Aiming4Him wrote: I feel like 1st is a big jump from K. It is a lot of writing and has seemed to be too much for my busy little boys! Also, an experienced local physical therapist (she's in her 80's!) told me that children shouldn't work at writing until age 8. It's like getting the cart before the horse, they need to use larger arm and shoulder motions (play) for a long time to really be ready for the smaller motions in writing. I tend to be a "Better Late Than Early" person. I love my kids learning at a young age, I just don't like to push reading and writing (especially writing). As a result, I've done 1st stretched over 2 years or waited until they are 7-8. I really wish the books didn't say K & 1st on the cover because so many kids aren't ready for the same things at K or 1st age.
That’s a lot in that paragraph. Whoa. Here we go.
I sorta, kinda agree with the premise that the Physical Therapist is getting at. But, not really. How do I say this without it sounding wrong? Occupational Therapist tend these days to incorporate plenty of large motor and tactile sensory therapies along side the fine motor therapies so that it in integrated instead of seen as separate things to develop at different rates. They get the kiddos back in balance on skills.
I have special needs children. Been in special needs clinics for years now. I’ve watched expert occupational therapist do co-therapy with physical therapists and speech therapists to do it all together to help the child really develop.
So, The good thing is that MFW K includes large motor and sensory tactile methods in order to balance the development. Perhaps those years of Marie Hazell being a speech therapist and special needs Kindy teacher gave her insights into this.
One of the things that I really like about MFW preschool, is that it really helps work on large motor, cognitive, and fine motor, and language developmental domains to help a child be ready to begin to transition to paper in 1st grade.
I don’t have boys. But I have an autistic girl. Yes, many boys can “take longer” to be ready for pencil. But give them a stick and dirt.. and wow, you have fine motor skills. Give them lego blocks and wow.. they are developing those fine motor skills. Can your boys do their writing in the sand with a stick? Why not? Then., paper and pencil later.
More games for fine motor skills with children:
Squirt guns and squirt bottles. Send the boys outside to squirt the sides of the house with the bottles and clean the vinyl at the same time!
Play with tweezers
Cut with scissors
Check out this
http://make-the-grade-ot.com/Activities ... 0Grasp.pdf
http://make-the-grade-ot.com/Fine%20Motor.html
http://www.otinfo.org/index.php?option= ... &Itemid=96
So, do that stuff in place of pencil and paper activities. Don’t worry too much if it says “preschool” on some of the lists. Older kids can enjoy the activities as well with some modification for their age and preferences of toys.
One great idea I saw on one of those sites was to use tweezers to pick up coins and stack the coins.
Well, that would incorporate so well into math lessons with money, and counting and sorting and all of that. wow
Use the ideas in the 1st grade Math section called “Addition and Subtraction activities” to cross over with developmental domains with fine motor. Have them write with chalk on sidewalk, or dry erase marker, or break off crayons in small pieces.
Ok, I’ll admit it! I’m preaching to myself on all of this. After moving to Memphis, I got over focused with my youngest on speech therapy and have to get back to the occupational therapy so she can grow in writing skills.
Did I mention she makes her own grocery lists before shopping? Amazing what motivates her.
You can do MFW 1st without pencil writing if you’d prefer. You could let them dictate their narrations and summaries to you and you write them down, or record them out loud for them. Use the workbooks out loud with them. Although, honestly, the blue workbook isn’t that much writing, is it? It’s the Proverbs copywork pages and Bible notebook. Well, you could have them take all week to practice the Proverbs verse in print or cursive (your choice), or just have them memorize it without writing.
note: it is ok to break up the writing over the week or adjust for the needs of your child. Don’t’ worry about that. They don’t have to jump in the deep end of the pool in 1st grade. You can ease them in if there is a need.
note: you could cover the words on the manuals with stickers, or remove the cover and not have the issue with grade levels, right?
Hope all this rambling makes sense!
of course it does! Been there, done that!
PS: Next years hopeful plan...
DS 14 Ancient History & Lit HS
DS 13, DD 11, DS almost 9 1850MOD
DS almost 7, DS 4 & DS 2 Not sure yet....
I'm really seeking God's answers for my family in this right now and just needed to talk about it with people who understand what I'm talking about. I know God knows what I'm talking about, but you know what I mean, right?
Thanks,
Aimee
yep. I know what you mean.
(((hugs)))
I hope something helped someone.
-crystal