A story map is a visual aid to the settings or the sequence of major events and actions of story characters. Using a story map enables students to relate story events and to perceive structure in literary selections. Story maps can be used as frameworks for storytelling or retelling, and as outlines for story writing. I use story maps with the kids I see to help them with story writing. This may help children who are described as "has lots of great ideas, but doesn't seem to be able to get them down on paper" or "they look at the blank page for a long time before they seem to attempt writing". Often the children I see have motor coordination difficulties so we are working on "handwriting" in addition to the content of their "writing". Did you see the subtle way I used "handwriting" compared with "writing"?
We then move onto writing a 3 part story with an introduction, problem and resolution. Sometimes using "connective words" (sentence beginnings) help a student to plan how to progress a story. It may be take several sessions (or longer) to develop these initial story writing skills. Once a child becomes confident in using a 3 part story map, I will progress them onto using a 5 part story map (Introduction, Build up, problem, resolution and conclusion). I may re-introduce Humpty Dumpty, including drawing and/or connective words as necessary. I have included all the story maps found on this page with the Humpty Dumpty examples as a part of the Story Map Pack available at the Your Kids OT shop. There is also a guide for using the story maps. If your child is able to complete 5 part stories without difficulty, you may consider extending your child with details about the setting, multiple problems and resolutions, multiple characters, character feelings and descriptions. Do you have a reluctant writer that you are encouraging? Have you tried a story map? Have you given them some help with connective words? Enjoy this article? You may also like these...
A clever way to encourage a dynamic pencil grasp...without a lot if hand re-positioning and instruction. Just pinch and flip.
I have seen this idea in several places and I can't remember the original source, however it may have been here at Mama OT. So what do you do?
The dynamic pencil grasp is desirable because the hand is positioned with an open web space (the nice circle made by the thumb and index finger) and it allows these fingers to move the pencil as required when writing. It is the preferred grasp for writing speed, control and letter formation. Have you tried the "pinch and flip"?
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Check out a new sponsor for great ideas on Fine Motor Skills, Scissor Cutting Skills, Bilateral Coordination Activities, Core Exercises for Kids and Shoulder Girdle Excersie. Affliliate links here with OT Mom Learning Activities.
For those of you who have been following Your Kids OT, you will know that I recently went to New York City. So indulge me a minute whilst I show you some photos from the trip. These photos are from Ellis Island which is located on the same ferry route as the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island was America's largest and most active immigration station. It is now a museum which documents the stories of some of those who passed through its halls with their hopes and dreams of a better life. It was an interesting and moving experience to see what was involved in the "processing" of hopeful immigrants.
"Visual motor perception is the ability to copy geometric shapes, letter or drawing in a proper spatial manner... Form-copy tests are excellent indicators of a child's future school performance. If I had to choose only one test to give a child to determine his school readiness, it would undoubtedly be the form-copy test". K. A. Lane (2005) Developing Ocular Motor and Visual Perceptual Skills: An Activity Workbook . As OTs, we place emphasis on copying shapes when assessing visual perception. Copying the "vertical diamond" in the Beery VMI is reported to have an age norm of 8yrs 1mth. The developmental trends in drawing a vertical diamond include drawing vertical lines (3yrs), reflections of vertical and straight lines (4yrs), closed form with angles (5yrs), squared diamond (5yrs 8mths), definitely elongated (6yrs 10mths) and then the acceptable angularity (8yrs 1mth). When teaching a child to draw a diamond, I focus on their ability to draw diagonal lines and their ability to cross the midline (taking into consideration the child's age and development). A multi-sensory approach is key so that the child "feels" the action and can understand how to motor-plan. This may include drawing in rice and shaving cream, creating with playdough or using craft sticks to create patterns and shapes. Have you been to Ellis Island? Can your child draw a diamond? You may also like these articles...
UPDATED 2023:VERSION 2 OF THE SCHOOL READINESS CHECKLIST NOW AVAILABLE!
As we begin term 4 of the Australian School term, some of you may be thinking about school readiness for 2015. Is my child ready for school? Is school ready for my child?
