My plan for how to homeschool elementary school

Question of the day- What is your homeschool style?

SO, after reading all the different homeschool styles, and finding I was a failure at all of them.... I made up my own.  Now, just to clarify the word "failure" I mean, I couldn't stick with doing all of the ideas of any one theory of education, and my kids... were no help. My little free spirits find the idea of unschooling great, but it turns out, they still expect me to help them figure out how to feed their brains tons of interesting stuff each day.  And if I had to put in all the work to come up with what we were going to do, I was just going to do it.  

This, below, is the first draft of my new theory of education, based on child development, and not making myself or the kids insane.  Because really, at the end of the day, my goal is to not be made crazy, or to have to pay for tons of therapy for the kids later.   Please feel free to post suggestions for what to name this new theory of education in the comments.  

Kindergarten-
Read great books to your child.  Read easy readers with your finger under the words, read harder books out loud, read picture books, and if your child will listen, chapter books.
Read books and then do things that go along with the books- a craft, food, map or game all make books come alive.
Go on adventures- the library, the zoo, museums, a pet store, the bank, any outing can be an adventure to a small child.
Make things with your hands- paint, use clay, glue things together, string beads, finger knit, whatever.
Sing songs- learning to memorize and sing songs strengthens memory skills.
Do a lot of playing.
Have playdates and let your child learn to get along with other people.
Play with learning some words in a foreign language, keeping doing some of this every year, just so the brain gets the idea and is ready to learn more languages later.  This will also show your child that there can be many ways to say the same thing, and prepare them to have a great vocabulary.

First grade:
Learn to write all the letters - not just draw them.
Once she can copy all the letters, have your child copy sentences and point out the punctuation and capitalization and everything.
Have your child tell you stories, and help him learn to do it in a way that makes sense, so he learns to communicate clearly. Write down those stories so he can see his words in writing.
Learn to add.
Have a wall calendar with dates, classes and events on it, help your child start to find the date.
Do things your child is interested in, whether that is math, history, art, science or cooking, but be sure you are doing it a few times a week, at least.
Learn to loom knit.
And keep doing everything from the Kindergarten list.
Learn to recite simple poems or nursery rhymes, at a rate of one every week or 2.  This prepares the brain for further memorization later.

Second grade
Keep working on nice handwriting.  Start the year with more copy work.  Add in having your child write something as you tell it to them- dictation, when your child is ready.  Hopefully, by the end of the year they will be ready to write their own sentences, but if not, they can tell you a sentence, you write it, and let them copy their own words.
Keep reading lots of cool books to your kid, kids never get too old to be read to, and the huge number of random things your child can learn from books is amazing.
Have your child read out loud to you from a book that isn't too hard for him, a few times a week.  I am an expert in handwriting, but not in teaching reading,  here, it seemed to happen by magic. If your child hasn't learned to read yet, this is the year I would really start working on that skill, but there is nothing wrong with reading out loud to your child until he or she is able to do it well.
Learn to subtract, and keep practicing adding. Experiment with larger numbers and interesting math terms and symbols.
Do art appreciation by looking at cool art- I take apart calendars to hang up the art work.
Do music appreciation by listening to lots of different kinds of music, and talking about it.
Add one  formal subject- whatever works for your child- I do History and like the program from Story of the World.   We read the lessons and do go along activities from the activities book, or from Pinterest.
Do random, real life science- like grow plants, read books about the human body, have science experiments and kits.   There is nothing wrong with random, real life science of watching the seasons change, and melting snow with a hair dryer.
Keep doing everything that was working from kindergarten and first grade, but don't overwhelm yourself.  If your history project has to double count as your art for the week, no big deal.


Third grade
Learn to write in cursive (can put this off a year, if your child needs to), but please don't skip it.  Learning to write in cursive will allow your child to write faster, possibly neater (learning to write for the second time sometimes goes better), and be able to read all the amazing documents of history that are written in cursive.   You should plan to start again with copy work, working toward dictation and then self writing in cursive.  Allow your child to continue to print until they have the hang of cursive.
Learn spelling as a subject- I like Spelling Power, but you may find something else that works for your child
Learn to multiply.
Learn to tell time, if you haven't already.
Keep doing whatever was working from last year in art and music, or find a new way to explore those, a well rounded education involves the arts
Keep doing History
Keep learning about whatever your child wants to
Add some household skills, like basic cooking
Memorize and recite a few longer poems

Fourth grade
Keep working on handwriting- cursive takes practice.
Spelling
Grammar- a formal lesson on this is new this year
Learn to divide, and practice all previous math skills.  Learn about graphing or other random interesting math skills
History
Science- could be done any way that works for you- lap books, co-op classes, experiments, etc. but this is the age I make sure I have added a formal study.  For us, that means asking my child what science topics interest her, and finding a program that focuses on things she is interested in.

Fourth grade is when I feel it is important to start to be more formal about my kid's education, but I still don't want to have an overwhelming day.  Most of our subjects are done on a rotating basis, so we never do all our subjects in a single day.   I generally opt to do Science on Tuesdays and Thursdays, History on Mondays and Wednesdays, and use Friday for experiments or hands on projects from one or the other.  Spelling and Grammar alternate with each other as much as possible.  Even math is not an every day subject for us, I find a few times a week is enough at this age.


Fifth Grade
Hand writing
Spelling
Grammar
History
Science
Math- review all the basic stuff, then move on to fractions, decimals, graphing, etc.
Loom knit a hat- or try another hand work task, beading, crochet, knitting, and sewing.
Add music lessons if you can- I got lucky and could add a band program for homeschoolers.
Memorize something that is a little challenging- like the preamble to the Constitution.

Also of note, I never, ever, do all these subjects in one day.  My weekly schedule breaks up most of the subjects into having only about 3 subjects each day, and subjects rotate.  I also feel free to take time to do whatever other things I think will help my children learn about their world, themselves, or just seem fun and worthwhile.   Most of us remember very little of what we learned in elementary school. We learned to read, write, and do basic math.  Sometimes we did some cool stuff that stayed with us, but much of the days were full of random stuff we no longer recall.  Don't sweat all that stuff. And know that they really only have to know how to read, write and do math, by the time they are done with elementary school, so if it takes longer than other kids, they are still just fine.

For handwriting, I have used and like the program by Handwriting without Tears, for my 2 reluctant writers.  The work books review how to make each letter, helping to develop good writing habits, and the letters are made simple and straight, without fancy slants or curlicues to confuse a child.  My youngest child has a stronger interest in writing, and I may choose to teach her a prettier form of cursive when the day comes, because HWT is not pretty, but very functional handwriting. Most people, only need functional handwriting.

In history, science, grammar and writing, we don't always finish the book we start in a single school year.  If the book is still working for us, I just roll it over and continue it the next school year.  The 4 year cycle of Story of the World took me about 6 years to do with my oldest, partially because we took extra time to explore some of the time periods, partially because at one point, she was too young for the material (we started it earlier than I recommend above) so we put it on the shelf a while, and partially because I kept misplacing the darn book.   I am now starting the cycle for the second time, and all 3 of my kids are doing it with me.  I have no regrets about it taking longer last time, and the only thing I hope to really do differently is to loose the book less.    Personally, my goal is never about finishing a book, it is about making sure my kids are learning all the foundational skills they need to develop, so that when they start middle school- they can write a good sentence with proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

  Middle school is when I want my kids to start writing short essays and understand higher level math.  The elementary years are just about laying a foundation to put a higher level of education on top of.  Their understanding of history and science are also a foundation, created to put higher level concepts on top of.   When, as an older student they see a story about Vikings, I want them to have an idea who the vikings were and where they lived, not already know all the stories.   And I expect my middle school age kids to do middle school age work, that prepares them for high school.  I never want to push down skills from a higher level onto younger children.  I want to create a knowledge base and set of skills that my children can climb up and stand on when they get to the next level of their education.

