The transition from the relaxed summer schedule to the more structured school schedule can be tough for everyone involved. Here are some tips for making the transition back to school, a little easier.
Add Structure Back Into The Schedule
As the long days of summer start to wind down, slowly adding more scheduled events into the daily schedule will make the transition into a fully scheduled school day much easier. This could be as simple as a set time for breakfast or adding in a scheduled chore time during the day. Try using SchKidules to make a daily visual schedule. The easy to use magnetic schedule lets you slowly add in more and more structured activities to the daily lineup and it is in a similar format most kids will see in their classrooms. Once the school year gets going a weekly schedule will be a great way to keep track of school activities and extra curriculars.
Practice Important Self Help Skills
Kids will be expected to do many of their daily self care activities independently or with minimal assistance once they return to the classroom. Lots of practice at home will help kids be ready for this! The resource Self Care With Flair is a great way to teach children important skills like handwashing, putting on coats, and managing their clothing in the bathroom. The Busy Bee Sensory Activity Plush is helpful for practicing the fine motor skills needed for these tasks like lacing, tying, zipping and buttoning. Pro Tip for kids who have not yet mastered shoe tying, replace standard laces with elastic shoe laces for a slip on and go option.
Get In Tune With Sensory Needs
Every sensory system is different, figuring out the particular needs for each system will help kids start off the school year on the right foot! Riding the bus may be hard for kids who have difficulty with loud noises or who struggle with motion sickness. These students may benefit from sensory tools for the eyes and ears. The cafeteria may be especially difficult for students with aversion to certain smells; these students may benefit from fidgets that calm and organize an over responsive sensory system. Students who are not use to early mornings or who are use to afternoon naps may benefit from fidgets that help alert or wake up the under responsive sensory system. Sensory based activities such as playing with floof, scented dough, or any of the activities found in Sensational Fun will help give insight into sensory needs.
Refresh Academic Skills
The summer slide happens but there are many ways to keep academic skills sharp. For a fun refresher try learning games. Novenops offers a quick refresh on sentence structure, Letter Treasure Hunt is great for a review of letter concepts, and Colorama offers a crash course on colors!
Planning ahead for the first day of school can help students make a smoother transition back into the academic year!
In this post we take a dive into flexible seating options that are available for classroom and home learning environments.
First, What Does Flexible Seating Mean?
Sometimes called alternative seating, flexible seating is simply a seating option that is different from ‘traditional’ seating arrangements and is often used to address a sensory need. Traditional seating arrangements may be things like the desk chair students use in a classroom, the dining room chair at the eating table or the office chair at a work desk. Flexible seating arrangements may be a therapy ball in place of an office chair or it may be a beanbag in place of the traditional student desk setup. Read on to learn more!
Traditional Classroom Seating Example ofaFlexible Seating Arrangementwith theKore Sit to Stand Mobile Desk
Next, Understand the Importance of Flexible Seating Options in Learning Environments.
Having a variety of seating options helps to ensure all learners have a setup that is most effective for their learning style. Some options may help to address underlying sensory needs while other options provide the movement that has been shown to be preferred by students when learning (Cole et al., 2021, 72). Having just the right seating arrangement can make the difference between a successful learning experience and one that is full of distractions, position changes, and learning sessions that don’t last as long as they should.
Finally, Pick the Right Seating Options.
Understanding the need (or needs) you are trying to address will help you determine the best seating option(s).
For the wigglers, movers, and bouncers who just need a little extra sensory input to focus and sustain attention, try a seating option that provides movement (vestibular) or light touch (tactile) input. A seating option that provides tactile or vestibular input will help the sensory system that is seeking movement, get it in a way that is more conducive to learning and working.
Wobble Feet: These are simply four, rubber domed shape ‘feet’ that slip onto a standard chair leg. The Wobble Feet provides a subtle rocking and a soft bounce feel. These are especially popular for users who are looking for a “low profile” option; they can be slipped onto a regular classroom chair and are small enough that they are not very noticeable in the sea of classroom chairs.
Sensory Spots: Spot Sensory Seats and Senso Seat Pads are flat pads that have a textured side. This textured side provides subtle sensory input without much challenge to postural stability. They can be used in just about any seating situation and can easily roll up when moving seats.
Cushions: Air filled or foam cushions can be added to just about any chair, bench or even used on the floor. They are usually round or wedge shaped but newer versions now offer fun shapes like monsters or flowers. The amount of air, that can be added, to the air filled cushions is typically adjustable allowing for users to increase or decrease the amount of movement offered. Cushions are generally portable making them a great option for those who change work areas throughout the day. For even more convenience options with handles are now available!
Wobble Stools: The Kore Wobble Chair offers a seating option much like sitting on a stool with the exception of the innovative rounded bottom that allows the user to rock in all directions. In addition to the rocking movement the stool shape allows more freedom to move the legs in different positions.
Ball Chairs: Ball chairs come in all shapes and sizes. At the most basic level a large therapy ball is used in place of a chair. This is a great option for users who need a lot of input but therapy balls are unstable and can be difficult for users with poor postural control. A base can be added under the ball to help prevent the ball from moving out of position. Another option is to use a peanut or egg shaped ball; these balls have an elongated shape that increases stability for the user. The Alert Seat puts the traditional therapy ball on a wheeled base allowing for more mobility. The Ball Chair Deluxe takes the shape of a traditional office chair but replaces the seat with a large inflated ball.
