Media is taking over our lives. As parents, we need to learn how to create balance for our family, especially if our children have sensory and learning needs.
Rainbow Foam
Supplies 1 can of shaving cream Yellow, blue, and red food coloring 1 large cookie sheet Access to a sink nearby Paper towels or hand towel Procedure Have the child fill a cookie sheet with shaving cream from left to right and top to bottom to reinforce tracking for reading and writing. With the child’s…
Surviving Snows Days as a working mom of a child with special needs
How many 6 am calls have you gotten from school so far? You know, the one that throws off your entire day if you are a working parent? The one that leaves you either frantically rescheduling your appointments for the day or calling every babysitter on your list? Yes, I am talking about a SNOW…
Fine Motor Valentine’s Day Soap Craft
Supplies 1 bar of soap (we used Dove for sensitive skin) 1 box grater with removable lid 1 bowl to hold grated soap 1 tablespoon of warm water 1 medium sized cutting board 1 cookie cutter (approximately 2”x 2” works well) 1 spatula Procedure 1.Set up the grater so that child will pull the…
Make a Popcorn and Cranberry Garland to Improve Fine Motor Skills
Supplies 1 bowl of plain (not butter) popped popcorn 1 package fresh cranberries Thicker thread such as upholstery thread Sewing needle Procedure 1. If using sewing needles is new for your child, demonstrate safe use, pointing out sharp and dull ends of the needle, and safe storage (such as in a pincushion) when not using…
Homemade Pomander Balls
Supplies 1 or more navel oranges Whole cloves Pencil or other child safe object to poke holes in orange Ribbon if desired Procedure 1. Draw lines on oranges to create pattern as desired 2. Push small holes into orange spaced appropriately along lines or for children who need help judging space, use marker dots rather…
Crack Nuts to Improve Fine Motor Skills
Use these Tools to Strengthen Little Hands and Improve Coordination this Holiday Season At the holidays, many families have nuts set out with the appetizers. The Nutcracker Toy Soldier has become a Christmas icon. But in addition to this decorative soldier, there are a variety of fun nutcrackers that children can experiment with during the holidays. …
Teaching that one child that keeps you up at night through movement
Photo: LA Johnson/NPR Everyone has that one child….. I recently spoke at a preschool teacher’s conference. I was excited to hear their questions about how to support children with sensory differences in the classroom. As I was listening to their questions and stories, I started seeing a pattern. Everyone has that ONE child that stands out…
Sometimes reading fluency is not just about decoding: How hidden vision deficits made me rethink my tutoring session.
As a special educator with 45 years experience and training in Orton-Gillingham, I have always believed in the value of using multi-sensory tools and strategies to teaching reading and math. The Orton-Gillingham approach to reading is a language based, multi- sensory, structured, sequential, cognitive and flexible program. Orton-Gillingham is a well known and respected reading…
Summer Fun Supports Learning and Positive Behavior in Children
Why do children seem so much better behaved in the summertime? Is it because they are enrolled in camp and they “get all of their energy out?” Is it because being outside in nature, children are getting away from iPads and television and are less irritable without the screen time? Or maybe children are…