Whilst there are certain expectations for children beginning school, there is also a wide-range-of-normal! Children learn at their own pace and may begin school with various "school readiness" skills. School readiness may include social skills, language skills, emotional skills, concentration skills, visual-motor skills, pre-writing skills, self-care skills, fine and gross motor skills. If your child has difficulty with one or more of these areas of skill development, it does not mean that they are not ready for school. It may mean that they need some help ... including Occupational Therapy. I suggest looking at the overall picture of your child's development and speaking with your child's educator (if they attend preschool or child care). The following school readiness checklist is based on those "red flags" where referral to Occupational Therapy may assist your child in these months leading up to starting school. The questions here are based on various standardised assessments OTs use including The Miller Function & Participation Scales, The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales and the Beery VMI (Visual-Motor Integration). The checklist is not exhaustive and was developed to provide a snapshot of where you child is currently performing and what they may need help with completing.
You can find a FREE printable copy of this checklist in the Your Kids OT shop. You are welcome to distribute it to parents and educational settings. OTs, please do not copy the content for professional use (ie. don't use the content and add your own logo).
If you complete this checklist and have concerns about your child's development, contact an Occupational Therapist for a comprehensive assessment. If you live or your child attends an educational setting in the Ryde LGA (Local Government Area), please contact me at cindy@yourkidsot.com or via the contacts pagehere for further information about direct therapy services. Do you have a child starting school in 2015? Are you looking for some simple writing prompts? Here are some excellent resources that I have in the Your Kids OT shop. Each page encourages your child to think, draw and to write. There is a small picture on each page with a question to prompt imagination. Prompting questions include "What is mum cooking for dinner?" There are currently 13 different writing prompts available including areas of interest such as aeroplanes, beach, breakfast, bus ride, clown tricks, dinner, fairy wish, helicopter rescue, ladder, pirate, stuck cat, triceratops and a wizard wish. You may purchase them individually or as a special bundle (always cheaper to buy in bulk). Find these worksheets at the Your Kids OT Shop. If you find these resources useful let your friends and colleagues know! Please do not make copies of the resources to share as your support of Your Kids OT assists me to continue this website and blog. Thank you! Don't forget to check out other popular products at the Your Kids OT shop!
If your child attends a NSW public school then they will be learning NSW Foundation Font. The letters formed are very different to the Spalding Method I have just mentioned, with letters forming eclipses rather than circles and lines being on a slight slant. Regardless of the font your child is learning, a clock face can be invaluable in teaching starting points. I use a clock face in conjunction with other techniques when teaching letter formation. Did you read my previous post about "Letter Families"? {I'll wait while you take a quick detour}..... "Magic C" letters are taught with a starting point at "1" when I'm working a child learning with NSW Foundation Font. {Note: In the Spalding Method Magic "C" letters are called "clock face letters" and start at "2"}. The child places their finger on "1" and traces around the clock (anticlockwise) to form a "c". This helps the child to plan how to write this letter - finding a starting point, planning the direction to draw and where to finish the letter. They can also visualise what the letter may look like. It is helpful to use a multi-sensory approach too! Bring in the playdough to form letters, trace it in a tray of rice or sand, draw it in the air, use pipe cleaners, etc. At first, you may place these tools directly on top of a clock face picture {ie. place the playdough on "1" and form it into a "c"} and then over time a verbal reminder may be sufficient to help the student plan how to form a "c". Use the same verbal prompt for a starting point at "1" when it comes to writing the letter. Depending on your child, you may want to use the clock face for other letters as well. It can also be useful for teaching "e" starting at "9", "m, n, p, r" starting at 10. What font do your kids learn at school? Have you ever used a clock face to teach handwriting? Try it today!
I have said previously that greeting cards are a great way to encourage kids to write their name and simple messages. Print off your free Father's Day cards here! {Not Father's Day in your part of the world? Then why not pin this for later?} A happy Father's day to those of you who are fathers reading this article. To those who are reminded of difficult times or pain at celebrations such as these, my thoughts are with you. How do you celebrate Father's Day? What do you think of these "scratchie" cards? P.S. Don't forget the Lego Challenge! Send in your entries before you forget, thanks!
