HERE!
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Once you know the steps involve there are a few tips in teaching your child how to manage these fastenings.  (Actually these tips apply to teaching your child most new tasks!) 

These are tips occupational therapists use all the time!  

1. Modelling - Demonstrate the steps involved by showing your child each step, describing it as you go.
2. Verbal Prompts -  Use clear and consistent verbal prompts to correspond with each step.  I usually shorten my prompts to just the "verb" involved. For example: "Pinch and push". 
3. Backwards Chaining - This means that you teach your child the last step first.  It is a great way to encourage success for your child.  Keep each step brief and this will help with attention too!  As your child becomes successful, add another step in the chain from the end of the task. 
4. Hand over Hand assistance - Sometimes modelling is not enough to enable your child to understand what to do.  Put your hand over their hands and gently show then with physical assistance how to manage the step involved. 
5. Visual Photo Sequence - Some children benefit from going over the sequence of steps using photographs or line drawings.  These should be explained and looked at several times. When teaching how to manage fastenings, you can use the visual photo sequences that I have made! Download your copy HERE!
6. Choose the Right Time -  Choose a time where the pressure of time is absent.  Practice school related fastenings in the holidays before school starts or on the weekend.  
7. Practice Practice Practice - Practice makes perfect!

• Start with the fastener NOT on your child. For example: start with a jacket on a chair in front of your child. 
• Practice with large fasteners before smaller ones.  These are easier to manipulate and will promote success. 
• Practice skills with the correct orientation. It is important for children to learn the movement involved in managing fastenings (ie. kinesthetic movement) and feel where there body is in space in relation to the object they are manipulating (spatial awareness).  Read about a posting lid turned on its side to help with buttoning orientationhere!

      8. Variety = Novelty - Use a variety of objects with fasteners to help with motivation and with
          generalization of the skill (eg. zipper on dress, zipper on bag, zipper on pencil case, zipper on
          doll's skirt). 
    9. Reinforce and reward - We would like our kids to have intrinsic motivation to manage  
        fasteners independently! Many children do desire this independence and often "force" it
        upon their parents too early with "I can do it myself!"  

        Some children, however are not so intrinsically motivated.  They stubbornly refuse to get
        dressed or insist on a parent helping them.  For these children praise and reward are
        important to encourage desirable behavior.  Often these kids benefit from a "backward
       chaining" approach discussed earlier.  Rewards may include verbal praise "Great job!" or "You
       did it!".  The reward may include letting your child choose their preferred outfit to wear or a sticker.  

A side note about rewards:

• The specific reward your child receives will vary with what motivates your unique child.  (What works for one child will not necessarily work for another.)  This will also change as your child gets older.
• The size of your reward should match the size of the activity. Use the "smallest" reward that is still motivating!
• Rewards should be used for a short period of time to help with encouraging one specific desirable behavior.
• Don't worry if your child is ONLY doing the desirable behavior initially for the reward. That actually demonstrates that the reward is motivating and "working" the way you want it to. 
• Reduce the rewards once the new behavior is learnt. You may continue to reinforce the behavior with intermittent rewards. 

​

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Is your child struggling with fasteners? Have you tried these tips? 

This post is part of “Functional Skills for Kids: 12 month series by Paediatric Occupational and Physical Therapists”.  You can read all of the childhood functions HERE.  Read all Your Kids OT’s monthly posts HERE.

Find more information about “helping kids with fasteners” from other Occupational and Physical Therapists participating in the “Functional Skills for Kids series”: ​​

When Can Kids Learn to Button and Zip? | Mama OT
Clothing Fasteners and Fine Motor Skill Development | Kids Play Space
Clothing Fasteners and Gross Motor Skill Development | Your Therapy Source Inc
How to Adapt Buttoning and Zipping for Your Child   | Miss Jaime OT
Learning How To Use Buttons, Snaps, Zippers, and Buckles Through Play | Growing Hands-On Kids
Tips to Teach Kids to Zip and Button | The Inspired Treehouse
Pinch. Poke. Snap... Helping Kids to Manage Buttons, Zips and More!  | Your Kids OT
Clothing Fasteners and Sensory Processing | Sugar Aunts
The Visual Motor Aspect of Buttons and Zippers  | Therapy Fun Zone

"Open your mouth, here comes the plane!"

