Activities

Art Activities to support the Understanding of Pressure

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Crayoning and printing activities are great ways for a child to experience and experiment with pressure and the amount needed to create different effects. These activities will also encourage and support a child in helping them to understand, and for you to model, the language associated with pressure and how the pressure used feels. By linking the words used to the feelings and the outcome of using the pressure they can start to understand what is needed when asked to press gently or to press harder. 

When supporting a child to understand what we want when we ask them to press harder, we need to model how our body reacts to make this happen. You may need to exaggerate the actions but as you do this you also need to talk about what your body is doing and how it feels. Then point out the effect that this has had on the crayoning for instance.

When we press hard, we tend to lean our body forward over the table slightly as this allows us to put more force down on to the paper through the crayon. We may feel our arm and hand tense and often the movements made are slower and in small strokes. If it is something we are not used to doing it can make our hand and fingers ache and it will feel like hard work. The crayon marks will be thick and dark.

When we want to be gentler with the crayon, so that the crayoning is lighter in texture and colour, we tend to sit back away from the table. This way the hand moves across the paper more easily and often the strokes are longer and quicker, which sometimes feels as if we have less control over the colouring. This is why young children tend to be a bit heavy handed initially with colouring because their fine motor control skills have not reached a point that enables them to have control.

There are many creative ideas to be found on the internet and in books published by companies such as Usborne.

This crayon technique can be used to create a vast range of pictures. Here are just a couple of ideas to get you started:

Spider Party Time:

The same technique can also be used to create great firework pictures:

It is also worth remembering that drawing also helps to develop a range of different line formations, also needed for developing a good handwriting style.

Have FUN!

Leaf Investigation, Collecting and Printing

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

The weather this Autumn has been unseasonably warm, making it easier to go out and explore our local green and wild spaces.

It is amazing how much quality time you can spend with children just looking, talking about and collecting different leaves. The amount of language shared and new vocabulary introduced is invaluable.

It is suitable for all age groups and you don’t need a vast knowledge of plants and trees to make this fun; just remember not to take whole plants or leaves from endangered or dangerous plants and watch out for thorny, spikey and prickly leaves (if you are not sure leave the plant alone). Make sure when collecting leaves, you do not trespass on to other people’s property, or pick from their gardens!

The aim is to look at and talk about the different shapes, sizes, textures, colours and parts of the leaves. There are so many new words you can share. It is important to make sure the words used, especially if new, are age appropriate and help develop the child’s understanding:

  • Shape:  round, oval, heart shapes, oblong, fanned.
  • Size: small, big, tiny, large, bigger, biggest, smallest, smaller, huge.
  • Texture: rough, smooth, bumpy, fluffy, silky, soft, furry, shiny, glossy, feathery, spikey, prickly, thorny, scratchy, hard, stiff, ridged, flexible, bendy, veiny, ragged.
  • Colour: green, brown, tan, orange, yellow, silver, gold, bronze, purple, red.
  • Leaf: stalk (petiole), leaf base, mid-rib, veins, venules, leaf apex, margin (edge), leaf blade (lamina)

Leaf printing is fun and easy!

If you have been able to collect some leaves, they can be used to create lovely leaf print pictures and patterns.

The printing activity is a great way of helping children to understand, and for you to model, the language associated with pressure and to experience how the pressure used feels. By linking the words used to the feelings and the outcome of using the pressure they can start to understand what is needed when asked to press gently or harder.  

Materials:

Paper, child safe poster paints, brushes or sponges, leaves collected from walk

Method.

  • Protect the surface being used for painting and aprons for the children
  • Put paint in to trays/tubs
  • It can help to tape the corners of the paper down before you start printing to stop the paper lifting when you lift the painted leaf off.
  • Paint one side of the leaf. This is when we can talk about how much paint (not too thick) and how gentle we need to be. If the leaf tears, due to too much pressure being used, we can support by explaining and helping the child to try again; with maybe a different painting tool or using their finger to give a great sense of feeling.
  • Then pick up the leaf by the stalk, or at one end, and place it paint side down on the paper
  • Encourage the child to gently tap the leaf down on the paper. Help them, if necessary, by demonstrating.
  • Then using the stalk, or from one end, gently peal the leaf off the paper.

The important thing to remember is to chat about what you are doing and have fun!

