Category: Visual-perception

Dolch Sight Words "Box Writing"

3/6/2014

Do you have a child who is learning their "sight words" for school? Once children begin school (Kindergarten in NSW or Reception/Prep/Pre-Primary/Foundation Year depending on where you live) then reading becomes a priority. Most schools use the Dolch sight words as a part of their literacy program.

The Dolch sight word list contains 220 most frequently encountered words in children’s literature. The Dolch sight word list is widely used as a teaching tool for reading, writing and spelling. Many of the Dolch word list cannot be “sounded out” and must be learned by sight, which is why the list is often referred to as “Dolch’ Sight Word List”. Dolch excluded nouns from his main list.

As an OT, I like to work with teachers and parents. Since learning sight words is a priority in the early school years, I have developed these worksheets to be used with children as they also learn their sight words. I always check with parents and teachers as to what a student is "up to" as my goal is not usually the reading aspect but the writing component of this activity.

This “Box Writing” set of worksheets includes each of the Dolch sight words (ie. 220 words), the box shape outlines for each word and space for writing the word. There are 31 pages included in this set of worksheets. You can purchase this set of worksheets from the Your Kids OT shop. These worksheets may be laminated for durability and used with a dry-erase marker. They then may be used multiple times with one child or with numerous children. Here is sample of the worksheets.

Sample of the Dolch Sight Words "Box Writing" worksheets.

“Box Writing” may be used to encourage the development of several skills -

Visual perceptual skills: Children observe the size and shape of each letter and ascertain how the words fit into the corresponding boxes.
Familiarity of letter sizes (tall, short and those with tails) for handwriting. Practising letter sizes when handwriting can assist with writing legibility.
Assists with the familiarisation of sight words for reading and spelling.

I have also developed a second set of worksheets "Dolch Sight Word Box Writing Match and Write".
This set of worksheets encourages your child to match the boxed shaped words with a list of sight words and write them in the appropriate boxes. There are 31 pages in this set of worksheets and you may purchase them from theYour Kids OT shop.

Here is a sample of the worksheets.

Sample of the Dolch Sight Word Box Writing Match and Write Worksheets.

Try these worksheets today! Please take time to browse my other products in the shop. Thanks for your continued support.

You can also purchase Your Kids OT products from "Teachers Pay Teachers".

Product review: Tangram Animal A to Z book

20/5/2014

I have always had a fascination with Tangrams. The classic game of 7 shapes that are cut from a square and yet can be manipulated into hundreds of figures and shapes. I found this book last year at a "Five Senses Education" shop in the discount bin and was hoping Mr 3 and Miss 7 would be introduced to something that I love!

This book "Tangram Animal A to Z" features a set of tangram shapes and an animal picture for each letter of the alphabet. It begins with clear shape outlines for your child to match the 7 shapes onto the animal picture (seen here in the Alligator and Bear pictures).

Children need to slide, turn and flip shapes to fit the picture.

It becomes more difficult with partial outlines (see Mouse picture) and then becomes even more difficult with only the outline of the animal shapes shown (see Shark picture).

Solutions are supplied too.

The developers of the book developed this book to help children to develop thinking and reasoning skills using Tangrams; introducing children to mathematics in a fun way. The book can also be used for colouring.

This is a great introduction to Tangrams for children. Mr 3 is able to match most of the first 10 shapes. Miss 7 can do most of the book independently. We can keep coming back to the book and Tangrams.

I have used ordinary Tangram sets with school-aged kids I see for Occupational Therapy. Most Tangram sets come with pictures that can be built with Tangram shapes.

Tangrams are helpful for encouraging the development of visual perceptual skills, especially
* figure ground (the ability to see an object or form when presented in a complex background with a lot of visual information at one time),
* visual discrimination (is the foundation for where an object or shape is classified according to colour, form, pattern, size or position) and
* position in space (relates to understanding directional language concepts, such as in/out, up/down, in front of/behind/between, left/right, when relating to objects or shapes such as letters).

Read more about visual perceptual skills here.

Do you enjoy completing Tangrams? Have you introduced this to your kids? Try it this week!

