left and right brain
You've read to your child since he or she was a baby, instilling the love for reading in him or her early. You taught him or her his letter sounds in kindergarten and phonics later on. He or she knows how to read but consistently resists it. You've purchased books that have inviting covers that ooze with excitement. The books sit in the same place everyday, unopened by anyone but you. You love reading and you want your child to love it. But, you can't make him or her love reading. What do you do now?
Despite the best efforts of many parents and teachers, many children never become recreational readers because they have a visual processing problem that is making reading more work than they want to do even though they love the information that they receive from books.
You've read to your child since he or she was a baby, instilling the love for reading in him or her early. You taught him or her his letter sounds in kindergarten and phonics later on. He or she knows how to read but consistently resists it. You've purchased books that have inviting covers that ooze with excitement. The books sit in the same place everyday, unopened by anyone but you. You love reading and you want your child to love it. But, you can't make him or her love reading. What do you do now?
Despite the best efforts of many parents and teachers, many children never become recreational readers because they have a visual processing problem that is making reading more work than they want to do even though they love the information that they receive from books.
Parenting a Child with LD or ADHD
Any experience with Brain Gym, or Brain Integration Therapy
Fine Motor Activities
Activities to promote hand development for pencil use and other tasks
Activities to promote hand development for pencil use and other tasks
Brain Exercises
Although you can’t get inside your students’ heads and shake up their brains, there are some activities that you can do to make their brains more alert and to help improve learning. Vigorous physical activity gets the blood flowing and releases stress. According to Eric Jensen (BRAIN-BASED LEARNING), children need to “stand up and stretch” every 20 minutes. I think most teachers could use “brain breaks” as well! It’s also important to build cross-lateral exercises into your day. Cross-lateral movements are those in which arms and legs cross over from one side of the body to the other. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right side of the brain controls the left side. Both sides are forced to communicate when arms and legs cross over. This “unsticks” the brain and energizes learning.
Although you can’t get inside your students’ heads and shake up their brains, there are some activities that you can do to make their brains more alert and to help improve learning. Vigorous physical activity gets the blood flowing and releases stress. According to Eric Jensen (BRAIN-BASED LEARNING), children need to “stand up and stretch” every 20 minutes. I think most teachers could use “brain breaks” as well! It’s also important to build cross-lateral exercises into your day. Cross-lateral movements are those in which arms and legs cross over from one side of the body to the other. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right side of the brain controls the left side. Both sides are forced to communicate when arms and legs cross over. This “unsticks” the brain and energizes learning.
Using Both Hands, Crossing Midline, Hand Dominance: Fun Activities
An Ambidextrous Child? Or A Processing Disorder?
Some children who appear to be ambidextrous actually have a hidden processing disorder. More often than not, these children end up with two, unskilled hands. These kids need lots of two-handed activities- especially those that cross the middle of the body. A lot of the activities done in Occupational Therapy and Vision Therapy promote this.
Just think, what if you couldn't cross the body easily? You'd have to pick up a pencil on one side of your book with your "helper" hand and move it to the middle so that your dominant hand, or "worker hand," could use it. It would affect your handwriting because diagonal lines cross the midline. Establishing a worker hand and a helper hand is a sign that specialization and maturity in the brain is occurring. Look for this around the age of five years old and reinforce it using two-handed activities that cross the midline of the body.
Some children who appear to be ambidextrous actually have a hidden processing disorder. More often than not, these children end up with two, unskilled hands. These kids need lots of two-handed activities- especially those that cross the middle of the body. A lot of the activities done in Occupational Therapy and Vision Therapy promote this.
Just think, what if you couldn't cross the body easily? You'd have to pick up a pencil on one side of your book with your "helper" hand and move it to the middle so that your dominant hand, or "worker hand," could use it. It would affect your handwriting because diagonal lines cross the midline. Establishing a worker hand and a helper hand is a sign that specialization and maturity in the brain is occurring. Look for this around the age of five years old and reinforce it using two-handed activities that cross the midline of the body.
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Information disseminated by Autism South Africa is for information purposes only.
The onus rests with the reader to explore and investigate the relevant information and alternatives for each individual.
Information disseminated by Autism South Africa is for information purposes only.
The onus rests with the reader to explore and investigate the relevant information and alternatives for each individual.
Information sent out does not imply that Autism South Africa underwrites or endorses any particular therapy, intervention, method or medication. Autism South Africa assumes no responsibility for the use made of any information provided herein.