Looking for sensory integration activities for autism to develop your child's motor skills? Check out our collection of fun vestibular system exercises!
Mental Checklist for the Preschool Homeschool – Motor Skills As a teacher, objective based education was the norm. Each lesson was planned via a ‘backward mapping’ process in which what the students were expected to be able to do by the end of the lesson was the primary focus. The objectives. I grew to hate the acronym ‘TSWBAT…’ It took me some time to figure out that it stood for, ‘The Students Will Be Able To:’ I hated, loathed, and despised posting objectives on my board every day. Mine was always a somewhat unconventional classroom in that the narrative of the lesson was the most important thing, and if the story took an unexpected turn that day… oh well… let’s learn something else instead. For English, as well as for Biology. No question was too hard for the class to find an answer to. Lesson plans always seemed more of a ‘suggested guide’ and rather than have a daily plan, I would prefer a weekly or monthly plan, leaving room for ‘exploration’. Don’t get me wrong… I see real value in objectives. I think it is very important to have some form of ‘road map’ or the curriculum gets bogged down and goes nowhere. You have to begin with the end in mind. My classroom application, however well it worked well in high school in Australia, was not so much of a fit in middle school in the US. I received low marks in several reviews because I did not have a lesson plan to show my supervisor at the end of a ‘surprise observation’. Never you mind that all the other categories were checked off as ‘excellent’. So I have come to the conclusion that, as good as I was as a classroom teacher, (and I WAS good… VERY good...) I don’t actually fit well in the current factory model of schooling, and might, in fact, do much better as a homeschooler in this day and age. And I will still have objectives – but not so much as a list of items to be tested; more as a mental checklist for me to make sure that I do have an ‘end’ in mind for each unit of work. Preschool is a little different in that there is no list of dates, facts and figures to be learned. Instead there is a series of skills and concepts that must be mastered if later learning is to be successful. And yes, later learning is not simply a list of dates, facts and figures….the learning of skills and concepts continues into adulthood. It’s just that there are more dates and facts and figures to learn later ;) Over the next few weeks, I plan to outline my Preschool Homeschool Mental Checklists for Mum for a range of Objective Groups. This week is Motor Skills. Rather than try to plan lessons around each item (as one would for school objectives, sadly) this is more of a list to glance at occasionally and select a few items to focus on over the course of a week or so. Better yet, pick an activity that your child loves, go through the list to see what skills it hits, and then select a couple of extra skills you can extend the activity with. Be creative! download link below Suggested Age Range – 2-3 (My 2 year old can do a lot of these. My 3 (nearly 4) year old can do all of them.) Gross Motor Locomotor Skills Hops Runs/Changes DirectionSkips Marches Walks backwards at least 5 ft Walks tiptoe for short distance Follows a designated path Crawls through a tunnel Gross Motor Balance and Rotation Jumps at least 6 inches both in the air and in distance. Alternates Feet Down Stairs Walks a straight line/balance beam Stand on one foot for 5-10secs Climbing (e.g. a slide) Pedals a tricycle Gross Motor Manipulative Skills Kicks a ball forward Throws a ball overhead Throws underarm Attempts to catch a large ball Aims at a target Fine Motor Skills Clasps hands Touches pointer fingers Controls fingers individually Demonstrates pincer control (picking up small objects) Self Help Skills Able to button a garment Able to zip a zipper Puts on own shoes (no laces) Can feed self with spoon and fork Can wash hands Can get a drink Uses toilet semi-independently Scissor Skills Handles scissors well Cuts simple shapes Writing/Drawing skills Correct pencil grasp Draws/writes with increasing control Able to copy simple shapes Draws and colours beyond a simple scribble Other Stacks 7 or more blocks Pastes objects Completes simple puzzles Can pour from one container into another You can download a pdf copy of this checklist here. You might also be interested in: Featured at: Linking up with:
Does your little one love to play pretend? It seems like everytime I come around a corner, there's another set of dress-up or pretend play out of it's basket in our home! We're always using our imagination to be Dr.s, Astronauts, Construction Workers, Teachers, you name it! To make their set up more fun, I
You can teach preschool at home with FREE printables! There is every kind of printable that you can think of. Check these printables out!
To inspire little ones to keep coming back to their library to learn and play, it is important that a children’s library is colourful and exciting. For us, a children’s library represents an opportunity to create a magical world of discovery by capturing their imagination using bold colours, fun graphics and customised furniture. A child may be a new library user, but the perfect kid’s zone can inspire and create a life-long library user.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may be paid for products you purchase through my links. See my full disclosure for more. Do you absolutely love the newest Nursery Manual, Behold Your Little Ones ? It is put together beautifully. This manual makes grea
These FREE Printables and Unit Studies for Eric Carle's Books will help you expand on what your kids are learning through these beloved books.