Get your Tangram products from the Book Depository of Fishpond today! I will receive a small commision if any purchases are made. Thanks!

Free Delivery on all Books at the Book Depository

Note: I have not received any renumeration for this post, however this post does include affiliate links.

Product Review: IQ Twist

22/4/2014

"IQ Twist" is single player game of logical thinking and problem solving. Our family is going overseas soon so we are starting to think about what to pack! Miss 7 brought "IQ Twist" with her on holiday last year and enjoyed challenging herself with this game on the plane. It comes in a neat hinged box which keeps all the pieces together for travelling.

The game consists of 7 coloured pegs and 8 twisted puzzle pieces. The twisted pieces are different shapes and have some parts with holes and others which don't.

To play, you choose a challenge from the booklet which gives you a picture to guide placement of the coloured pegs. Matching the coloured pegs to the board in the correct places involves good visual perceptual skills. The pegs are small; encouraging a good pincer grasp and open web space when manipulating them.

The aim of the game is to fit all the twisted puzzle pieces back into the board whilst matching the colours appropriately. This challenge will require skills in visual discrimination and position in space. It will also require good problem solving skills and some perseverance!

There are 100 challenges ranging from easy to extremely difficulty... challenging adults as well as children. Fortunately, there are solutions at the back of the booklet if you get really stuck.

Designed for kids 6 years old to adults, "IQ Twist" is a fantastic little game; perfect for those who love a challenge. It is available from various stores for A$15.00 approx. See Kidstuff, Five Senses Education or Amazon.

Note: I have not received any remuneration for this post and the opinions expressed are my own. Your Kids OT is an affiliate partner with Amazon therefore purchasing from Amazon will support this website.

Re-purposing Tupperware "Shape-O"

8/4/2014

"Tupperware Shape-O" a classic toy.

The "Tupperware Shape-O" is a classic toy that brings nostalgic memories for some (including me) of their early childhood. We have a Tupperware "Shape-O" that has been a little ignored and forgotten in our household as the kids are getting older. I thought it was time to bring back the "Shape-O" and re-purpose it for now.

The "Tupperware Shape-O" includes 10 shapes which are numbered 1 to 10. There is the ball itself with holes for posting the shapes.

Here is a round up of ways you can use your "Shape-O".

Learning shapes

1. Trace the shapes onto paper to get an outline. Ask your child to match the shape to the outline. A great way to encourage visual discrimination.
2. Place the shapes into a bag. Ask your child to put their hand in the bag and feel a shape. Ask them to identify the shape. This ability to perceive and recognise an object using tactile cues without visual and auditory information is called stereognosis.
3. Draw or trace shapes on a doodle board, whiteboard or paper.
4. Use shapes as cutters with playdough.
5. Form shapes using pipe cleaners.
6. Form shapes using straws.
7. Draw shape outlines with chalk on the ground outside. Place the shapes in a bag. When the shape is selected, child runs (or hops/skips/jumps/pushes on the scooter board) to the correct shape. This activity incorporates gross motor skills with learning shapes. There is an element of visual perceptual skill development "form constancy and position in space skills".
8. Throw the "Shape-O" ball onto the lawn. Ask your child to identify the shape, run back to the shapes, select the correct one and post it into the hole. Again incorporating gross motor skills with learning shapes.

Learning numbers and counting!

1. Line up your "Shape-O" shapes according to the number printed on the shape. Place the correct number of short straws into playdough sections. Count the straws. Remove the straws and count the holes.
2. Stack small blocks inside the "Shape-O" shapes according to the numbers inside.
3. Use small objects (eg. marshmallows, sultanas, beads) to count out the numbers inside the shapes.
4. Place the shapes inside a paint palette. Peg the correct number of pegs to the paint palette section corresponding to the number inside the shape.
5. Use a bingo paint marker to count out the numbers in each shape.

For babies...

Babies will love to pull the scarf from the "Shape-O" ball. They can watch the colours of the scarf and problem solve to get the scarf out. Older babies may like to poke the scarf into the holes. {Supervise your babies as any cord may be a choking hazard).

