Hello
We posted this last year but thought it was a good reminder for this year too.
We are so excited for this new school year! Part of the transition from being just kids to being students involves doing tasks such as sitting at desks for longer periods of time, using pencils and doing written work. After a summer of play and rest, they need to build up their endurance to these tasks. Here are a few reminders and suggestions to help with this transition.
We posted this last year but thought it was a good reminder for this year too.
We are so excited for this new school year! Part of the transition from being just kids to being students involves doing tasks such as sitting at desks for longer periods of time, using pencils and doing written work. After a summer of play and rest, they need to build up their endurance to these tasks. Here are a few reminders and suggestions to help with this transition.
Pencil Grip!
An appropriate pencil grip is a dynamic tripod grasp which looks like this:
If your child has a hard time holding a pencil, please make sure that you are always showing them the correct way to hold it (sometimes they just can't figure out how to put their fingers in the right places). Often times poor pencil grip is due to decreased strength and delayed hand development. Doing fine motor activities at least 10 minutes a day can help to improve their hand strength and to develop the arches of the hands that allow them to separate their first three fingers from the 4th and 5th fingers.
Please visit the "Make Handwriting Fun" tab for many fun activities to help improve hand strength and development. Video game controllers and the iPad only help to develop one or two fingers. Children need to hold/touch/feel 3D objects.
An appropriate pencil grip is a dynamic tripod grasp which looks like this:
If your child has a hard time holding a pencil, please make sure that you are always showing them the correct way to hold it (sometimes they just can't figure out how to put their fingers in the right places). Often times poor pencil grip is due to decreased strength and delayed hand development. Doing fine motor activities at least 10 minutes a day can help to improve their hand strength and to develop the arches of the hands that allow them to separate their first three fingers from the 4th and 5th fingers.
Please visit the "Make Handwriting Fun" tab for many fun activities to help improve hand strength and development. Video game controllers and the iPad only help to develop one or two fingers. Children need to hold/touch/feel 3D objects.
Other ways to help the pencil grip:
- Use a pencil grip (there are many out there, sometimes you have to try different ones)
- Use a pencil grip (there are many out there, sometimes you have to try different ones)
- Have your child hold a "magic" pom pom or small object in their palm with their 4th and 5th fingers which leaves only the first three fingers to hold the pencil
- Use short, thick crayons (approximately 1" long) or small pieces of chalk
- Put a sock on your child's hand and cut out two holes to only allow their thumb and index finger out, making only those fingers available to hold the pencil
Seating
There are many good seating accommodations that can help our students attention and focus to tasks. Through generous partial funding from the HEA, we have a limited number of the following equipment in the building. They could also be used for homework:
Move-n-sit cushions
There are many good seating accommodations that can help our students attention and focus to tasks. Through generous partial funding from the HEA, we have a limited number of the following equipment in the building. They could also be used for homework:
Move-n-sit cushions
The Howda Hug Chair
Sitting on an appropriate sized ball
Tying a theraband or inner tube tire to their chair that they can kick into
We hope these suggestions are helpful!
Best,
Marian Francis MS OTR/L, Jennine Pratt MS OTR/L, Elisha Huff MS OTR/L
Best,
Marian Francis MS OTR/L, Jennine Pratt MS OTR/L, Elisha Huff MS OTR/L