To teach cursive, or not to teach cursive. That is the question. It’s one of the biggest debates in education today. I tend to be on the pro-cursive side of the discussion. Even in a world where we type everything, handwriting is important. So how do we make learning cursive easier and more fun?
If your child has been getting occupational therapy, this social distancing thing has probably put a wrench in that plan. Some kids are able to do OT via video conferencing, but not all. So, I’m here to give you some ideas on how to work with your child at home.
Are your kids missing all the playgrounds? Mine are! Our typical homeschool week tends to include visits to playgrounds. My kids particularly love swinging. But our current situation requires we find ways at home to fill that need.
Rae has dysgraphia and couldn’t write her name until she was 7. She did every single writing lesson “late.” She didn’t write an essay until she was 16. But she was able to get A’s on essays in college at 17. This is how homeschooling helped her get there.
While a sensory diet is essential for kids with Sensory Processing Disorder (or SPD), it is actually helpful for everyone. Helping your child get a variety of sensory inputs each day, can make them stronger, more alert, and happier. But, where should you start?
Is your child ready to learn to write letters? There is a developmental path to writing. When we start teaching writing to children too young, we ignore their natural, developmentally-appropriate path.
Scissors teach wonderful skills, build the brain and body connection, and prepare kids for real-life problems. Too many parents have told me they were afraid to give their child scissors. Kids need those skills and too many today lack good fine motor skills.
There are many different approaches to teaching children to write. Most teach lowercase letters in conjunction with the uppercase letters. But this approach is flawed. Teaching children to write with capital letters first is the better strategy.
Schools today are NOT teaching children to write. Instead, they are allowing children to figure out, on their own, how to make the letters. This leads to children drawing letters instead of writing them.
What’s the difference? And why does it matter?