These exterior house remodel before-and-after shots demonstrate how a house can go from ordinary to unforgettable.
Now that it's time for the kids to go back to school, why not use these free book covers.
Add a little Jazz to your Ikea Kura bed with these 10 easy methods. Create a little magic for your little one´s bedroom.
Let’s see, what’s the last thing you spent $300 on? DMV renewal fees? A new laptop? Rent? We live in a culture where a lot of us subsist on very little, but we’re trained by those who have a lot of money to think less of what we do have. But it’s amazing what you can do with $300 if you have the creativity and determination to make something incredible happen.
Delawie Residence II
Sited along a creek near the commune of Curacaví in Chile’s Santiago Metropolitan Region, “Quebrada House,” which translates to "ravine house" in English, is raised on slanted stilts and accessed via a bridge-like walkway with trees rising through its deck.
Collaborative painting wall for a birthday party.
Looking for sensory integration activities for autism to develop your child's motor skills? Check out our collection of fun vestibular system exercises!
Here we go... Part one of our floor finishing series. Buckle up! It's going to be a messy ride. Ok, so I thought about doing everything in one big post, but I think breaking it down will be a little better. As many of you know we put 8 inch pine plank boards throughout a majority of the lower level of our farmhouse that I blogged about . Now is the hard part... we need to decide how we are going to finish them. Paint, wax, stain, a mixture of both, oil, and the list goes on. You guys it's
The interior vs. the exterior is like night and day. He has an amazing home. 😍
Garden vastu remains one of the most overlooked sections. While making a home, most people are focused on vastu for rooms and other parts and pay very little attention to the garden area.
The interior vs. the exterior is like night and day. He has an amazing home. 😍
The client chose our Custom Made Rhombille design to be finished in the Istoria Bespoke Hibiscus, with a 125mm wide border going around.
The Story of Krujë Krujë is more than just a small mountain village in Albania – it holds historical importance for various reasons. Back in the
Are you a busy momma? Trying to cook, clean, or work from home can be hard with young children. Keep your toddler busy with these engaging activities that..
Unfortunately, it’s that time of year again when RSV infections increase, and little ones and adults experience the dreaded symptoms of runny nose, cough and congestion. In this article, learn 5 key signs of RSV and a few home treatment tips.
Perfect for re-charging and re-focusing, these 10 great Youtube videos will get your kids moving and grooving as they cross that all important midline. Great for brain breaks at school or at home.
Hello my friends! ♥ I am back from vacation :) And little did I know that I already have over 800 Followers! ♥ THANK YOU SO MUCH ♥ I love building family homes ... so here is another one :D A...
Filled with natural light, neutral colors and bold contrast, Natasha's 450 square foot condo feels like anything but the "little city shoebox" she describes it as.
Good morning and happy Monday, lovely people! I hope y’all had a wonderful Thanksgiving week. Ours was a little on the insane side, but it ended perfectly. We moved to our new house {Memaw’s house} a little over a week ago. It was crazy getting settled just in time to host our family’s Thanksgiving dinner....
For our 50th Anniversary Idea House, we selected five of today's best young designers, shared old Southern Living stories for inspiration, and set them loose to decorate this charming cottage designed by Bill Ingram Architect. See their fresh takes on traditional Southern style. Find information to plan your visit here. Located just outside our hometown of Birmingham, AL, the community of Mt Laurel provides a picturesque location for our 2016 Idea House. Architect Bill Ingram and designers Mark D. Sikes, Margaret Kirkland, Ashley Gilbreath, Lauren Leiss, and Amy Berry came together to create a one-of-a-kind home that has no shortage of Southern design inspiration. From a beautiful, green kitchen to a living room filled with shades of neutral, each room showcases the talent of these designers. The home is of course topped off with a wraparound porch, including a cozy porch swing.
Address: 2105 Erdman Ave, Baltimore, MarylandPrice: $239,000Size: 1,189 square feetBedrooms: 2Bathrooms: 1.5I’ll be the first to admit that I call homes “one of a kind” a little too often. Can every eye-catching Property Crush I feature actually be one of a kind? The jury’s out.But when it comes to this stunning Art Deco creation for sale in Baltimore, I mean it — the two-bedroom jewel is truly one of a kind. How can I be so sure?
