The Zone'in
Child Development Series Newsletter is designed to
assist teachers, parents and therapists in understanding
how to help children who experience learning
difficulties. |
To Drug or Unplug
- |
The Lure of
the Elusive Quick Fix In the 21st
century 21% of elementary children have a mental health
diagnosis, with 15% on psychiatric medication (Michael
and Crowley 2002). While there are many problems
associated with medicating children, the most worrisome
fact is that there are no psychiatric medications
available that have been tested on children, only
medications that have been tested on adults (Fisher and
Fisher 1996, Antonuccio et al 2002). Read
more... |
Cris Rowan in the
Vancouver Sun |
Re: What's best for baby? Feb.
23, 2008 Technology
is destroying our
children.
|
A Review of Handwriting
Research:
|
Progress
and Prospects from 1980 to 1994This
study documents that in 1993, 70% of teachers
indicated that handwriting was "not as good as it should
be", and expressed concern regarding the "downward
plunge in the standards of handwriting legibility
required of elementary school children". Authors
also state that students who have difficulty with
automaticity of writing, thus achieving poor quality and
quantity of written output, results in avoidance and
minimization of the writing process. Authors state
that for beginning writers, both visual and verbal
modeling appears to be the most effective means of
introducing a letter prior to practice (i.e. the teacher
demonstrates how a letter is made while describing how
it is formed). Want to learn more? Sign up
for the Foundation Series Back to
Basics
Workshop. |
Writing Instruction in
Kindergarten |
This
review examines the literature on how to teach
kindergarten children with reading and writing
difficulties how to write, and reports that text
production is critical in writing development.
Text production instruction should include modeling
newly introduced letters with numbered arrow cues,
practising letters from memory, and asking children to
circle letters that represent their best work.
Edwards also points out that handwriting is not just a
motor process, but rather draws on the importance of
letter recognition (a visual memory skill), which is a
skill that can be enhanced by repeated practice with
letter production. Edwards also highlights the
importance of explicit spelling instruction for
kindergarten children.
| |
| |
Foundation
Series Workshops
|
|
Cris Rowan |

Cris Rowan is a
Pediatric Occupational Therapist, author, speaker and
champion of easing the job of learning for all children.
Click here
for complete bio. |
Visit our
website
|
Visit www.zonein.ca for details on ALL SIX
FOUNDATION SERIES WORKSHOPS and a plethora of free
handouts, articles and teaching modules.
|
| |