Some children are very reluctant to write. They may look at a blank piece of paper and have trouble transferring their ideas from their head to the page. Others may look at the piece of paper and are overwhelmed... there is the letter forming to consider, the content, the effort on the hand, the placement of the letters, the spacing, the speed that the work needs to be done ... etc. With that list it is incredible that most of us pull through with writing. It may be that your child is working on one or a number of things such as pencil grasp, fine motor skills, letter formation, letter size or story creation ideas. Regardless, I try to encourage all the children I see for "handwriting" issues to incorporate it into their daily life. As will all skills, handwriting takes practise but no one wants to sit and write hundreds of "lines" with no purpose. Giving your child some purpose with their writing may help motivate them. Here are a few ways to encourage your reluctant writer with everyday writing...
#3: Journal writing - Keep a journal of special events {eg, holiday journal}. Provide simple writing prompts such as the date, What I did, What I ate, My favourite thing... Encourage drawing and recording how they felt during the special event. They could also record who was with them and what the weather was like. Collect tokens, tickets, postcards, stickers to add to the page. Help younger kids to "write" whilst they tell you what to write.
Is your child a reluctant writer? Writing with a purpose can be very motivating. Try one of these suggestions this week! A foundation to writing is being able to control a pencil (or writing tool) with a relaxed hand to form the lines and curves needed to make recognisable letters, numbers or symbols. We often jump in too early trying to teach kids to recognise and reproduce letters and numbers, when they haven't had a chance to master controlling the pencil for lines, curves and shapes. Writing also requires the integration of visual skills with motor skills to piece together how lines, curves and shapes stick together to form a letter or number. Mastering lines, curves and shapes will bring smooth pencil control and fluency is so important with all writing (print and cursive) and drawing. Asking children to draw over "printables" is beneficial for eye-hand coordination and having a visual guide to drawing. {Refer to this post for free pre-writing printables.} However, it is also important that children can draw lines, curves and shapes without visual prompts {which is why I like worksheets that fade the visual prompts like these ones}. It is important for children to "feel" where their arm, hand and fingers are during this movement (kinesthetic learning) as well as plan how to move their arm, hand and fingers to reproduce the pattern. The end of the school holidays and back to preschool for Mr 4. Miss 7 and I are having a "mummy and daughter" day as she still has another week off. What do you think of when I say "Fluency and pencil control"? I have created a "Fluency Patterns Sheet" which has a set of 14 fluency patterns. Here are some ways you can use this sheet to help your child with pencil control and fluency. Print, cut out and laminate each fluency pattern.
You can purchase these fluency patterns from theYour Kids OT shop or Teachers Pay Teachers (ps. it costs less than a cup of coffee). Try them today. Pretend play is an important part of a childhood. It incorporates "conventional imaginative play (play with toys such as dolls and trucks) and symbolic play (ie. play with unstructured objects or inanimate objects)" ~Stagnetti. Pretend play provides children with safe environments to experiment with language, social interaction, solve problems, tell stories, incorporate emotion, use objects, sequence events, role play a character and more. Some children have difficulty with aspects of play mentioned above. An OT can help to assess a child's pretend play skills and assist with the development of these skills. Read more from Karen Stagnetti's website "Children need to Play" at http://www.karenstagnitti.com/ for more information about pretend play. I have developed some "Write and Play" packages to encourage both writing and pretend play. These packages are designed for children requiring extra motivation and opportunities for writing. There may be a specific theme that your child is really interested in and this provides the motivation to write. The "Write and Play" packages will also encourage pretend play. I have developed two themes so far - Airline and Circus themes. Purchase them from the "Your Kids OT Shop", print and cut out the various parts. You might use this in family setting at home with siblings playing together. You might use this a therapy setting with other "pretend" participants. The "Airline Write and Play" package includes-
There are places for your children to write names, dates, places, gate numbers, times, TV shows, movies, games, food options, address, telephone numbers and more! The "Circus Write and Play" package includes -
There are places for your child to write their name, date of performance, program order and food stall prices. I have lots of themes in progress... is your child interested in a particular "pretend play" theme? Let me know in the comments below and if I use your child's suggestion, I will send you the package free! I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions! Visit my shop today for these packages and more. Did you know that all "red" words in my blogs have a link that you can click?
Thanks for your continued support of Your Kids OT! |
AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. SEARCH THIS SITE
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Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. 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 blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner. 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. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. Affiliate links may be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. |
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