I'm having flashbacks to my young daughter and trying to bribe her with yoghurt to eat her dinner. Oh the things I tried.  Oh the stress I placed on myself! Oh the stress I placed on her!

Have you ever tried to coax your child to eat? It can be so STRESSFUL!

Have you ever had to stop your child from over-eating? It can be so STRESSFUL!

Join me this month in looking at meal times! I'm joined by my therapy blogger colleagues in the "Functional Skills for Kids Blog Series".  There are heaps of tips and tricks to help your little ones at meal times with the links below.

I wish I had read these articles as new parent. I wish I could tell first-time-parent-Cindy some of the things in this article! ​

​Here are 4 ways to modify meal times for your FUSSY eater!
​

 1. ALTERNATIVE CUTLERY

(a) Cutlery with built up hands allow for easier grip for those with fine motor difficulties. Bendable necks of cutlery can help to angle the metal part so that the child (or adult) has more success with independent eating.  Try Good Grips Utensils with built up handles. Read more about FM skills at meal times with Therapy Fun Zone's article  HERE.

(b) Shallower spoons are particularly good for kids with a strong gag reflex.  The spoon does not need to be inserted too far into the mouth and the food comes off more easily. Try Gerber Graduates Spoon. 

(c) Weighted cutlery can help those who are experiencing difficulties with body and spatial awareness as well as sensory registration.  Try Good Grips Utensils Weighted set of 4. 

(d) Chopsticks with training loops provide a guide for finger placement.  Try Edison Chopsticks with right hand Minnie or right hand Mickey or  left hand bunny.   Some kids enjoy the novelty of picking food up with chopsticks.  These are also great for working on hand strength and a tripod grasp too! I love using these chopsticks in OT (and not for meal times)! Read about thisHERE.  
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(e) Novelty cutlery is everywhere on the market .  You can find planes, bulldozers, block figures andvarious characters, etc! Kids enjoy using novelty cutlery as it brings a playful element into an every day activity.
​
Read also how you can adapt regular cutlery withSugar Aunt's article here. 

2. DIVIDED PLATES, BOWLS AND LUNCH BOXES!

Divided plates, bowls and lunch boxes  are a great way to help fussy eaters.  They allow you to separate food into portions. You may still present the food that they refuse and gradually encourage mixing foods from different sections.  Remember that it often takes multiple presentations of the same food before a child will try something new. It is also okay if they don't eat it! Keep presenting it and don't worry!

​In a practical sense, divided plates, bowls and lunch boxes also keep wet foods separate from dry.  

There is a huge range of tableware on the market. You could try these:

• 3-Pack Recycled Milk Jugs, BPA-free Divided Plates, Blue/Aqua/Green
• Re Play Divided Plates for Babies and Toddlers 
• EZPZ Plates and Mats
• Stephen Joseph Melamine Plate, Dino
• Fred and Friends Dinner Winner Kids Dinner Tray

For lunch boxes, you could try these:

• ​WonderEsque  Bento Lunch Box - Leak Proof Lunch Container 
• Yum Box Leak Proof Bento Box Container for Kids
• Cool Bites Premium Bento Lunch Box
• Sistema Lunch Collection Lunch Cube
• Lunch Bento Box Iwotou Microwave and Dishwasher Safe Lunch Box with 5+1 Separated Containers (Blue)

​​For a comprehensive look at lunchboxes in Australia have a look at this article by my friend Kylie at Kidgredients!

Divided plates, bowls and lunch boxes can help kids who -

• don't like certain food touching other foods
• don't like certain textures
• don't like trying new foods 
• refuse to eat certain food
• don't like a chosen food colour (eg. any food that is green)
• don't like a particular coloured plates or bowl
• have difficulty with portion control.

​

3. REGULAR ROUTINE

​Establishing regular eating times and habits help children with meal times.  It doesn't have to be regimented, however if meals are always around the same time of day; then your child will develop a natural circadian rhythm (natural body clock).  They will begin to feel hungry at the same time of day.  This will also help kids to sleep better!

Establishing a family routine of setting the table, sitting, eating, talking, packing away... help children who have difficulty with transitions, creating stability and order.  It can help children to understand the beginning and end of the "activity".   