Homeschooling styles, what I learned from each one

Question of the day:  What is your homeschooling style?  

When my oldest child was much smaller- I went through a time of being obsessed with homeschool styles, I read them ALL- or at least all that I could find, looking for the perfect fit for us.  It turned out none of them was my perfect fit, but I did learn a lot of great ideas.  So, I did what so many homeschool websites told me "Take what you like, and leave the rest."  This is a list of things I decided to take, and what I didn't take, from some of those styles.  These summaries are WAY too short to explain an entire theory, so if you are new, and see something interesting, do you own research and learn more.

Charlotte Mason-
 Read lots of great books- GREAT
Go for walks outside and appreciate nature- I can do that!
Have short class periods for small children, working on longer ones when they get older- Makes sense. 
Be a super teacher, make the kids talk about art a lot, teach them to draw EVERY DAY- Um, no

So, what I got from Charlotte Mason, was a wonderful book list, which we often worked from.  A goal of getting outside, and trying to experiment with drawing.  I also loved her idea of teaching fine artists, however, her method just didn't work for me.  So, what I do, is I get a calendar of the art of a famous artist.  I take it apart, and hang up anywhere from 3 to all 12 of the pictures on the wall of our homeschooling space.  We talk about which pictures we like best, and why.  I change the calendar as often as I feel like it- anywhere from 2-6 times a year. 

Waldorf
Do lots of handwork (knit and stuff)- COOL
Let your child help do tasks like bake bread and make snacks- Awesome
Read sweet little fairy tales- Can do
Do art, music, drama, dancing, and foreign languages all teacher led- Uh, oh, not so sure I can handle that
Play outside every day, no matter what the weather- Crap- I am a weather wimp.

So, what I took from Waldorf- we tried to play outside in the rain sometimes- which isn't as bad as I thought it was.  I try to foster my child's ability to do things for herself (Montessori is into that one too).  I also try to do a lot of "handwork." The Waldorf version of this, did not really work for us.  Have you ever tried to felt wool into a baby chick?  Or mold beeswax into ANYTHING?  That stuff is amazingly hard.  Instead, we found crafts and activities that worked for us.  My kids learned to loom knit, instead of knitting with knitting needles, for example.   

Montessori
Do lots and lots of hands on stuff with TONS of materials- Um, that gets expensive, but cool
Do lots of practical life skills- Sounded good, but kid #1 hated it, while #3 loves it
Teach reading and math in a special way- Crap, more things I didn't know how to do

I did purchase and make some Montessori materials, and there are lots of good ideas on line.  But my oldest child only wanted to do any given activity about once, and move on, so investing in the stuff, just wasn't a good way for us to go.  I picked and chose materials that worked for us, and left the rest.  I still look for good montessori materials for my kids, but just can't do it whole hearted. 

Unschool
Let your kid learn at her pace about whatever she wants to, it will all work out in the end, no worries.

Turns out this gave me TONS of worries.  I am sorry, but some people need to actually be taught some things, or they don't learn them.  My child needed to be taught the right way to form her letters, though I waited until later than the usual to do it, and she HAD to be taught spelling, she just didn't absorb it magically.   However, honoring her as a learner, going at her pace, and letting her have the ability to choose as much as was reasonable, worked well for us.

Classical Education
Read lots of great book- OK- great, I was already on board
Do a 4 year history cycle, staring with ancient times and going through modern- COOL
Teach Latin- Crap
Teach your child to read and write at a pace that works for them, but here are a lot of easy to follow suggestions- Awesome!  I needed that.

Actually, I have used the Story of the World history books all the way through the program now, and  have just loved them.  They made history engaging, and actually taught about the whole world, not just Europe and the US. I also liked the methods of teaching writing, by staring with the child doing copy work, and stating narrations that the parent writes for the child, so the child gets to separate the act of handwriting from thinking of what to write.  I have used various writing and grammar books that are from "classical education" but we used them at the pace of my own child, not the one on the cover (Writing with Ease and Writing with Skill.)  I also have ended up teaching latin to my oldest child, but not because the program suggested it, but because she asked to learn it.  I don't actually know Latin, so we had to search for an interesting curriculum that we could learn together.  As a middle schooler, she will be doing the program Visual Latin, which is video based, and I don't have to know anything to teach it.  However, the Classical Education model, has some pretty firm ideas about what, how and when children should learn certain things, and that part, just didn't make sense to me, or my kid, so we took what worked, and left the rest.   I also found the huge number of things to teach, overwhelming, so I didn't do it.


I read lots of theory books, and then would spend time testing things out on my child.  For us, sticking 100% to any individual theory, made us miserable, so I would then switch to another.  Eventually, I figured out my own style, mixed from high lights of all the many things I read, but that will be a separate post.  The oddest thing about making my own style, is that as I educate my kids, I have found that each of my kids would be happiest doing more things from one style or another.  The oldest would rather unschool, the middle child would be a great Waldorf student, and the youngest Montessori style is a fit for.  But as a mom, I can't manage to do all that.  Finding a style that works for your family, has to mean finding a style that works for both the teacher and the student.   As my children grow, I try to pick and choose things we will all enjoy and learn from, no matter which theory they fit into.  For us, its about having a great educational experience, not about following anyone's rules of how to do it.

Homeschooling Kindergarten

Question of the Day: I am planning to homeschool my chid for Kindergarten. 
 What do you recommend for curriculum? 

 Actually, I don't believe in curriculum for Kindergarten. I believe that "The work of children is play"- and that for the years of preschool and kindergarten, play is very important. What research has been done on the topic, has shown that children who have a play based kindergarten year, do better in the long run than kids who have academic experiences in kindergarten.   As a result, I create a playspace that is designed to help my children develop, learn and grow.  If you want to read a pretty serious piece on kindergarten and why play is important, this article might help- http://www.thestrong.org/sites/default/files/play-studies/Crisis_in_Kindergarten.pdf

 Here is my list of essential items to have for Kindergarten:

 Wooden Unit blocks - Using the large unit blocks builds hand strength, needed later for writing and other skills.  Unit blocks are a great hands on way for a child to learn math- shapes, sizes, directions- above, below, shorter, taller, adding and subtracting, can all be games you play with your child during block time.  They also provide for learning early physics and engineering, and for valuable imaginative play- houses, roads, castles, and zoos, just to name a few, have all come to life from our block set. For a wonderful discussion on the importance of block play, I recommend reading this article:
http://barclayblocks.com/about_blocks.htm at Barclay Blocks, a company that makes hardwood maple blocks here in the USA.


 Art supplies are a must; including pastels, crayons, paints, papers, glue scissors Art helps children develop fine motor skills, again needed for writing, but also for every day tasks, like buttoning their clothes and tying their shoes.  Learning to cut on a line developes hand- eye coordination, that carries over into hundreds of other skills.  Pinching small amounts of glitter onto paper strengthens small fingers.  And creating a piece of art your child is proud of, develops self-esteem.   Feel free to introduce a wide variety of crafts, while keeping in mind your child's skill level.  A child with fine motor delays may enjoy stringing beads on a pipe cleaner instead of a more difficult string- but with a little thought, you can figure out how to make activities the right amount of challenging for your child.

Games- I love games, as a learning tool for social skills, life skills, and often math, logic and problem solving.  When you play a game with a child, they learn how to take turns, how to succeed, and how to fail. And then how to play again after a failure, a life skill doesn't get enough credit.  I really like the games by Family Pastimes, which are all cooperative games that encourage children to learn how to work together with others for a common goal, and all the players win or loose together.  

