[INF2FParents] Fine Motor Writing Tips Aides & Fine Motor -Manipulatives -ok to forward

[Guest guest]

Passing this on w/permission from another listserv:

kathyR

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Hi everyone, I've been asked about fine motor tasks, things you can do

at home over the summer for next to nothing... here are some ideas....

Your local $ store find sponge letters and numbers also in different colors

that you can work with and magnets for the fridge. These are great as you can

keep them on the fridge in words that you are working on - or sequential

numbers or all like colors. These items you can find at most of your local

hobby shops, 's, Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart - K-Mart - Target -and of course

your $ stores are where I'd be checking first.

Take the letters from the fridge and have them trace them with a crayon on

paper for the practice of tracing and holding the pen/cil/crayon.

Writing - pencil grips are excellent aides, also at the $ stores you can find

paper with the really wide lines and have them practice his letters and

numbers. Maybe you write it out first and then s/he follows. Don't push -

little steps can go much further than pushing and having meltdowns and losing

it all. Make it fun or it will not work.

A wipe and erase board are excellent tools for fine motor too - if you don't

like what you write - erase it and do it over. Always end with a positive job

well done!!! Always let them see the positive when working with these steps so

they will want to come back and do it again.

Another fun activity is using the etch a sketch boards, while turning the knobs

they are creating something fun and it also helps with eye hand coordination.

Flash cards with the BIG LETTERS On them can usually be found at the $ store.

Take your pointer finger and trace the letter and say the letter before and

after. Also mention the color of the letter/number. Repeat and make it fun.

We also have the coloring crayons that are short and fit over the fingers.

These are excellent while working with fine motor skills and the crayons have

the different colors and also helps with texture. These are 7.00 plus s/h - if

you look at the stores you can find fat crayons for a dollar or two.

Keyboarding is also great for fine motor skills - buy games or work games for

their level, helps with letter/number recognition as well as hand eye

coordination.

Respectfully,

Compton, Director of Sales/Marketing and Product Development

SensoryCritters.com LLC

http://www.sensorycritters.com

http://www.autismwalk.org/fortwayne October 1,

2006 Shoaff Park Walk for Autism!

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Part two of fine motor - low cost items - things to look for around the

house - build some yourself and check out your local hobby stores, 's,

Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target etc... Don't ever leave out your Local

Dollar Stores:

Manipulative's - the ability to pinch an item and manipulate it to

put the screw and bolts together, inserting pegs into a board while practicing

grasping, coordination skills, color recognition and counting can also be

learned while working on other tasks. Just remember to make it fun!

Fish sticks are wonderful and and they are for pre-scissor skill

activities. They are tongs that be can used with oral-motor activities. Ask

your therapists about the fish sticks and what they suggest you do with

your child at home. One idea is set up small toys or cotton balls for them to

transfer across a mid line. Anything they can pick up with the tongs and make a

game of it to pick it up from one side of the table and bring it to the other

side. These are colorful and they come with different animals/mammals on top of

the sticks. We have 13 in stock at 5.50 a piece, they are durable heavy

plastic and are loved by therapists and children alike.

Play food that can be removed and then the layers of food placed back

together. This is excellent for imaginary play too! Speech therapists also use

these items for sequencing and language as well. These foods you can find in

many children's stores. Some come in hard plastic and others are made from

cloth with various textures.

Do you have a shape sorter? The plastic balls with the various

shapes and shaped objects are excellent to work with fine motor,

manipulative's, color sorting and shape sorting. Placing the square

shape into the square hole BIG WIN - Placing the the square shape into the

triangle - try again - get it BIG WIN _ YEAH!!!

Tangles are excellent and come in so many types: light-up, textured,

original, tangle the ball and tangle therapy. This is a low impact activity

that relieves stress through the easy twisting and turning motion. These

tangles are great for all ages and as ability grows they are great for:

fine-motor control, improvements in dexterity, concentration and focus, and

problem solving.

Hope these have helped. Any questions always feel free to ask.

Respectfully,

Compton, Director of Sales/Marketing and Product Development

SensoryCritters.com

LLC

http://www.sensorycritters.com

http://www.autismwalk.org/fortwayne

October 1, 2006 Shoaff

Park Walk for Autism!