Children also learn by example.  As they see you trying new food, they want to follow. Sometimes the food on your plate might be more appealing than what they are eating. Some children prefer to feed themselves, whether that be finger food or with cutlery. Encourage this! Although it can often be quicker to feed young children yourself, this will pay off in the long run. 
​

4. HIDDEN VEGGIES!

For or against? There are two philosophies around disguising vegetables in other food.

Some people stress the importance of teaching kids a knowledge of "farmyard to plate". Teaching kids where food comes from and how it grows.  Getting kids digging in the garden, planting seeds, watering and watching them grow!

Some people consider hidden veggies a brilliant idea! Genius! Sneak them in so at least kids are consuming veggies where they might otherwise refuse if they "see" them. 

You can try these recipes with hidden veggies!

• Hidden Vegetables Crockpot Marinara Sauce by Sugar Aunts
• Chocolate Zuchini Muffins by Picklebums
• Skinnymixers Macaroni and Cheese with a Twist
• The tastiest hidden veggie panko coated chicken nuggets ever! by Kidgredients

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Why not try both philosophies simultaneously? 

As a new parent wrangling with my firstborn, I wish I had known of some of these ways to modify meal times. The main tip I would tell first-time-parent-Cindy... was that it was going to be okay if she didn't everything but to keep on presenting it to her anyway. ​ REALLY - it's okay if she doesn't eat it!

Do you have a fussy eater?  

​Have you tried hiding veggies? Does your child have a favourite lunch box or dinner ware?

​What is your best tip to help modify meal times?

This post is part of “Functional Skills for Kids: 12 month series by Paediatric Occupational and Physical Therapists”.  You can read all of the childhood functions HERE.  Read all Your Kids OT’s monthly posts HERE.

For more information about “meal times”, read what other Occupational and Physical Therapists participating in the “Functional Skills for Kids series” have written: ​

When Can Kids Feed Themselves? (and other mealtime milestones) | Mama OT
Fine Motor Skills For Mealtimes  | Therapy Fun Zone
Postural Control, Gross Motor Development and Mealtime  |Your Therapy Source
Attention, Behavior, and Meal Time Problems | Sugar Aunts
4 Ways to Modify Meal Times for Fussy Eaters  | Your Kids OT
Mealtime Skills, Rituals & Play - Nurturing a Love for Food | Kids Play Space
15 Tips for Picky Eaters | The Inspired Treehouse
Positioning, Motor Skills, and Table Manners: What the Connection? | Miss Jaime OT
Visual Perceptual Skills Needed for Independent Feeding | Growing Hands-On Kids

​

​Cindy is a registered Occupational Therapist practising in Sydney Australia.  She has two young children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. Cindy is the author of the occupational therapy blog Your Kids OT.

You may also find these affiliate links helpful...

Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this article to promote products that I recommend.   Your Kids  OT is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Your Kids OT.  Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand.

Tooth brushing is an important aspect of personal hygiene! This post is part of the "Functional Skills for Kids Blog Series" with a look at different forms of personal care.  Make sure you check out all the great tips for hand washing, bathing, showering, nose blowing, hair cuts, sleep, screen-free quiet times as well as adolescent hygiene ..... at the end of this article!
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Dentists worldwide including the America Dental Association and theAustralian Dental Association recommend that children brush their twice a day for two minutes at a time. They also recommend regular visits to the dentist, use of fluoride tooth paste  and daily flossing.  Both of these sites have great resources to encourage your kids to brush and floss! 

Occupational therapists help people to become independent in activities of daily living (ADL). We consider aspects of the activity as well as environmental demands to determine why a child might have difficulty achieving independence in a task. For babies and toddlers, we also consider why they may not want to participate in the task!

​Firstly we may consider the developmental expectations for tooth brushing and some tips to help with these stages. 

Babies  
Aim: Tolerating oral sensation of something in the mouth  and tongue movement.

Tips for helping babies:

• Provide opportunities to mouth safe toys and objects (eg. small spoon).
• Allow your child to play with a child friendly toothbrush - allow exploration.
• Use an adult finger tip tooth brush (eg. made from silicon or rubber) to provide gentle pressure on gums, tongue and lips.
• Toothpaste is not necessary.