Puzzles are also a classic toy that develops visual perceptual skills, problem solving, logic and reasoning.  In my home, we have a wide variety of puzzles available- both simple and complex- which I can work with the child, and with a number of topics to choose from.  We have a puzzle of a map of the US, and other places, to learn geography.  I also love the puzzles made by Chelona.
They have a wide variety of creative puzzles with layers showing plants growing or chicks hatching.

Dress up clothes, allow children to see themselves differently, to imagine adventures and makes the cutest playdates ever.  I also love how children get to practice dressing skills, over and over, learning to do zippers, buttons, and even velcro- though if you can find some dress up clothes that are not all velcro, even better!  Check out your local thrift stores for interesting pieces for you child to experiment with.

Child sized tools, like a mop, broom, rake, knife or even a sponge cut in half to fit a smaller hand, allow children to help around the house, and to imitate adult work.  I have a child's knife that my little ones can use to help cut up fruit for a snack.  And my youngest loves to use her small mop to help with the floor, I have to use a towel to soak up the water when she is done- but she gets the chance to learn a life skill, increase her hand strength, and coordination.

 Some kind of small men, dolls,  or people- to have tiny adventures with are also necessary, in my opinion.  Small animals, dwarves, or whatever can live in block houses, or wear tiny homemade clothes.  They can also be a way for a small child to practice social skills, as their dolls fight and make up, talk to each other and work out problems.  As far as I can tell, most of our dolls have horrible social problems my children have had to coach them through.

Books- just lots  and lots of books.  Read to your kindergartner- get books from the library, read even those horrible stories, like Captain Underpants, because that is what your child asked for.  The more you read to your child, the better your child will learn to read when she is ready.  And, honestly, a great stack of children's books can teach science, history, vocabulary, and almost everything a child of 5 needs to know.  If you need a help choosing good books and thinking of things to do, the book Before Five in a Row is a great option. Yes, it is listed as a preschool book, but it really is a great set of books for kindergarten, and you can always expand on the suggested activities by taking a quick trip to Pinterest.

 If you MUST do some academics, because your child is demanding them - Letters and Numbers for me- by Handwriting without Tears is the book all my children have learned to write with. And I recommend Zoo Phonics, Zoo phonics  which is a great program, because it uses many different ways to explore letter sounds, including having physical movements to appeal to the kinesthetic learner, pictures for the visual learner, and of course plenty of talking together for my auditory learner.  With one of my children I also started Life of Fred, Apples during the second half of the year, which is a very pleasant introduction to math. And all of them have gotten to explore online learning programs like Starfall which allows them to develop computer skills, and has some great math and reading games, that they can do while I wash the dishes.

No matter what your plan is, also remember that to a small child, almost anything can be a great field trip.  A trip to a pet store is a zoology lesson- looking at the fish and talking about what they eat, or how they breath  in water.  Take your child to the post office, and see the rows of post office boxes, ship a package or mail a letter and talk about how it will get where it is going.  Go to the grocery store and let your child weigh the produce.  Go to the bank, and let your child help make a deposit.  Take advantage of local museums, zoos, parks, festivals and wild life centers.  Go pick apples or plant some flowers.

Whatever you do, enjoy this special year- you only get one chance to have the funnest kindergarten year ever!

Sensory Integration Disorder in a classrooom

Question of the Day:  As a teacher, I suspect one of my kindergarten students has sensory integration problems.  How is this diagnosed and what can I do to help?  

Getting a diagnosis for sensory integration disorder or sensory processing disorder can be difficult, here is a link to a check list for parents or teachers to use as a screening tool:
http://www.spdfoundation.net/symptoms.html   As you can see, there are a lot of contradictory things, and not all children would have all those symptoms.  Diagnosis by an OT would generally involve asking questions like these, but the check list is much longer, and goes into more depth.  Every autistic child I have ever met has symptoms of SPD, and often children with other diagnosis's like ADHD do, too.

In sensory processing disorder or sensory integration disorder- the child does not take in sensory information about the world in the normal way.  A tag on a shirt may be very irritating, to the point the child cannot focus on anything else. A light touch may feel like a smack, and a tickle could be painful.  Often I see children who are overly sensitive to noises or smells.   Treating children with sever SPD, I have had the best luck with using the Willbarger brushing technique.  However, you need to find a trained professional to teach you this technique, and should not use it without training.

In genearl, the best treatment in a school setting is to see to it that the child is getting a steady diet of sensory input throughout the day.  I compare this to making sure the child is getting enough of all the right foods each day.  The body needs all the right nutrients to function properly each day.  It also needs a steady stream of sensory input, most of us get that from normal daily activities, but for a struggling child, they need more help. The same way my children need help to not choose to eat cookies all day.   Good sensory input, as part of a sensory diet, includes swinging, rocking, jumping, getting deep pressure to the joints, and making sure that multiple body parts are involved in doing heavy work.

Here is an example of how you could do a sensory diet with your entire kindergarten class.  This will of course need adaptations to fit into your schedule.

Start the morning with having children jump up and down about 10 times then get into pairs, sitting facing each other, and pull each other back and forth, in a rocking, boat rowing game.  After this activity, much of the class should be ready to focus on their work for a while.

A half hour later, teach the children to do isometrics, each child should put her/his palms together, fingers up, and push the hands against each other- encourage the kids to push for 5-10 seconds at a time, about 3 times.  Then switch to having the children hold hands clasped together in front of them- fingers locked together, one hand on top of the other, palms facing, and pull arms away from each other, but keeping hands clasped.  Repeat for 5-10 seconds at 3 times each.   This is a great simple way for a child to help their body focus and be ready for learning.  

You can help the children get the same kind of input by having them push on a wall, put palms together and push against a friend, do push ups, or cross monkey bars.  Having the children crawl around on the floor on hands and knees will also provide good input.   The key to having this be a good sensory diet, is to alternate what kind of input the children are getting about every 30 minutes, so that means the day needs to include some swinging, rocking, and large movements in addition to the pushing and pulling activities.    If your class room has a swing, have the children all take a turn swinging front to back 10 times each- more is not necessary, but know that spinning does not provide the same centering input.

Providing crunchy snacks, like carrot sticks, gives a nice sensory boost to the mouth. Many children are better able to sit still to listen to a story while eating something like that, because the mouth is getting the sensory input they need.

Make sure your class goes out to play and runs and climbs and all those things.  If rainy days mean that recess must take place inside, try to find ways for the children to still do active games.  A favorite of mine for getting lots of input for the children, while maintaining order, is to give each child a pingpong ball and a straw. The child must blow air through the straw, to push the pingpong ball, and follow it on hands and knees- do obstacle courses or races.  The kids get deep pressure through hands, knees and mouths- from the blowing- which leads to calmer kids later.

As a student gets older, and is in a classroom setting with less choices, it is important that the student either knows how to take a sensory break for himself- and do some of the activities above, in a way his teacher will allow, or has a way to get sensory input at his desk.  I have tied theraband (it is like a huge rubber band) to a child's chair legs for the child to be able to push on during class. Theraband I have also issued squeeze balls for a child to squeeze during class.

Giving your entire class a sensory break every 30 minutes, will help the entire class focus better.  There is no such thing as a child who will not benefit from a sensory diet.  The activities above, while focused on providing the right kind of sensations for the children, will also strengthen their upper bodies and fingers, improving their fine motor coordination.   There are of course many many more activities you could do with your class, I have tried here to suggest activities I have done with groups of small children that I felt worked well inside a class room setting.

How do we switch to Gluten Free eating? Advice on Food allergies and Celiac Disease

Question of the day:  My child just got diagnosed with Celiac Disease and food allergies.  Help!  I need to change us over to a gluten free diet, and I don't know where to start.  What should I do?

