Chalkboard vs Whiteboard vs Tablet

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The traditional slate chalkboard makes me think immediately of Little House on the Prairie and the original method of teaching letter and number and number formation.  In our age of technology; schools have invested in white boards and tablets in the classroom.  White boards are easier to clean and both the white board and tablet provide the child with an alternative way of learning letter formation.  It is not uncommon to think of the whiteboard and tablet as a more progressive alternative to the traditional chalkboard.  If there is an opportunity for all three in the classroom or homeschool then that is great.The traditional slate chalkboard makes me think immediately of Little House on the Prairie and the original method of teaching letter and number and number formation.  In our age of technology; schools have invested in white boards and tablets in the classroom.  White boards are easier to clean and both the white board and tablet provide the child with an alternative way of learning letter formation.  It is not uncommon to think of the whiteboard and tablet as a more progressive alternative to the traditional chalkboard.  If there is an opportunity for all three in the classroom or homeschool then that is great.

However if I was given a choice of just one as the most beneficial to learning letter and number formation then I would choose the chalkboard.  I would choose it even for free drawing for that matter. Why?  Because to learn letter formation a child needs to remember the direction, shape, starting point and end point of each letter.  This requires multiple senses working together i.e., visual, tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive.

The smooth slick surface of the tablet and whiteboard does not give the child the same amount of feedback that the resistance of chalk has on chalkboard.  The whiteboard and tablet certainly gives the wow factor with visual input and also gives the child an opportunity to ‘move’ through the letter formation.

Experiment: If you were asked to put on a pair of woolly gloves and an eye patch and then asked to draw a flower: first with a chalk on the chalkboard, then with a marker on a whiteboard and finally with your finger on a tablet screen … which one of the three would give you more feedback to your other senses for you to feel more confident with your end product?

Conclusion: The feedback off the chalk dragging against a resistive chalkboard gives the child added proprioceptive input to help him imprint that letter in his motor memory along with providing the visual input and visual memory.

Action: Get those chalkboards out and get practicing!  Here are the ones I use for my handwriting groups and with Little M that I found on Amazon.

Also find the FIVE steps to letter formation practice using a tried and tested technique of chalkboard and sponge in the E-Book for a great multisensory way of teaching your child to remember how to form letters.

Top Tip:

When using chalk break them into little pieces so that your child is encouraged to form a three finger grasp when holding the chalk.  This prepares little fingers for holding a pencil comfortably.

 

Back to School Morning Routine

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Many families across the globe are starting a new school year and are facing the back to school routines.  Mornings can be a time of panic and I have realised no matter how much planning and preparation is involved; morning meltdowns are always lurking behind the front door.  The last 10 minutes before trying to get out the door can resemble anything but the picket fenced moments of smiley happy faces with the Barney theme song playing in the background; and more like grimaces and grunts with the sound of your hoarse voice echoing through the house.

At the start of a new school year in South Africa, Little M and Big Y went back to school after a long break.  New city, new school and new friends were a lot for them to process.  I needed to limit the morning drama.  I drew up a schedule and framed it.  As Little M and Big Y go through their morning routine they tick off what they have completed with a white board marker.

It has worked amazingly.  There are of course moments where daydreaming with sock in hand and forgotten lunchboxes still occurs.  But this method certainly helped preserve my voice for more ‘I Love You’s’ and ‘Have a Super Day’.

Here is an example of a morning routine schedule.  Add and take away to suite you and your family.  You can choose to make a similar one for the evening schedule if bedtime routine is a constant battle.

Tips:

  • You can use pictures or symbols for younger children or visual children.
  • Having a watch or clock visible is a great prompt.  Big Y loves his Casio watch and now that Little M is starting school we have a pink one too.
  • As the routine becomes more established tag on rewards if they happen to finish early.  Rewards such as playing with their toys or reading is great and will motivate them to want to finish off quicker.
  • If you find that your child struggles to be alert and active in the morning try adding 5 minutes of physical activity such as stretches and jumping on the spot.  We miss our mini trampoline we left behind in the UK and it would be ideal to purchase an indoor trampoline specifically to get the kids going early in the morning or in the afternoons to help them jump the fidgets out during homework time.
  • Morning routines go much more smoothly if I am prepared too.  So things like having their extra curricular gym bags ready the night before, tuck-shop monies in the bag, homework folders packed away, school clothes laid out the night before and lunch decided helps me in my morning autopilot mode.  Coffee gives me the added boost 🙂

Looking out for the Magic:

Using the schedule actually helps to reduce the anxiety of trying to get out the door on time and frees me up to look out for the magic certain mornings can bring.  So if there is an impromptu snuggle time or an interesting discussion I can relax knowing that once I have given that magic time my focus, the kids will pick up where they left off on the schedule.

 

Good Luck with the new school year!