Toddlers/preschoolers  
Aim: Tooth brushing and flossing by an adult  and beginning to brush parts themselves

Tips for Toddlers and Preschoolers:

• Use a soft bristle toothbrush and a small amount of fluoride tooth paste (rice grain size for under 3 years and pea-size for 3-6 years) .  
• Allow child to play with the toothbrush and attempt some brushing independently.
• Role play on a doll or teddy.
• Use novelty tooth brushes with your child's favourite character (or ones that light up). Let them choose the tooth brush. 
• Lead by example and demonstrate that you brush your teeth (and care about your teeth).
• Read books about tooth brushing.
• Sing songs about tooth brushing. 
• Provide a mirror so the child can see their mouth during brushing. 
• Whilst it is ok for young children to swallow small amounts of toothpaste, you can practise spitting out small amounts of water. 

​School Age Children
Aim: Independent brushing and flossing teeth. 

Tips for School Age Children

• An electric toothbrush may be motivating for older children.
• Use a kitchen timer, tooth brushing video orapp to encourage 2 minutes of brushing.
• Use a reward chart if necessary. (Download your FREE reward chart here!)
• Practise squeezing the adequate amount of toothpaste.  
• Use a small tube of toothpaste (eg. travel size) to encourage smaller squeezes of paste.
• Use a checklist to mark off each aspect of the tooth brushing routine. (Download your FREE checklist here!)
• Discuss the importance of good dental hygiene and foods to avoid to prevent decay.
• Listen to your dentist's recommendations for  the correct techniques for brushing and flossing. 

Children with special needs may have difficulty with specific aspects of brushing their teeth.  Here are some further considerations for tooth brushing! 

Fine Motor Considerations 

1. Ability to grasp the tooth brush 
2. Unscrew and screw back tooth paste lid 
3. Adequate pressure to squeeze toothpaste
4. Bilateral coordination to  hold tooth brush whilst squeezing tooth paste 
5. ​​Hand control to reach all teeth and gums with the tooth brush 
6. Adequate pressure of the toothbrush on the teeth and gums
7. Manipulation of dental floss to cut a piece 
8. Manipulation of dental floss to wind around fingers 
9. Manipulation of dental floss to floss between teeth 
10. Turning on and off taps  

Tips to Help with Fine Motor Skills

• Use toothpaste in a pump rather than a tube. 
• Use a floss pick rather than dental floss string. You may choose to wash the floss pick as you progress in the mouth and continue to practise using dental floss.
• Use a mirror so your child can see their teeth whilst brushing.

Gross Motor Considerations

1. ​Shoulder stability whilst brushing
2. Core muscle strength to perform task whilst standing
3. Standing to reach the sink and look in the bathroom mirror

Tips to Help with Gross Motor Skills

• Use a stool to help reach the sink.
• Sit down to brush and spit into a bucket or bath. 
• Brush teeth whilst sitting in the bath.

Sensory Considerations
Touch/Proprioception:

• Sensation of the toothbrush bristles on the gums, tongue, lips and inside cheeks
• Texture of the tooth paste
• Pressure applied whilst brushing
• Sensation of foaming from the tooth paste during brushing
• Sensitive gag reflex from toothbrush in mouth
• Desire to bite the toothbrush
• Soft/hard toothbrush bristles
• Alternate toothbrush bristle sensations (eg. silicon, electric toothbrush)
• Awareness (or non-awareness) of toothpaste on chin or face

Some children are hypo-sensitive (under responsive) and others are hyper-sensitive (over responsive) to touch around their mouths and face.  Children who are hypo-sensitive may have low tone and poor awareness of their oral motor muscles.  They may dribble constantly and have difficulty keeping their mouth closed.   Children who are hyper-sensitive may have a pain response to touch around their face and mouth.   Both groups of children may have difficulty with brushing their teeth. 

Smell

• Smell of the tooth paste
• Smell of the bathroom (ie. from the toilet, cleaning disinfectant, air freshener, etc)

Vestibular

• Unable to stand still for two minutes needed to brush teeth
• Constantly changing positions
• Poor body awareness and tooth brush misses mouth during brushing 
• Poor balance with child falling over during tooth brushing

Auditory

• The sound of the toothbrush

Oral/Taste

• The taste of the tooth paste (often mint flavoured)
• Difficulty closing mouth during brushing (so tooth paste dribbles down chin)
• Difficulty with keeping tooth paste in mouth without swallowing
• Refusing to place tooth brush in mouth
• Constant tongue movement during  brushing
• Desiring to brush areas external to mouth (eg. lips, cheeks, jawline)

Tips to Help With Sensory Processing Skills
Your child may benefit from an oral desensitization program as part of a sensory diet.   This might involve increasing deep pressure to the jaw, lips, cheeks, tongue and mouth.  