Three years ago, my oldest child was diagnosed with celiac disease and a number of food allergies.  We had about 3 days of doing Ok, and then I totally panicked.  What were we going to eat? Since we haven't starved to death, I have a lot of suggestions to share.

First, make a list of all the foods you ate before this diagnosis that you can all still eat, both meals and snacks.  Meals I had cooked before that we could still have included:  Chili, beef stew, vegetable soup, salads, roasted chicken, barbecue chicken, pot roast, baked potatoes, steak, steamed or roasted vegetables, grilled pork chops, grilled chicken, raw fruits, apple sauce and rice.  My kids ate a LOT of apple sauce and cheese sticks as snacks while I was figuring out our new diet.

Next, make a list of foods you can still have with some simple changes.  For us that list included that I could still make my meat loaf recipe, as long as I changed out the regular bread crumbs for gluten free ones, and served it with broccoli and roasted potatoes instead of mac and cheese.  There were also many meals we could change a little, such as having fajita steak and veggies on top of refried beans in a bowl, instead of on a tortilla.

Now, you are thinking- "I saw gluten free breads, pizzas and tortillas at the grocery store, should I just buy those?"  The answer is No.  Just don't do it, yet.  Those things will not taste like the ones you are used to, and you will be heartbroken by them. Wait a few weeks, or a month, until you have forgotten what really great pizza tastes like, before you have a gluten free one.  It will be better for waiting. Not all brands are created equally, and some breads, pastas and tortillas will eventually become palatable, but they just don't taste like the wheat versions.

On the topic of gluten free foods, you should know that most of them are just not very nutritious.  They are often made of simple flours that will convert straight to sugar in your body.  When my family went gluten free, I gained 25 pounds in the first year, because I didn't want any of the kids to feel deprived, so we had a lot of those replacement foods.  It was bad for me, and I don't think it gave my children the nutrition they needed to grow.  Today, I still make some gluten free mixes, but I try to add some nutrition, and only make them sometimes.  My favorite trick is to take a gluten free pancake mix and add shredded apples, cinnamon and a spoonful of ground flax seeds. It makes the pancakes more filling and adds a lot of nutrition.  I have also started cooking with coconut oil, to add good, healthy fats to my baked goods, instead of the canola oil I used to use.  I think it must be better for us, because one piece of cake now is much more satisfying and I don't feel like have to go back and eat the whole thing.

I also recommend getting a few new cookbooks.  When we went gluten free, I got a number of gluten free cookbooks, there isn't a single one I would recommend.  Too often they had recipes that were basically the same as my old cookbooks but with words like "And serve this sandwich on a gluten free loaf of french bread."  That sentence makes me stabby.  First off, I didn't need a gluten free cookbook to tell me how to make a sandwich on gluten free bread, and second of all, wonderful loaves of gluten free french bread are not exactly easy to find.  Instead of these, I suggest getting a good Paleo diet cookbook.  My first experience with a paleo cookbook made me SO happy.  The recipes left out my daughter's other food allergies of corn and soy, and no one tried to tell me how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on gluten free bread.  The recipes were inventive, and tasted good.

Now, there are going to be nights when you have to cook, because if your child has celiac disease, you can't exactly order a pizza- though awareness is increasing, and I do hope to someday be able to order a safe gluten free pizza that I know wasn't cross contaminated.  SO- my cheat meals of not exactly cooking including having some Tinkyada noodles in the house, and a jar of pasta sauce.  That brand of noodles is actually pretty good, and it makes for an easy dinner on occasion.  I also have been known to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store- you will still need to read the label to make sure it doesn't include soy sauce or other wheat ingredients as flavoring, and a bag of salad. It also works to make a can of baked beans and some frozen french fries- again, be sure to check the label- some brands or flavors can be coated in wheat flour to make them "extra crunchy."    And learn to use your crockpot, so sometimes you can throw dinner in there at breakfast and know there will be something to eat at the end of a long day.

Making the transition is hard.  When we transitioned, we found that my husband, who had had digestive problems for years, was apparently celiac, too.  He lost lots of weight, has more energy, and has a better attitude for getting off of gluten.   My daughter, 3 years later, has grown to be an average sized person, instead of the tiny, frail child she was, she is healthier, gets sick less often, and when she does get sick, she gets well faster.  The benefits of this change are worth it.

And when I can't stand it anymore- I sneak out with a good friend and eat Italian food behind their backs.  Gluten and I are having a secret affair- don't tell my husband.

Why you should put your kids in swimming lessons this summer

Every kid should do swimming lessons wether your child is typical, autistic, ADHD, learning different, active or a couch potato.  No matter what- unless your child was given to you in a box and you were told not to feed him after midnight and don't get him wet.....   Obviously, swimming lessons can save a life, and swimming is a great healthy hobby, but those aren't why I am telling you to send your kid to lessons.  My reasons are all about what it does for your child outside the water.

 Brain Development-  When a child swims, she uses her arms and legs, neck and head,  and at the same time has to control her breathing- which is usually automatic.  This makes her brain create all kinds of new wiring to do all those things at once.  And that wiring will stay there, connecting the left side to the right side, so when she wants to play an instrument or catch a ball, or do complex word problems in math class, her brain will be more prepared.  And that breath control, works with the most basic part of the brain- the part that controls reflexes and impulses and will help your child be able to control herself better in lots of other situations.

Body Strength and Coordination- You can't swim without using both your arms and your legs, but you are also using your stomach, back and neck muscles.  She will be stronger from head to toe, which will help your child succeed at every other activity in her life from riding a bike and playing sports to sitting still in class.  

Sensory Integration and Body Awareness- Every minute your child is in the water, her body is being pushed on from every angle by the water.  That provides a pressure that helps her have a stronger awareness of where her toes and fingers are and every inch in between. That awareness will help her overall body coordination from large muscles needed to walk a straight line, to the tiny ones used for handwriting and typing.  

I have tried to put my kids in swimming lessons for 2 weeks every summer at our local YMCA or Rec center.  There are tons of places to do private lessons, but the Red Cross certified classes have been great for my kids.  You can find Swimming Lessons at the swimming lessons locator through the Red Cross website.  

BUT- My kid has a reason we can't do this:

ADHD-   Your child will get the physical activity and input from the water to help him focus and sit still after swimming lessons are over.  Right after lessons would be a great time to have some quiet reading time with your child.  The actual lessons may go much better than you expect too, because your child is getting the extra sensory input from the water during the lesson.

Autistism-  Kids with autism will benefit greatly from the increased body awareness and strengthening.  However, you may want to consider private lessons, if your child has difficulty dealing with the noise of a large swimming lesson class.

Down Syndrome -   Your child needs the strengthening as much as any child- and if needed can repeat the same level of swimming lessons as many times as needed before progressing.  Many children need to take a level repeatedly to be able to continue to the next.  Taking a Level 1 swimming class a few times still gives your child the great experience of swimming.

Cerebral Palsy-  The strengthening and coordination will be great for your child.  If your child is very weak or has significantly limited use of one or more limbs, you should consider private lessons, and screen for a teacher who is excited to work with your child.

Afraid of Water-  For a child who is truly afraid of the water, swimming lessons need to be carefully considered.  The best parenting move may be to take your child to the pool yourself, let the child wear a life jacket, and become more comfortable with the water before attempting lessons.  If your child is under 6, you may want to try a Preschool Level 1 class- which does a lot of play and gives children a gentle introduction to the water.    