Crawlers will love to go after the rattling ball with the shapes inside. They can push the ball to their grown up or around the room.

Do you have a "Tupperware Shape-O"? Have your children played with it recently? Let me know if I've given you some ideas to take it out of storage and back into the rotation of toys. Have fun!

Note: I have not received any renumeration for this post from Tupperware.

Visual Perceptual Skills: Craft stick shape patterns

20/3/2014

Visual perception is the process of extracting and organising information, giving meaning to what we see. It is required to perform everyday tasks, such as reading, copying information from a board or understanding symbols. Read more about visual perception on the Visual Perceptual Skills homepage.

As children develop visual perceptual skills and visual spatial skills, they develop an awareness of how they relate to the world around the. They develop body awareness and work out how to relate to objects. They also become aware of how objects relate to each other.

This simple shape matching activity is great for toddlers and preschoolers. It helps kids to become familiar with shapes and understand how to position something in space to match the picture given. This is a really important skill when they learn to draw and write, as they need to "figure out" where lines are in relation to each other to form a picture or letter.

What you need:

Coloured paddlepop sticks
Printout of Craft stick shapes pattern sheet found at the Your Kids OT shop. Purchase, print and laminate the sheets.

{Note: Instead of craft (aka. paddlepop or popsicle) sticks you could use crayons, pencils, pipecleaners, wool, ribbon, strips of paper, playdogh, etc).

Match paddlepop sticks with shape pattern sheet found at the Your Kids OT Shop.

How to use:
Simply match the craft stick {or other item} to the shape pattern sheets. Your child can match the appropriate colour as well. You could also make the patterns for your child to copy without the pattern sheet.

But wait, there's more.... here are suggestions to progress this with your child. The list below is also useful for therapists who may carry this one activity in their "tool kit" and vary it for various children seen within a day according to their skills.

1. Ask your child to copy the shape with the paddle pop stick next to the picture rather than on top of the picture. You may ask your child to trace over the shape with their finger first.

2. a) Ask your child to draw on the laminated shape pattern sheets with a dry-erase marker.
b) When your child is familiar with this, ask your child to draw a copy on paper or a whiteboard with the shape pattern sheet as a model. Try to place the pattern sheet at the same orientation as the position it is being drawn. (eg. flat on the table for drawing on paper, vertically for a whiteboard easel).
c) Place the shape pattern sheet at a different orientation to the position being drawn (eg. vertically on stand when drawing on paper at a table).
d) Cut out the picture drawn and match it back to the shape pattern sheet.

3. Apply visual memory by showing the child the shape pattern sheet, removing the page and (a) asking them to reproduce the pattern with paddlepop sticks and (b) drawing a copy of the shape.

Copy shape beside picture, draw on shapes and draw beside shapes.

Older children might like the challenge of building a maze with their craft sticks!

For Telehealth OT, I've been using the pattern sheet via a "share screen" or "share pdf" with the children I'm seeing. I can select the pattern and then we can build it together using sticks in front of each of us. I have also used this to encourage drawing from the screen.

Watch how you can use craft sticks on the You-tube video below or via this link --->

If you have an older child having difficulty with letter formation, then it is worth re-visiting shapes and pattern making. Don't forget to visit theYour Kids OT shop for your copy of these shape pattern sheets.Craft Stick Pattern Copy Templates

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia. She has two growing 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. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete). Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT. Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a member of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team. They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

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. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.

Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/yourkidsot
YKOT shop: https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/

Putting on shoes: Left and Right

11/3/2014

Here is a quick and easy way to help your child who is learning to put their shoes on independently.

Putting on shoes: Left and Right - A simple tip using a sticker cut in half.

I simply cut a sticker in half and place the half stickers onto the shoes. Mr 3 matches the picture together and then puts his shoes on the correct feet. This is an ordinary sticker (not a special shoe sticker) and when it wears out it is cheap and easy to replace.

Choose a sticker that is clear and obvious for matching together. You might have a dinosaur head and their tail, a teapot handle and spout, an elephant trunk and the elephant body, a ballerina, etc.

This simple tip will help those who have not learnt the subtlety of the left and right sides of shoes or feet.