Bundy, Lane and Murray (2002) recommend providing infants and young children with deep pressure to the roof of the mouth or gums with the therapist's fingers or other soft rounded object (eg. Nuk toothbrush).  They also suggest that older children and adults may be taught to provide deep pressure to their own mouths using a variety of oral motor toys (eg. using whistle, biting on knotted rubber tubing, blowing on a rubber strip).   

The Paediatric Occupational Therapy Department from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (2014) describe a protocol of oral desensitisation. This includes the following progressive steps:

1. ​​Apply firm pressure symmetrically to the area outside the child's mouth (from the forehead to the chin and mouth) using hands or different materials. 
2. Encourage your child to apply pressure (massage) to the roof of their mouth and gums (with their finger or a soft, round object).  This may begin with placing the child's finger on their lips and then  by rolling the finger inside the lip.
3. Encourage the child to dip the end of the toothbrush into a small cup of water and brush their tongue, teeth, inside of the cheeks and roof of the mouth.   Additional input with an electric toothbrush may provided. 
4. When the child is coping well with touch to their face and inside of their mouth, further oral motor activities may be introduced involving sucking, blowing, biting, crunching, chewing or licking. 

Further information about this protocol may be found here. 

You may also like to try...

• "Chewlery" or chewable jewellery to provide self regulating oral input. 
• A DIY "oral motor toy" to encourage blowing .
• Breakfast smoothies to awaken oral senses!

Attention and Behavior Considerations 

• ​Remembering the sequence of the task prior to brushing (ie. putting tooth paste on, wetting the brush, etc)
• Remembering the brushing sequence within the mouth and reaching all teeth.
• Attention to brush for 2 minutes
• Remembering the sequence of the task after brushing (eg. spitting out the paste, washing the brush).

Tips to Help with Attention and Behaviour skills

• Use a kitchen timer, tooth brushing video or app to encourage 2 minutes of brushing.
• Use a reward chart if necessary.
• Use a checklist to mark off each aspect of the tooth brushing routine. 

                                                 Download your FREE checklist and reward chart here!

Additional Considerations

• Sore gums from teething
• Loose teeth
• Tooth decay and pain
• Dominant hand not established so brush is held with either hand

Tips to Help with these additional considerations

• Seek professional advice from a dentist about your child's tooth development and oral motor hygiene.
• Use baby teething gel such as  "Bonjela".
• Consider  bilateral coordination activities.  

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Do your kids like brushing their teeth? Have you downloaded your FREE tips sheet, checklist and reward chart? ​

Task Analysis - Independent Bathing in Children  | Your Therapy Source
Tips and Tricks for Teaching Hand Washing with Kids  | Growing Hands-On Kids
I can brush my teeth! Tips for Tooth Brushing and Oral Care!  | Your Kids OT
Screen Free Quiet Time When Daytime Naps are History  | Kids Play Space
Tips to Help Kids Learn How to Blow Their Nose | Sugar Aunts
Tips to Help Kids Who Hate Haircuts | Mama OT
Sensory Friendly Tips for Kids Who Have Trouble Sleeping  |  The Inspired Treehouse
​Your Child With Special Needs: How to Conquer Showering Independently | Miss Jaime OT
Adolescent Hygiene Challenges  | Therapy Fun Zone

Disclosure: The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, 
​you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions.  This article does not contain any affiliate links. 

​References:

• Bundy, A, Lane, S.J., Murray, E.A. (2002) Sensory Integration Theory and Practice (2nd Edition)
  
• ​Paediatric Occupational Therapy at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (2014) Oral Desensitisation. Retrieved on 20/09/2016 at  http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/863/Oral%20Desensitisation.pdf​

WHAT ARE BRAIN BREAKS?
A brain break is a short 2-3 minute break from formal instructional teaching in the classroom. It may incorporate body movements such as dance, stretching, strength and coordination.  The purpose is to get the attention of the class as a whole and activate their bodies ready for learning. Brain breaks may be used to help alert kids; wake them up from sluggish behaviour or lack of concentration.  Brain breaks may also be used to calm kids down when necessary; relax them from over-excitement. 