How I taught my dog to be a dog, my adventure as a doggy occupational therapist

Buddy- our schnoodle, shortly after adoption

About a year ago, my kids talked me into getting them a dog.  I had told them we couldn't have a dog until the youngest was potty trained, so the day after she started wearing panties, I was informed it was time for a dog.  I made a long list of requirements for said dog- he or she needed to be about a year old and already house broken, about 15-30 pounds- too big for a hawk to carry off but small enough I could pick it up easily, a breed that didn't shed much, and good with children.  I knew it was a very long wish list, but I also knew that many many great dogs end up in rescues each year, and since I had a great friend, Vicky,  who was actively doing rescue, I figured it would work out eventually.

After only 2 months of looking and thinking, we found Buddy.  Buddy's rescue owner said he was well behaved, house broken, about a year old, 24 pounds, good with kids and didn't shed.  PERFECT!  So, as quickly as possible, Buddy became a member of our family.  For the first 2 weeks, he was the perfect dog- he acted house broken, cuddled the kids, touched nothing that wasn't his, and slept in the floor at the foot of my bed.   After those 2 weeks though- Buddy started having accidents in the house, chewing up the kids' toys, and acting insane about being left alone.  Vicky said she would take him back if I couldn't handle him, but I just didn't want my kids telling their therapist some day about how "Mom got us a dog, but after 2 weeks she gave it away, that's why I do drugs."  

So, I started learning how to train a dog.  I read a few books and blogs, and realized that it was like parenting.  There are all kinds of experts with opinions, but you have to figure out what works for you.  So, my first big task was to figure out what was going on with the accidents in the house, because those made me the most crazy.  SO we looked for a pattern, it turned out that on rainy days, Buddy was finding papers on the floor under my daughter's desk and using those.  He must have been paper trained at some point.  The solution to that, was to actually walk him on rainy days, and teach my daughter to clean up under her desk.  I did yell "No" at the dog when I found his messes, and put him outside in what the kids called "doggy time out."  After a few weeks of walking him in the rain, I started just putting him in the back yard in the rain- I just explained to him he was going to have to learn to be a tough dog who could go take a dump in the rain.  And when he came in, I dried him with a towel.

We also realized he had a pattern of having accidents in the house after being left alone- not while left alone, he was always in a kennel or outside while I was gone, but after I returned, he would hide and poo or pee in the house.   I emailed Vicky to ask, what the heck, and learned that Buddy had had 3 owners in 4 months, and then been given to the rescue group when they were doing a adoption day at a local store.  So, counting the rescue and us, we knew he had had 5 homes in 6 months.  Well, that's enough to make anyone a little neurotic, isn't it?  I then realized, that if we had been gone for a day (I stay home with my kids, so there were many days we did not leave the house), Buddy didn't want to go outside and be away from us when we returned.  The solution for that was that if we were gone for a few hours, after we returned and settled in, someone had to actually take the dog for a walk, or go in the yard with him.  That relieved his anxiety of being alone, and reduced the accidents.

At the same time we were working on the house breaking thing, I was dealing  with the fact that all our Barbie dolls had become amputees- apparently their feet were just yummy.  So we bought him some raw hide treats that were long and thin like Barbie's legs.  He liked those.  I also saw that there was a pattern in how Buddy chewed up the kids' toys on days they didn't play with him- so I added "play with the dog" to our daily list of tasks to be sure got done.  Before having a dog, I thought that would come naturally, but it turns out, that had to be a learned behavior for us.

While playing with Buddy, I soon realized, he really didn't know how to play like a dog.  So I set out to teach him how to play fetch.  I kept a pocket full of small treats, and would throw a ball, when he brought it back, he got a treat.  After just a couple of days of working on it, he got pretty good at the game.  I also worked on the command "sit" a lot.  I realized that his high anxiety needed to be combated with some behavior therapy, so I taught him to sit for a treat.  And after he could do it well, I started extending how many seconds he had to sit to get the treat.  By forcing my anxious, jumpy dog to be still, even though it was just for 5-10 seconds, I was forcing his brain to settle down, and learn that I liked for him to be calm.   After a year, he still can't sit for more than about 30 seconds when waiting for a treat, but I think the practice of learning to be still and wait, has helped calm him in other situations, like when he is left alone.

One day, we took Buddy with us to a friend's house, and our friend tossed some treats for the dogs (his and ours) into the yard from his deck.  His dog, ran and found the treats.  My dog just looked confused.   I saw another opportunity to teach my dog how to be a dog.  So I started working with him on this skill.  I had to start slowly, tossing a treat just a few feet away.  Then I progressed to tossing it where he could easily see it, then a few more feet away.  Eventually he figured out how to watch for which area of the yard I was throwing the treat, and then used his nose to smell for where it was.  I am pretty sure before that, my dog really didn't know how to use his nose to find treats, we had tried various games we found in a dog training book, and poor Buddy just hadn't understood the game.

Another training activity that a friend explained to me, was the trick of teaching a dog who has run away from you, to come back.  She suggested I just keep a small treat with me, and whenever my dog ran out the front door, I give him a treat when he came back to me.  This may have been the best tip of all, as it helped me train my dog to actually come when called.

Because Buddy got so anxious and upset when left alone, I tried wrapping him in an ace wrap a few times- to give him the same effect as the "thunder shirts" they sell for dogs.  Looking at them, I realized it was a pressure vest, like I used to put on kids in schools.  Buddy didn't seem to like it though, so we gave up on that.

We have a kennel for Buddy in our dining room, and it seems that having his own special small space makes him feel safe and happy. It reminds me of how small chidden sometimes need a special spot, like a tent or cubby hole to hide in, away from everyone else.

 He is a much more balance and happy dog these days.  He still has an accident in the house on occasion, but they are much more rare.  He jumps up on people more than we would like, but even that is getting better with some patience and correction.  For jumping- we tell him no, I turn my back on him, and won't pet him unless his feet are on the ground- if he jumps on the kids too much, I put him in the yard for a short time out.  And then I let him come in and try acting the right way.  Jumping is now only a problem when we have left him alone for a while, and he is overly excited to see us again.

Before having a dog, I really had no clue how much "parenting" a dog takes.  I do feel like I have given my dog occupational therapy to teach him how to be a dog- or at least how to be a good pet.  Because that is his job- to be a great pet for our family.

How to lead a low energy life

So, how do you choose to live a life with low energy, to the fullest?  First, you have to acknowledge you are a limited human being.  Some people appear to spring out of bed each day, ready to do 100 things, but many of us don't.  You may have a autoimmune disease- no one can see it, but you have pain, lack of energy, other symptoms that stop your day short.  Or you may just have a slower metabolism, or some less defined reason that a list of 100 things just isn't going to happen today.  So, what do you do?

1.  Pick and Choose-  Every day of your life is a "choose your own adventure book."  You get up in the morning and decide where you will spend your limited energy, choose wisely.  If you know your child has a soccer match at 4PM- you may need to make an easy day of it, so you have energy left to move at 4 to get to that game.  Give yourself permission to skip other things you would like to do, so you can do what is most important.  The laundry, the vacuum, the long to-do list, can wait a day.  

2.  Make things easy on yourself. There are lots of different ways to do the same things, try to make choices that expend less of your limited energy.  Sit down while you prep dinner, or at least keep a chair in your kitchen, so you can sit between tasks for short rest breaks.  Instead of getting one item from the dryer at a time and standing there to fold it or hang it up- take all the laundry to a space where you can get comfortable and be as still as possible.  I, personally, sit in bed to match socks- socks all over the bed, so I can see them.  I also love when warm weather comes, and the kids can all wear sandals and no socks.  If you give it some thought, you can find an easier way to do almost anything- from sitting down while you get dressed, to using "drive thru" options for your errands.