Healthy Eating Plan to Support Attention and Focus

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As OT’s we see children with a variety of conditions and concerns.  One of the most common issues seen in school aged children includes children who find it challenging to remain focused and attentive.  This could be due to a pre-existing diagnosis such as ADD, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, premature birth and/or ASD.  (It’s important to note here that not all children with Autism/ Premature births have difficulties with attention and focus).

Often there are children who do not fit into a diagnosis.  These children may either be wrongly diagnosed or be labelled as naughty.  There are times when children can’t regulate their attention control due to a variety of reasons.  Parents can help their child’s ability to focus and attend by considering various environmental factors using a multifaceted approach.  These include addressing routine, structure and limiting ‘screen time’.  In addition I would also advise parents/families to monitor and adjust the child’s diet as it has a significant impact on a child’s ability to focus and attend.   A healthy eating plan and eliminating certain food triggers can help your child improve attention and focus.

According to the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, diet has a significant effect on children’s study habits. Junk food and foods with high sugar content deplete energy levels and the ability to concentrate for extended periods of time. Energy and focus are especially crucial for school-age children. Eating junk food may seem innocent enough until you realize how it’s affecting your behavior, cognition and focus. A 2009 study published in the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition” found that children who indulged in a diet high in junk food were more likely to be hyperactive than those who did not. Hyperactive children generally lack focus and may not be able to concentrate on simple tasks.  Diet has a significant effect on children’s study habits.  “If a kid is having sweets, chocolate croissants or sweetened beverages during the first break time at school instead of his fruit portion or his sandwich, he would definitely feel hungry within an hour and that would disrupt his concentration in class, and could affect his overall performance in school,” explains Chirine Watfa, a dietician at Health Factory, Dubai

Photo credit : Shamil R

Where do I start?

Start by implementing a controlled diet.  Eliminate obvious triggers such as sweets, processed foods, sugary biscuits, energy drinks, sugary cereals, soft drinks, E factors, MSG’s and all other common sense no no’s.  We have remarkable outcomes once the child has started on their elimination diet.  As a result parents and teachers often have better access to their child’s potential.

Lunch box and healthy snack ideas:
  • Fast food and junk food is more colourful and interesting to a child’s palette so weaning them off can be a challenge initially especially when sugar and salt cravings have set in.  Here are some tasty and healthy snack alternatives:
  • Water, water, water !!
  • Pita pockets or wraps (wholemeal) filled with stir fry veges, cheese, hummus, pesto,  tuna.
  • Dried fruit (apricots, raisins, currents, goji berries, dried cranberries),
  • Toasted sesame or pumpkin seeds and a variety of nuts (walnuts are a good source of Omega 3)
  • Frozen fruit (try freezing grapes, blueberries, strawberries or bit of chopped melon, mango or kiwi) ,
  • Fruit juice popsicles (just get some ice-pop moulds filled with half 100% fruit juice of your choice and half water),
  • Smoothies: this hasn’t been as big a hit with my kids as I would have liked but if you can get your kids hooked on smoothies then you have a great opportunity to get those nutrients down.
  • Raw fruit and vegetables sliced and served on a plate with a dip/hummus
  • Popcorn (of the non-microwave variety)
  • Plain yoghurt (flavoured yoghurts often have preservatives, flavourings and aspartame which defeats the purpose of a healthy snack).  You can either add fresh fruit, sprinkle dried fruit and nuts and/or muesli
  • Rice cakes

  Supper Ideas
  • Try and represent a range of colours in one meal (red, yellow, orange and green).
  • Stews and chunky or pulsed soups are an awesome way to get all the veges in one dish,
  • Pasta sauces cooked and pulsed is a great way to hide all the veges.
  • In a meal with a helping of roast chicken or meat served with savoury rice/ quinoa/ cous cous mixed with vegetables

Top Tips

  • Don’t be despondent if child doesn’t at first like a vege/fruit/healthy snack.  Always have it around and offer even one as an option.
  • A meal planner linked to my grocery shopping helps to minimize unnecessary buying and prevents me from last minute panic on what to cook for the day.  I feel half my cooking stress disappears if I know what to cook.
  • Don’t go down the junk food and frozen dinner aisles!  Unless you have your blinkers on 🙂
  • Keep them snacking in moderation.  Little M is my grazer and if left to help herself to the snack cupboard she will graze herself out of eating dinner.  If your kids are sticking to their meal times then offer 1 or 2 healthy snacks in between meals.  Try not to give them a snack less than half hour before a mealtime.  They honestly are not starving (as Little M would like me to believe) if they are having a good meal routine.  And if they didn’t eat well at lunch then you can count on them having a better portion at dinner  time.
  • I personally still have treats such as biscuits and cakes on occasion but I am a little sneaky because I tell them to eat their fruit first and then they can have their cake.  Leaves a tinier space in their tummies for the naughty stuff.  Pity this trick doesn’t work on my tummy.
  • Most importantly don’t be too hard on yourself … There will be days that are so crazy that a Pizza Dinner is all you can manage.

 

For More Great Ideas Visit:

www.dashofevans.com

www.holleygrainger.com/healthy-lunchboxes-for-kids/