Posts
Age: 2 years and up
Area of Development: Fine motor skills
To encourage your child to hold their writing utensils properly (with their thumb and one or two fingers as opposed to wrapping all of their fingers around it also known as fisting) break their crayons into small pieces. The occupational therapist at our school swears by this and I've been using it with some of the kids in my class who still struggle with this. I only offer them broken crayons (sounds mean, I know) or small pencils (think mini golf course size). With a small writing utensil there is little room for your child to fist it. Another thing you can try is to have them write on an elevated surface such as an easel or just tape the paper to the wall (or, you know, let them color on the walls).
Did you already know this? Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have a tip you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments or email me at mccathy at comcast dot net.
Showing posts with label tips and tricks 2 year olds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips and tricks 2 year olds. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tips and Tricks: Going Green
Age: 18 months - 5 years
Area of Development: self expression/fine motor skills
This trick of the trade is coming from the art teacher at my work. After you have your child paint (either finger paint or with brushes) save the paper that they painted on. Later, once it has dried the child can use that same paper to draw scribbles or shapes on top of the colors. Save that paper. Later the child can cut out the shapes or just cut apart the paper. Three uses for one piece of paper: paint, draw, cut. (An occupational therapist might also suggest that you have your child crumble the cut paper to help throw it away.)
Most kids paint for the enjoyment of painting and what they create is just a big piece of paper covered with paint. They enjoyed the process of it all much more than the product that they created. Once your child actually starts painting pictures I do not suggest that you have them draw on top of them (unless they want to use a different media to add to the picture) and I do not suggest that you tell them to cut up their pictures or crumble them up and throw them away. This tip is for those people who have kids that will paint and paint and paint until the entire paper is covered and then ask for more paper to paint some more.
Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have a tip you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments or email me at mccathy at comcast dot net.
Area of Development: self expression/fine motor skills
This trick of the trade is coming from the art teacher at my work. After you have your child paint (either finger paint or with brushes) save the paper that they painted on. Later, once it has dried the child can use that same paper to draw scribbles or shapes on top of the colors. Save that paper. Later the child can cut out the shapes or just cut apart the paper. Three uses for one piece of paper: paint, draw, cut. (An occupational therapist might also suggest that you have your child crumble the cut paper to help throw it away.)
Most kids paint for the enjoyment of painting and what they create is just a big piece of paper covered with paint. They enjoyed the process of it all much more than the product that they created. Once your child actually starts painting pictures I do not suggest that you have them draw on top of them (unless they want to use a different media to add to the picture) and I do not suggest that you tell them to cut up their pictures or crumble them up and throw them away. This tip is for those people who have kids that will paint and paint and paint until the entire paper is covered and then ask for more paper to paint some more.
Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have a tip you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments or email me at mccathy at comcast dot net.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Tips and Tricks of the Trade
I decided to start sharing some tips and tricks that I've learned either through work or parenting books. Through the years I've picked up some tips and tricks from speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and many other professionals. So...to start us off. Here's a tip from one of Quinn's first speech therapists.
Age: 2 years and above
Area of Development: Speech
As soon as your child is able to suck from a straw, you should replace all sippy cups with straw cups. You really should stop using sippy cups by two years of age and your child should be able to drink from an open mouth cup at the table. We were doing that, but allowing Quinn to use sippy cups in the living room. Sippy cups do not help the muscles in the mouth area to develop strength. Having your child drink from a straw actually gives their muscles a little work-out and these straw cups keep the messes to a minimum. She also suggested giving him yogurt or thick shakes to drink through a straw to really work out those muscles (we never did do this - I thought it was kind of mean).
Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have a tip you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments or email me at mccathy at comcast dot net.
Age: 2 years and above
Area of Development: Speech
As soon as your child is able to suck from a straw, you should replace all sippy cups with straw cups. You really should stop using sippy cups by two years of age and your child should be able to drink from an open mouth cup at the table. We were doing that, but allowing Quinn to use sippy cups in the living room. Sippy cups do not help the muscles in the mouth area to develop strength. Having your child drink from a straw actually gives their muscles a little work-out and these straw cups keep the messes to a minimum. She also suggested giving him yogurt or thick shakes to drink through a straw to really work out those muscles (we never did do this - I thought it was kind of mean).
Did you find this tip helpful? Do you have a tip you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments or email me at mccathy at comcast dot net.
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