3.  Keep a food diary.  Most of us have a mix of good days, bad days, and OK days.  Bad days might mean a migraine, more pain, less energy or something else to you.  Try keeping a record of what foods you eat, and how you feel each day, to see if there is a pattern to which foods can help you have a better or worse day.  Many people have undiagnosed food allergies to foods like soy, milk, wheat, or eggs- eating those foods, for them, means a bad day, or even a few bad days.  If you are uncertain whether food is an issue for you, try doing an elimination diet, take out the most common food allergen foods for a few weeks, then try adding them back in- if you feel sick after eating them (and this can be in MANY different ways), cut them out of your diet.  

4.  Eat a diet rich in whole foods.  Wether you have food allergies or not, your body can't make good energy out of sunshine, we aren't plants.  A diet based on eating fruits, vegetables, and meats, means more nutrients to give your body more energy.  Personally, I have found that adding fermented pickles and the natural probiotics in them, seem to have helped my digestion and led to more energy in my life.

5. Pace yourself.  Everyone has high energy tasks to do, and ones that take less out of us.  Make a plan for your day that allows you to do something that takes more energy- like doing the dishes or cooking dinner, and alternate it with tasks like answering email or paying bills- that allow you to sit. Making a plan for the day that alternates between tasks can help you get more done, because you won't fatigue as quickly.   Pacing yourself can also apply to vacations, balance active days, like a trip to the zoo, with a day of rest at the beach before and after.   If you have a job that lets you create your own schedule, keep in mind the tasks that are more draining and balance them with easier ones.

6.  Doing a little here and there DOES add up.  A few years ago, I tried a home cleaning program called Fly Lady.  It didn't work for me, I just couldn't follow someone else's schedule.  However, I did learn that doing a little house work here and there, instead of cleaning every single thing all at once, did lead to a cleaner house.  So, now I take a rather random approach to housework.  I take 5 minutes to clean a toilet, or a sink at random when I have some energy.  I put in a load of laundry to wash when I sit down to read Facebook (our laundry room is beside the computer).  I take 10 minutes to sweep the floor or wipe off the stove top, but I don't make myself clean the whole room.   Cleaning in 5 minute intervals a few times a day, does chip away at the mess.  My house isn't clean- I have 3 kids. The house will get good and cleaned when they move out, but for now, this seems to be keeping us alive.

7.  Make other people help you.  My mother in law was a martyr, she had many health problems, but she pushed herself every day, to do everything.  And the truth is, she wasn't appreciated for making herself sick each day, and she didn't enjoy her life as much as she could have.  Ask other people to help you with the house work, the kids, making dinner, whatever it is you need help with. Your family and friends would rather help you, than have you too tired to talk to them.  The weight of the world does not rest on your shoulders, it rests evenly on all of us, and it is easier when we lean on each other to make a triangle, that makes the strongest frame- it is why the roof of your house comes up to a point.  So lean on your spouse, let him/her know how to help, what you need, so you can have a wonderful life together.


This post is dedicated to my mother-in-law, Pam Sowdon, whom we miss dearly. 

What does an OT like to see in an Easter Basket?

I need to make a confession.

I am toy obsessed.

I love toys and all opportunities to give them. I love them as a mother, a homeschooler and as an OT. My kids get Easter Baskets and Christmas stockings full of things that make the OT inside of me happy. And yes, sometimes they like them too. So, here is my list of what an OT puts in an Easter Basket:

First off: tradition. Every year I get each of my children some kind of gluten free chocolate (hopefully in bunny form) and a book. I believe that having traditions are important and that traditions don't have to be complicated. Something simple as a treat and a new book is tradition-worthy so long as you keep up with it. No point making yourself crazy trying to recreate that over-the-top Easter Basket you saw on Pinterest. Do what works for you and your family. If Peeps are the most important thing at your house - don't leave them out on my account!

This year they will also all be getting something to write with. The oldest will get some cool new colored pencils, or gel pens. The middle child will probably get markers and the youngest, the only one who actually likes to color, will get a big new box of crayons. Those will probably be placed by a small blank notebook or such, possibly from the dollar store. All of this is to encourage them to draw or write on their own. It will strengthen their hands, which should help with handwriting and other fine motor activities.

I love to put springtime activities in the basket. Something simple and fun like a set of jacks. If you don't know how to play, here is a short YouTube video showing you how. I love jacks for developing coordination, though it is a pretty hard game for smaller kids.

For younger children a jump rope, set of side-walk chalk (and a lesson in playing hop scotch) or bubbles to blow are all great. Bubble blowing actually takes a certain amount of mouth coordination, btw, which is great for the child who is still learning to pronounce all her letters. And I have found it to be a great calm activity, even for the very active child- something about sitting and blowing bubbles can just turn a bad day into a good one.

Wind up toys are also a favorite of mine for the child who needs to develop some fine motor control. A tiny wind up chick or bunny makes the child use a small pincher grasp and turn, using small muscles needed for buttons, zippers, writing and other personal tasks.

I also like craft kits, like stringing beads to make a new spring necklace. This activity can be graded for any age, smaller children get larger beads. The better a child's fine motor coordination is, the smaller the beads can be. Try to get a set that won't cause your child too much frustration. Another option would be to make a >bird feeder. Hammers and nails promote great hand-eye coordination and you can watch the birds all spring. There are some great kits out there for kids.

And don't forget to do an Easter Egg hunt! If your child is young, or isn't very good at these, you can leave the eggs laying out in the open yard (which increases a child's visual scanning skills). Having to climb onto a couch or to the top of the slide in the back yard to get to an egg encourages problem solving skills. If your child is a bit better at this game, the act of having to hunt for the eggs inside of boxes, under toys, or in other ways just out of sight encourages further problem solving, encourages them to think logically about where an egg might fit or could be hidden, and can be a wonderful way to have a more physical activity (depending on how hard the children have to work to find the eggs). My kids also love to hide the eggs for a sibling or parent to find which also has great cognitive benefits. They have to think about where an egg will fit, experiment with under, over, above, below, and behind, and be creative.


Plastic eggs can be a great way to work on hand strength as the child works on opening those eggs! OT suggestions for treasures to hide in the eggs: stickers, legos, tiny tops, beads to string, play dough filled eggs, or finger puppets. If your child is small, duplo blocks by lego, or play dough are great choices.

Happy Spring Everyone!

~Laura

Holding a pencil, while missing a few finger joints

Question of the Day: My son, age 4, is missing the second knuckle of all of his fingers. How can I teach him to hold a pencil?

This is such a great question! Not all children can hold a pencil with the classic tripod grip- due to dexterity, missing joints, weakness or other problems. One in 20 children is born with a congenital hand difference, meaning that the number of children with physical challenges to having a traditional tripod grip is high. The important thing is to find a pencil grip that works for your child, and help him learn to use it.

After trying a number of pencil holds while not bending the second joint of my fingers, I found that the modified tripod felt the most comfortable to me. In this grip, the pencil balances between the index and middle fingers, and can be controlled completely by the thumb. Your child using this grip, may still need to use more wrist movement to write than other children, but it should be practical, instead of creating a less functional grip that is more like making a fist on the pencil.

Modified Tripod Grasp

I would start experimenting with this grip when he is doing an art project that is on a vertical surface- painting at an easel, using a dry erase marker or window crayon. Place the paint brush or maker between his first 2 fingers, and his thumb will naturally help hold it up against gravity. He may start with moving his entire arm still, like he would in a fist grip, which is fine at first, while he gets used to this new way of holding something. After he has gotten used to this grip, you can demonstrate holding your own marker this way, and show him how you can make the marker make small circles or such without moving your whole arm. In the early days of him trying this grip, you may need to do it too, many times, so take some time to try it out- you don't have to have great handwriting this way, but you should be able to color as well as a 4 year old.