Will a sticker help your child to put on their shoes?

Enjoying Your Kids OT? Share this newsletter with your friends, family, teachers and colleagues. Find me on Facebook or Pinterest or comment below. Thanks for reading!

Meet my Letter Families...

9/3/2014

There are two different "letter families" that I use.

Letter families are groups of letters taught at the same time for a specific purpose. I have grouped these letter families when teaching to write NSW Foundation Font lowercase letters in print.

NOTE: This blog post will focus on letter families. There are a few references in this blog to look out for future posts about activities that may be done to encourage learning letter families. There is just too much information for one post about this!! Thanks for your patience.

Let me introduce you to the first letter family {Magic C letters, Line letters and the odd ones out}. I use this letter family when introducing or focusing on letter formation. Magic C letters are written with the "C" component drawn first during letter formation. Line letters are written with the "line" component drawn first during letter formation. I further categorise these letters according to size teaching tall lines, short lines and then the tail lines. Odd ones out are letters that have no common features.

When teaching letter formation, I use a multisensory approach. Within one therapy session, I will use a variety of different mediums to teach one group of letters.

For example, the student may make the letters from playdough, draw them in shaving cream with a finger, paint them in rice with a paintbrush, use an ipad app and/or write them on a whiteboard and paper.

Further explanation and examples of a multisensory approach to letter formation will be described in future posts.

Magic C letters formed with playdough

Once letter families are introduced to children, I use several activities to help children classify the letters into the aforementioned groups. This may include sorting out flashcards into piles, using magnetic letters to put groups on different boards, completing a find a word puzzle of one category of letters, etc. Future posts will have photographs and further descriptions.

The letters in the second letter family are based on size {small, tall and tail letters}. Look out for future posts for suggestions to work on letter size.

Why letter families?
1) Letter families help children to "group" or "classify" letters.

With the letter formation family - children group the letters not only in the way they look but also according to the first motor action it takes to write the letter {eg. draw a line down). This in turn, helps children to plan when writing as they can visualise what they need to do.

With the letter size family - children group the letters in relation to each other [eg. tall letters are twice the height of small letters}. This again helps with planning and visualisation for writing.

2) The letter formation family may help with classification of common letters that children "reverse" such as"b" and "d". In this instance, children learn that "b" is a line letter so the line is drawn first. "d" is a magic c letter so the "c" is drawn first.

3) The letter size family can remind children of a letter's "starting point" when writing. For all "tall letters" start up high (with one exception being d).

4) Letter families help children with legibility and neatness.

Do you use letter families? What letter families work for your children?

Homemade: More than a posting box

18/2/2014

A simple posting box made from a yoghurt container is a brilliant fine motor activity. Read on to see the other benefits of doing this activity.

To make:
Cover a plastic container with scrapbooking paper (or decorate by painting or with stickers).
Cut three slits in the lids using a Stanley knife- horizontal, vertical and diagonal slits.

To use:

This posting box is perfect for posting small buttons. Encourage a pincer grasp and open webspace of the hand when posting. {The webspace is the open circular shape that is made by the thumb and index finger as seen in the photograph on the far left}. This can be done with either hand.
The posting lid can also be propped up with some playdough. This allows for the button to be transferred from one hand to the other through the slit. When passing through the vertical slit, the spatial orientation is as you would need for buttoning shirts. I have found this really useful for those who have difficulty buttoning up their own clothes {to practise this bilateral activity with the correct orientation to themselves}. This visual spatial orientation is found in only a few other "natural" learning environments, so having this set up can bring great results.
You can also introduce concepts whilst doing this activity such as sorting the buttons according to colour or counting as your child posts.
Your child may also practise in-hand manipulations skills by holding a group of 5 buttons in one hand. Your child then needs to move one button from the group to the thumb and index fingertips, before posting.

This activity is suitable for older toddlers, preschoolers and even school age-children. Supervision is required for younger children as the buttons may be a choking hazard.

Does your child struggle to do up the buttons of their shirt? Have they ever practised with the correct visual spatial orientation to themselves? Will you be making a posting box?