Home Hot Topics Articles Directors' Choice Awards About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! Each month we'll send you an email filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now Date: 1/20/2007 4:32:00 PM Author: chaya (csgspan@yahoo,com) Subject: OT perspective on pencils & writing I am very impressed by the creativity and clinical reasoning mentioned in all these emails. As an occupational therapist, I appreciate when teachers ask such questions because it addresses the problem before it comes to my office. The thought process is correct: 1. develop muscles (there are 26 in each hand alone) in the hand, wrist, and shoulder through every activity manipulating small objects into small places with every different tool, i.e., use the dollar store to use household objects in centers. 2. Use a multisensory approach to introduce the movements done in writing, i.e., use small magnets to lead a car on a trail they draw with chalk, move a tiny animal figure through a sea of beans, corn starch & water mixed in a tray becomes a disappearing picture board 3. make sure they are able to hold their bodies up, feet touching the ground, elbows bent at sides at 90 degree angles when writing at the table, & finally every type of drawing materials in very fat and very short sizes (i.e., break fat crayons & the child is forced to use a mature grasp). This alows the child not to have struggle with other things when learning a new task that he/she struggles with. Best of luck & feel free to email me with other questions. Name: Email: Subject

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