Once he has mastered holding the marker or crayon in the vertical position, move to coloring or drawing with this grip while at a table. I highly recommend you help your son develop a confident pencil grip through art, coloring, or even scribbling before you introduce writing letters.

I hope this helps!

~Laura

PS- If there are other moms out there with a child with congenital hand differences, who would like to write and ask me about other ways to hold a pencil, feel free. I believe that an OT who can work with your child would be a better choice, but I also know that an OT consult is not available to everyone, and I am happy to help.

Cursive- Learning to write all over again

Question of the day: My fourth grader has horrible handwriting. Her teacher wants her to write in cursive, but it just isn't going well. What can I do?

Learning to write in cursive, is like learning to write all over again. For some children with poor handwriting, it can actually be a great opportunity to start again on this skill.

A sample page from Draw Write Now

Many older kids and teens who have poor handwriting, actually have weak fingers, and poor fine motor control. I suggest having your daughter start a program to strengthen her fingers- work with theraputty, color, draw, do word searches, mazes, dot-to-dots, and other pencil games, every day, as a way to strengthen her hand. Go back and read my previous post, How to improve your child's handwriting without writing letters, for more information. The ideas here work with children of all ages.

There is a series of books, Draw Write Now, which are great. They have sentences to copy and directions for learning to draw pictures. Learning some basic drawing skills helps some children a lot with the fine motor control needed for writing.

Have your child write the alphabet, in whichever form of writing she needs to use (printing or cursive), in both upper and lower case. When she is done, check to see if she formed all the letters correctly. Sometimes children with poor handwriting don't actually know how to form all the letters, perhaps they missed that lesson, or just can't remember a few. Make note of which letters are wrong. If it is more than 2 or 3, I suggest getting a Handwriting without Tears workbook. Have your child do one page each day, working with her on correct formation. Praise her efforts, and try to keep criticism to a minimum. Exclaiming "That e is the best one you ever made! Look how it sits right on the line, and is just the right size!" will make your child much more likely to keep making her e's look that way, than pointing out how all the other ones look like an i.

Using string to form cursive letters.

For some children, learning cursive is very confusing, though worthwhile. If you find your child just isn't getting the hang of how the letters are formed, try using a string to make the letters - having a 3-D example can be very effective. Other options include using a white board. You make the letter in one color, and let her trace over yours in another. Then erase both and let her try again. Or try painting the letters- sometimes making them in a different medium can help make new connections.

Copy work is another way for a child to focus on handwriting that is tried and true. Write a sentence or 2 with good handwriting, and have your child copy it as neatly as possible, focusing only on the letters and words she is copying, not on having to think of what to write. It is also possible to use this method to help your child with homework- have your child tell you her answer, you write it down, and then she can copy it neatly in her own handwriting. Sometimes, separating the act of writing from the act of thinking of what to say, can greatly improve a child's handwriting. After a while, the handwriting will improve as the child's hand becomes better able to write faster, to keep up with her thoughts.

~Laura

Making letters fun

Question of the Day: My child needs to learn to write letters, but isn't interested in workbooks. What can I do?

First, please read my post about things to do besides handwriting to help your child with being ready to write.

Worksheets are often boring for small children, and there is no reason to stick with doing them if it is miserable for all involved. Do things that are multi-sensory and fun instead! Children who hate worksheets are probably not learning best from them and need a different approach for a while.

Making letters with Wikki Stix

Explore how letters are formed by making them out of play dough, blocks or wikki stix.
Make the letter yourself and then let your child copy it. If that is too tricky, let them trace with their finger what you made. Let them feel it. Point out the places the letter is straight, curved, slanted, long or short. Make it a game, take turns with your child finding those features and making letters.

I suggest learning to make letters with the index finger first, before using a writing utensil. Even if your child has been writing for a while, if she can't seem to remember how to form the letters, backing up to this step can provide great reinforcement. Put shaving cream on a tabletop, and show your child how to draw in it. Don't start with letters. Let her explore making shapes, feeling the cream, and experiencing it. Then show her how to make a letter O. Be fun, let her try if she will. Perhaps make the O into an octopus by adding a face and 8 legs (a squiggly line in the shaving cream works for this).

Writing with shaving cream

If your child enjoys the activity, repeat it often showing her new letters each time. Just be sure you are forming the letter correctly yourself- top to bottom, lifting your finger to start a new line when appropriate. You want to set the stage for your child to learn to write the letters, not draw them. An example of drawing a letter, is when a small child makes a circle and adds a line for "a". As adults, that isn't how we write it, and if they learn to draw it first, they have to re-learn how to write later. The Handwriting Without Tears books have teacher's books that are great for explaining the proper formation. In case you aren't sure, Letters and Numbers for Me, the orange book, has detailed explanations on how to form both upper and lower case letters correctly.

If your child isn't into shaving cream, or you want to mix things up, other options include getting a large sheet pan and filling it with one of the following: dry oatmeal, corn meal, sugar, lentils, salt, or dry rice. These materials provide for the sensory experience of feeling how the letters are formed and seeing them in a different way- letting your child truly experience them. Some children respond even better if they can use a small car to form the letters in this different way. Writing in these different ways can also be a new way to practice spelling words as your child grows.

Those activities will help your child come to know how the letters are formed and how they feel. Do them in short sessions so your child doesn't become tired and bored. That way they want to play again next time!

Writing on the window

When your child is ready to use a marker, crayon or pencil, find interesting ways to make letters. I like window markers or crayons, because when a child holds the makers up to write on a vertical surface, it encourages a proper pencil grip. It also makes the letters more interesting, if he is being allowed to write on something unusual- the window, door, mirror, or even the fish tank. Novelty goes a long way with children. Bathtub crayons also have a certain appeal, for the child who enjoys a bath. And my white refrigerator has been used as a drawing and writing surface with a washable maker many, many, times.

For similar reasons, sidewalk chalk can be a great way to mix things up. However, most sidewalk chalk is very fat, causing small children to have to hold it in a fist, which is not ideal. Small chalk on a chalkboard is a better choice, for encouraging pencil grip and making easy to erase letters. For the child who is a perfectionist, writing in chalk or writing with dry erase markers on a white board, takes away some of the stress. Don't like a letter? It is gone in an instant, and the child does not have to look at it again. My daughter who struggled with math, prefers to do practice problems on the whiteboard so she can get rid of a wrong answer quickly. Make sure your dry erase markers are washable! Non-washable markers and children should never be combined. Ever.

Most children do best with a variety of activities that make learning to write letters fun and interesting. Pick and choose from above to mix things up. With my own children, I like to do a sensory activity from above with a few letters, and then work on writing those same letters on paper, making the connection of the multi sensory experience and the feel of writing the letter at a normal size on paper. However, you should feel free to do what seems to work for your own child.

I hope these ideas make learning to write more fun at your house!

~Laura

How to improve your child's handwriting, without writing letters

Question of the Day: My child [4,5 or 6 years old] is struggling to learn to write. What can I do to help?

Writing is a very complex task; it requires muscle strength in the arm, wrist and hand; it requires visual perceptual skills; it requires fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. In order for a child to learn to write it is important to address all those skills and most of them need to be developed apart from writing to reduce frustration.

The first thing to do, is work on strengthening the whole arm. If the arm isn't strong, the fingers won't be and the holding the pencil thing won't be good. So make sure your child is getting lots of time to play - ride bikes, throw and catch balls (hand-eye coordination there too), swing, climb trees, cross monkey bars, go swimming - things that strengthen the whole body, and therefore strengthen the arms. If you are stuck inside there are still things you can do. Try crawling on hands and knees or pulling yourself along on a scooter board while on your stomach. These are great child work outs that can be fun games. Chores can also be great strengthening activities - take out the trash, mop the floor, sweep, vacuum, wash the dishes - those all require some serious use of upper body strength, which is needed for writing. And my kids would rather mop the kitchen than do another page of handwriting practice.

