Activities
Biggest Marker in the World
When I wrote about my “biggest marker in the world” (aka a Sharpie Magnum), someone in the comments suggested that we could like, tape a marker to a big stick or a big cardboard tube […]
writing readiness
At School
A Tale of Two OTs
There was once an occupational therapist working at a school. The occupational therapist had a young teenage boy on their caseload. They were supposed to see the teenage boy to work on handwriting goals. The […]
Activities
X-Ray Car Technician
I love it when kids merge the toys I have at different areas of my room. He merged the car table and my wooden “tools” and began pretending to use a screwdriver and a hammer […]
At Home
Writing Because of Music
My son (6) wanted to listen to music. He loved the music, the way it felt in his body, so he danced. He loved the music, the way it sang in his mind, so he […]
At Home
Pencil Grasp
I think early childhood education has misunderstood what is behind the concept of “using the right pencil grasp”. For example, in my child’s reception class (the UK equivalent of preschool/kindergarten — it’s not exactly 1:1 […]
At Home
Ready To Learn
“You can struggle for weeks to teach a child to identify colors before they are ready, or you can do it in a few moments when they are ready to learn.” True about colors. True […]
At Home
Early Literacy
Something that I desperately wish that we saw more of in the US is letting kids learn literacy on their own terms, without the intense pressure that it often carries. (I know that this is […]
Elementary
Teaching Kids to Write who “Hate Writing”
I originally recorded this lecture for a group who work tutoring children with dyslexia and other learning difficulties. It’s based on a lot of experiences I’ve had with children getting referred to me in my […]
At School
Half Pencils
Here’s a quick little thought/frustration of mine: Please, please, let kindergarteners (and first graders) (and I’d even say second graders!) use half-pencils instead of full pencils. I say “let” because I keep having to write […]
Activities
Painting With The Ballooniverse
I’m a part of a group devoted to process art ideas for classrooms, daycares, homes, etc, called Process Art by Maryann Kohl. In that group, I saw a fantastic idea of dipping balloons in paint […]