WHAT IS THE "THINKING" BEHIND BRAIN BREAKS?
The term "brain breaks" is derived from "brain-based" education. You may have heard of terms such as "using both sides of the brain" or "engaging the brain" in learning.  Jensen (2008) talks about brain based teaching as ESP - the active ENGAGEMENT (E) of purposeful STRATEGIES (S) based on PRINCIPLES (P) derived from neuroscience. He challenges teachers to consider how brains learn best. 

The "Whole Brain Teaching Method" is also becoming increasingly popular in classrooms as teachers promote learning through visual, auditory, kineasthetic and cooperative learning techniques Fishel (2011). 
​
Occupational therapists have used sensory integration principles in assisting children in the classroom who have difficulty paying attention and concentrating.  We recommend movement breaks or "vestibular activities" to help organise the nervous system.  Depending on the activities vestibular sensation can help the nervous system to stay organized and balanced; alerting with quick head movements or calming with slow head movements (Yack, Aquilla and Sutton, 2015) .   We also look at a child's proprioceptive system; the unconconscious awareness of body position  located in muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.  Activities that require muscles to stretch and work hard can provide proprioceptive sensations that can also help the brain to regulate arousal states (Yack, Aquilla and Sutton, 2015).

Brain breaks are strategies that combine these neuroscientific principles, engaging children in the classroom so that they are ready to learn!  Brain breaks are suitable for average developing children in a mainstream classroom as well as for children with special needs.  They are also suitable for kids of all ages (and even adult learners)!

BRAIN BREAKS - What teachers "think"!
In speaking with different teachers, they love having a variety of brain breaks and movement break suggestions in their repertoire.  Kids love them in the classroom. 

A teacher (thanks Chauntal!) I spoke to in researching this article said "Sometimes I find they need to get rid of energy so we dance or do kinaesthetic learning games such as star jumps while we spell or clapping games while we count in patterns.  If we are concentrating on a writing task we might do strength core exercise such as planks, chair dips or yoga poses. When we need to calm down we do brain gym - like rolling shoulders in different directions or different coordination games". 

BRAIN BREAKS FOR THE CLASSROOM!

LOW TECH

• Quick Ways to Calm Down (FREE PRINTABLE) from Your Kids OT
• 5 Free Brain Break Printables (FREE PRINTABLEs) from Your Therapy Source
• Popsicle Sticks to Encourage Movement and Focus in the Classroom from MamaOT
• 10 Brain Break Activities for Kids from Growing Hands On Kids
• Back to School Sensory Activities from Sugar Aunts
• Movement Breaks to Help Kids Stay Alert and Focused by the Inspired Treehouse

WITH TECHNOLOGY
Teachers who have access to smartboards, love using these boards to help incorporate movement into the classroom.  There are many options available on You Tube.

• Gonoodle ​

• Cosmic Kids Yoga​

• The Learning Station

Do you use brain breaks to help kids to concentrate in the classroom? What are your favourite brain breaks?

This post is part of “Functional Skills for Kids: 12 month series by Paediatric Occupational and Physical Therapists”.  You can read all of the childhood functions HERE.  Read all Your Kids OT’s monthly posts HERE.

Find more information about “School Day Functions”, stop by to see what other Occupational and Physical Therapists participating in the “Functional Skills for Kids series” have written: 

Fine Motor Skills Needed at School and Classroom Activities | Sugar Aunts
How Do Gross Motor Skills Affect Academics?  | Your Therapy Source
65 Helpful Strategies for Students with Sensory Challenges | Mama OT
Brain Breaks to Help Concentration in the Classroom | Your Kids OT
Things You can do at Home to Help Your Child in School | Therapy Fun Zone
Tips for Following Directions in the Classroom and Home  | Growing Hands-On Kids
Positioning In The Classroom |Miss Jaime OT
10 Transition Strategies for Kids: Preventing Tantrums  | The Inspired Treehouse
The Case for More Play in the School Setting   | Kids Play Space

References:

• Jensen, E. (2008) Brain Based Learning: The New Paradigm of Teaching
• ​Fishel (2011) Total Participation Teaching Methods in the Elementary Classroom. Retrieved on 16/08/2016 at ​http://jessiefishel.weebly.com/whole-brain-teaching-research.html
• Yack, E., Aquilla, P. and Sutton, S. (2015) Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration (Third Edition).

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