Next, work on the muscles of the hand. Those small muscles get very tired when a child starts writing if they aren't strengthened properly. Kneading dough, playing with play dough, putting pennies in a bank, sewing, knitting, crocheting, using a knitting loom, and stringing beads all work those small hand muscles.

As an OT, my secret weapon, is theraputty.

Practicing her pinching with theraputty.

Theraputty has a non-sticky, smooth texture that makes it more appealing than play dough and it never dries out. I hide about 20 pony beads in a cup of it, and have the child spend about 5 minutes digging out the beads and then have the child hide them again by pinching the putty over them. Two exercises for the price of one! There is something kids just love about this stuff so they don't realize it is an exercise. However, be warned. It is self-leveling, which means it will slowly ooze as flat as it can get, running off of tables and into carpet fibers, if it isn't in its cup. It also stains, both clothes and furniture, if left on them. My personal nightmare involved my children stringing out a cup of the stuff ALL OVER my house and leaving it there over night. Not good, not good at all. So if you decide to get some, just be sure it always goes back in the cup with a lid when you are done, and have your child work with it on a table top, not the couch.

Pencil grip is the next thing on my list. Please, please, please, if your child is just beginning to write make sure they are holding their pencil correctly. The way a 5 year old learns to hold the pencil can last a life time! And not all grips are created equal.

Tripod Grip

The grip I teach most often is a "tripod grip", which means you grip the pencil with 3 fingers: the thumb, first or index finger and middle finger. An ideal grip involves the child pinching the pencil between the thumb and first finger, and using the middle finger as a stabilizer, under the pencil. The other 2 fingers of the hand should not be touching the pencil. If they seem to constantly be grasping the pencil try having your child hold a very small object, like a tiny pencil eraser, with the ring and smallest finger while writing. This reinforces the habit of not using these fingers to help hold the pencil. The picture here also links to more information about pencil grips. If your child cannot seem to develop a functional pencil grasp, I recommend seeking an OT to work with your child. I had to swallow all my pride and have my oldest see another OT when she was 6 for just this reason. It worked, she learned to hold a pencil, and did things for the therapist that she just would not do for mom.

Amazing Mazes (Kumon Practice Books)

I recommend that as part of a warm up to writing everyday have your child do a non-writing activity where you focus on making sure she is holding the pencil correctly. Coloring is a wonderful finger exercise, though many kids who hate handwriting, also hate coloring. I can generally encourage a child to color a very small picture, or piece of a picture, instead of a whole page. I try to make coloring a once a week activity with my own children, even the ones who hate it. Other days of the week, we do mazes or dot-to-dots, which both focus on pencil skills and gives me an opportunity to correct or reinforce their grip while working on hand eye coordination and visual perceptual skills, all needed for good handwriting. Learning to look carefully at what they are doing while holding a pencil sets the stage to look carefully at the difference between b and d, for example, which are both made with a curve and a straight line and can be difficult for the early writer to recognize correctly. Doing mazes and dot-to-dots work on being careful with the pencil - even if your child is being silly about going down every wrong path in the maze. Personally, I love the maze books made by Kumon. The mazes start simple and get gradually more challenging. Pictured above is one of the first mazes in the Amazing Mazes book. Their cutting book is also excellent and a great fine motor activity to strengthen hands.

Highlights Hidden
Pictures Sticker Fun

Visual perceptual skills are a problem for many children struggling with handwriting. The brain has to be able to look at the letter, see it, process it, and understand the parts of each letter- the curves and lines- to be able to copy it. I believe every child should have time each week doing those activities that strengthen that skill- puzzles and hidden pictures are some of my favorites for this. I have many wooden puzzles around the house, but for on-the-go, I love the Hidden Picture Playground books made by Highlights. My kids like the stickers (and placing stickers does work on that pincher grip needed to grab the pencil), and it is easy to take along in my bag for waiting on sister's dance class.

Doing all these things - strengthening the arms, and hands, learning a functional pencil grip, developing the finger control for other activities, and strengthening the eyes and brain to work together - will help your child's handwriting improve. And they help with many other life skills. I recommend a variety of the activities above be done every day. I alternate things for my daughter (who hates it all). My son wants to complete things as quickly as possible. So we work through a single Kumon book start to finish, doing a few pages a day. Find what works for your child, and go with it.

For actually teaching handwriting, I love the Handwriting Without Tears program. It simplifies the letters and has a simple workbook to use with instructions on how to form the letter correctly. We do lots of the activities above, but only 1 page in our handwriting book each day, that way learning to write isn't frustrating, or exhausting.

~Laura

Happiness and Handwork

As humans, what is it that makes us feel happy? Food to eat, a warm bed and someone to love are the obvious choices, but we also need to be occupied. We need a way to spend our time that is meaningful and has something to show for it. Our ancestors spent time every day creating- sewing their clothes, growing and cooking their foods, woodworking, blacksmithing, weaving, the list of occupations is long. As modern humans, we still have that need to create, to make something with our hands and our time, that is of value. Making something, brings a sense of satisfaction that reduces stress, improves our self-esteem, and combats depression.

For a person who is struggling with the physical limitations of injury or disease, the loss of former occupations can be devastating. I don't mean loosing a job, but loosing the ability to do the things that give you fulfillment. Or, due to depression, forgetting those things, and for some of us in this modern society, never finding that fulfillment in the first place. As humans, we need to find a way to create. Our ability to create things, not just tools, or a nest, but things of beauty and function, that is what makes us human. I believe that for many of us, finding a way to create is the essential step towards happiness that we need to take.

Make a Hat with a Knitting Loom

Because of this need, there has been a return to knitting and crocheting as hobbies. There are tons of blogs and YouTube videos to teach these skills, and they can be learned by anyone, almost. Not everyone has the fine motor skills for knitting. Personally, I seem to have a mental deficit that I can't figure it out.Loom knitting, on the other hand, is much more straight forward for me, it can be done almost one handed- and the knitting doesn't fall off the needles, like it did with my attempt at traditional knitting. If you are looking for a knitting alternative, I highly recommend it. Here is a nice set of instructions for making a hat.

However, handwork is not limited to yarn crafts. Woodworking, leather working, wood burning, and carving are also valuable creative acts. In OT school, we all had to do a woodworking project, and I have to say, there was something very empowering about using a table saw. It was satisfying to sit and sand my work until smooth. And using something I made in my own home gives me a bit of happiness every day. My project? A spice rack. The most well-built spice rack ever!

If you want to try woodworking on a small scale, there are many kits, bird houses being an obvious choice, that do not require you own large tools. There are instructions on-line available for many, many projects. Ana-White.com has many interesting projects to choose from. I have made some of the doll furniture with my family, with good results. If you can find a friend or family member with tools you can borrow to get started, or who is willing to help you with your first project or two, all the better.

Spending time crafting, be it woodworking, knitting or anything in between gives us the opportunity to improve our skills and do something worthwhile with our time. For me, being an occupational therapist means I want everyone to have occupations that satisfy them. Not work. But creative endeavors. Not stress. But satisfaction. Satisfaction with themselves and what they make. I believe everyone needs this: children who are just developing their ability to follow through on a project, teens who need a form of self-expression, adults who see themselves as disabled. Everyone needs to find a new way to be abled, a new way to occupy their minds and hands, a new way to engage their spirit. Everyone.

~Laura

P.S. The loom pictured above is part of a set of four. You can find them here.