For the fidgeters, hair twirlers and those with a little extra nervous energy try a seating option that provides deep pressure input or gives the big muscles a chance to work. This type of input can help calm an anxious or overstimulated sensory system. Try:
Body fidgets. Unlike smaller, handheld fidgets, body fidgets allow other parts of the body to interact with the fidget leaving the hands free for work. Foot fidgets can be attached to chair or desk legs, allowing users to kick, push and pull the heavy elastic bands with their feet. For users who frequently change work spaces portable foot fidgets are available; these can be placed under the workspace and interacted with in the same manner. The footroller is a unique body fidget; fidgeters place their foot on the roller, spinning it forward, backward or both ways. Another unique option is the Foot Swing; the foot swing allows for a silent swinging motion of both feet, independent of each other.
Weight. Adding weight to the lap or shoulders is a great way to center, orient and calm an over responsive or anxious system. An added bonus, many offer textured covers for additional tactile input.
For those who just need a change of scenery, setting up an alternative work spot is a great way to refocus. Some options include:
Standing at a counter height work space or taping work to a wall are options to allow for standing positions while working. To add a little dynamic movement try standing on a foam wedge or air cushion.
Laying Down. Working while laying on the stomach is a great way to provide proprioceptive input through the shoulders joints (perfect for those needing calming and organizing input). This position also gives students who are struggling with postural instability to get more support so they can focus on their work and not on staying stable! Use yoga mats or cushions to provide comfort and a clipboard or slant board as a work surface.
Get Cozy. Another option for a position change is sitting in a bean bag, Howda Designz Chairs or the Comfy Cozy Peapod Chair. While not the best option for all types of tasks these options are great when the activity involves reading or listening. The deep pressure input provides calming and organizing input.
Having a variety of seating options available in any learning space is a sure way to increase focus and attention. Identifying options that are appropriate for the user and the environment are keys for successful implementation.
Reference:
Cole, K., Schroeder, K., Bataineh, M., & Bataineh, A. (2021, April). Flexible Seating Impact on Classroom Environment. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 20(2), 62-74.
Trunks® is an engaging, interactive game developed by Diane Long, EdD, MOTR/L and published by Therapro. Trunks® has gameplay challenges for all abilities!
How Do You Play?
In this game players move their bodies, make sounds and perform actions from memory! Gameplay involves picking an Action Memory Card and performing the action depicted. Six categories of actions are involved:
Musical You: Encourages creativity with motor actions that produce sounds.
Animal Sounds: Players mimic animal sounds.
Animal Motions: Players move their bodies and demonstrate how animals move.
Sound Like: Players recall and reproduce commonly heard sounds.
Pretend To: Encourages imagination as players pretend to be like someone else.
Show How: Involves a step-by-step demonstration of an action requiring the player to create an original sequence.
Trunks involves remembering and performing motor sequences. Players draw a card, look at the given action from the six categories previously mentioned, turn the card over and perform the action from memory. There are visual pictures as well as words on each card. On their next turn they would draw an additional card and perform both actions in their memory sequence, without looking at the cards. When an action is performed correctly, the player gets to keep their card and continue to work toward building a “trunk” (a series of 4 cards that, when combined, create an elephant’s trunk).
The ability to perform individual actions may differ from child to child. Furthermore, the ability to memorize subsequent actions or sequences may vary as well. For this reason the game was created with many variations that afford enjoyable game play for all ability levels.
Working Memory!Working Memory is a necessity for engaging in a variety of everyday occupations including learning, socializing and task completion. Sequencing naturally falls under the broader category of working memory. Inherent to the game is the pairing of multi-modal forms of input (visual cues, reading cues, motor engagement, etc.). Read on to learn how to adapt and modify this game to target other skill areas!
How Can Trunks Be Adapted?
Preschool. This game can be used to target motor planning development for kids in preschool. Choose a card from the deck and ask the kids to complete the action. Things like pretend to lift weights, leap like a frog, and pretend to lick a drippy ice cream cone are good activities to choose. You can also use the Sounds Like cards for the kids to use their voices to participate. This is also a great option when working on oral motor and language skill. What does a train sound like?, snort like a pig, and hoot like an owl are sounds that preschool kids should be able to perform. Having their peers guess the sounds and or actions turns it into a whole group game everyone can participate in. Pro Tip: Pre-picking cards targeting the specific skill or development level of the group is always a good idea!
Early Elementary Age. Working memory develops as kids age. Building a trunk of 2-3 trunk cards can make the game achievable for the younger crowd. The pictures on the trunk cards are helpful for the non-readers at this age (which many of them are)! Again preselecting cards can be key. If you are working with students who are nonverbal, take the sound cards out. If you are working with children who have limits in mobility, take the jumping and balance cards out. Pro Tip: For students struggling with motor planning, pre-teach and practice the actions on the cards prior to the whole group activity to help bolster confidence!
Later Elementary and Beyond. Target teamwork, this can be a difficult skill for some! Have the kids build the entire trunk, working in teams or as a whole group. Pro Tip: If you need an additional challenge, have the players remember the sequence both forwards and then backwards!
Other Helpful Tips
Use as many trunk pieces or make as many trunks as you have time for! For a 10 min group use 2-3 pieces or just complete one trunk. If you have a longer amount of time, make multiple trunks!
Use the extra action cards or don’t! You know the players best. Is the extra challenge needed or will it be too much?
Playing the game Trunks is a great opportunity for co-treatments! Physical therapists, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, and teachers all have skills that can be worked on during this game!
Trunks is a great option for targeting many key skill areas. It’s versatility makes it a great choice for a wide range of ages and ability levels. Check out Therapro’s handy guide, Gear Up for Games, for more great game adaptations and modifications.
