Video, download and description of exercises
Files:
Hula Hoop
Have the child stand straight with the feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Let him/her Bend the knees slightly and place the hands on the hips.
Then slowly rotate the hips, making big circles. If you have a hoop, you can try it with the hoop.
Goal:
Improve coordination of movement
Helps to loosen the lower back and the hip muscles
Strengthen the core
Improve proprioception
Sea lion
Have your child lay on the stomach with the legs fully extended and the forearms and pubic bone on the mat. Let him/her keep the elbows directly below the shoulders, the head is in extension of the spine (let him/her look at his/her hands)
Now the child lifts the pelvis on one side, as a result of this movement the leg on this side rotates slightly and bends (this is the same movement as we have already practised in the lizard exercise). The inner side of the ankle, the knee and the other side of the pelvis remain on the ground. The angle between the torso and the thigh is approximately 45°. The other leg and torso remain in their original position.
Then return to the original position and repeat the exercise on the other side
Note: as with the "lizard" exercise, the movement should come from the pelvis only. By lifting the pelvis, the leg bends and rotates outwards. Make sure the child's back is straight, so the lower ribs should not be on the floor, the tummy should remain firm. The head remains in extension of the spine, which you can ensure by putting a toy in the child's hand to look at.
Goal:
Improve coordination
Activate postural reflexes
Inhibit Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (if it persists)
The puppet
Have the child lay on his/her back with arms alongside their body and legs straightened out.
Then he/she turns the head slowly towards the right, while the right leg is bent at the hip and knee, and the right arm is bent at the elbow to allow the hand to rest near the face. The child tracks their right thumb with their eyes all the way until it the back of the hand is resting on the floor.
The child now returns slowly to their original position while continuing to observe the right thumb as long as it's visible.
This exercise is then repeated on the opposite side.
Note: you can divide this exercise into two parts. First, focus on the coordination of the movement. Both the arm and leg should be fully flexed and extended simultaneously. After mastering this movement, the eye movements can be added. Encourage the child to follow the hand all the way to improve the smoothness of eye movements, which is crucial for reading. Even when reading lines, it's critical to follow the words smoothly with the eyes to prevent missing any letters or words.
Goal:
Improve coordination of movement
Improve hand-eye coordination
Improve eye movement fluency
Inhibit Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (if persistent)
Five little monkeys
I´m sure you still remember the nursery song five little monkeys. Just for sure I write the text below:
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Four little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Three little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Two little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
One little monkey jumping on the bed
He fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
“Put those monkeys right to bed!”
Goal:
Enhance fine motor skills and the perception of the individual fingers
Improve skills such as rhyming, memory, articulation, and communication vocabulary
Connect the pictures
First let’s say something about how to sit at the table properly.
During graphomotor activities, it's important for the child to sit at a table with their feet resting comfortably on the ground and their hands comfortably placed on the table with elbows bent. When writing, sitting with the full width of the pelvis on the chair with a slight forward tilt (maintaining a straight back) is the most comfortable. The knees should be two fist lengths apart, forming a right angle. The knee sockets should not touch the edge of the chair. The torso should face the table in a slight forward lean with the spine aligned, but not leaning against the table to support the weight. Hands should rest freely on the bench to manipulate the paper, and the chin should be slightly pushed back. In the video, we were sitting at a low table only for filming purposes 😊.
To develop the correct pencil grip, "flying" the pencil is an effective exercise. First, the child places the pencil on the last link of the middle finger and between the thumb and index finger, with the thumb and indexfinger pointing outwards like the wings of an airplane. The child can "fly" the pencil for some time before positioning the thumb, the 2. and 3. finger on the pencil to secure a good grip.
Now print the attachment and let the child connect the pictures. Try to pay attention to how your child holds the pencil.
Goal:
Improve graphomotor skills
Improve hand-eye coordination
Did you find the "puppet" exercise challenging? Don't worry, we will repeat it next week. However, we will modify the other activities to make them enjoyable :-). I am excited and eagerly anticipating next week's session! Looking forward to next week!