The Key to Good Phonics Skills – Part 11

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Developing #Listening & #Speaking Skills – Games to Encourage Talking and Language Knowledge

Last week we explained the importance of developing your child’s word awareness skills here are some further games ideas to encourage them to use this new language.

  • Playing tapes or CDs of nursery rhymes and children’s song are good for helping your child to make the distinction between the music and words (language used) in them. It is a good idea to practise this skill when there are no other noise distractions.
  • When your child points at something tell them the name of the object, for example if they point at an apple, say “Apple”.
  • Try to use the new word in context regularly as repetition of the word will help your child to remember it and reinforce the meaning of the word.
  • Try playing some action songs and rhymes to help your child learn the actions for the rhyme, then let them have a go on their own. Watch them to see if they can do some of the actions at the right time in the song, to see if they are listening for the right cue words. If they are struggling, explain they have to wait for certain words and show them what to do and when to do it.
  • If they are trying to say a word, let them finish and then say it back to them clearly and correctly. Do not make them repeat it back to you, they may choose to do so but make it their choice.
  • Repeat and expand on what your child says, so if they say “Dog!” you may say “A big dog!” This also helps them to develop an understanding of sentence structure.
  • Finger rhymes, such as ‘Round and Round the Garden’, ‘Pat-a-cake’ and ‘Incy Wincey Spider’ and action songs encourage your child to interact with words, the sounds within them and the rhythms they create. ‘Row, Row Your Boat’ is a lovely whole body movement song that encourages a rhythmic whole-body motion, which babies and toddler enjoy (as well as the adults).
  • Sharing and talking about the books you are reading helps to build word knowledge, as you point to the pictures, picking out different objects.  Reading out aloud helps to introduce your child to words that they may not experience in their everyday talk. This helps to expose them to new vocabulary and the sounds to be found in those words.
  • Introducing and playing sorting games helps your child to build a mental filing cabinet system of categories, this helps them to remember and learn the meaning of words. Start by introducing simple categories of everyday items like food or clothes as their vocabulary increases categories such as colour, size and texture become more appropriate.

Indoor/Outdoor Circuits Ideas – To Support Language Development

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Well, true to form, the Easter Holiday weather is a mixed bag, sunny one minute then pouring with rain the next!  

So, here are a couple of ideas to help your child burn off some of that pent-up energy. Best of all you can class it as language development homework (working on instructional, directional, body awareness vocabulary and listening skills).

An indoor/outdoor circuit training course does not have to take up much space or be messy (but it might be a good idea if indoors to move ornaments a little further out of the way).

Simple activities can be fun if they are done for short periods of time and children do love a time challenge. Make each activity last anything from 30 seconds to 1 minute.

You could record how many they did in the time and see if they have improved when you try it again.

Why not try:

  • Hopping on one leg and then the other (balance & coordination)
  • Use the bottom step of the stairs for step ups (bilateral coordination)
  • Curl ups (core strength)
  • With a cushion balanced on their head can they touch their toes without dropping the cushion (balance, coordination, bilateral coordination and core strength)
  • Star Jumps (balance & coordination)

For more fun, simple activity ideas check out our games page, it is amazing how much fun you can have just hopping, jumping, skipping and dancing on the spot: https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/games.html

If you are feeling really brave why not try building an obstacle course, a lot of the fun is in the designing and making.

Let go and have fun!!!

Language of Drawing

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Sharing and showing your child how to draw shapes and make pictures is a great opportunity for you to help them practice and develop known and new vocabulary.

Your child does not have to actually draw and can just watch, if that is what they prefer to start with. In doing so they may ask you to draw different things in the picture, use certain colours, or want to help you colour or draw things.

You can explain what you are doing as you draw, for instance, if you are drawing a straight line or a wavy line to make a shape or pattern.

Other language you may use:

Straight, short, long, diagonal, up towards …, down towards …, across, curvy, wavey, zig zag, squiggly, swirling, dots, dashes.

A couple of weeks ago we talked about placement (preposition) and directional vocabulary which would also be great to use here as part of drawing activities.

Not all children enjoy drawing and colouring and it can be difficult to encourage them. There are a number of reasons why some children seem reluctant to draw, paint or colour. For instance, some will not like the smell of the paint or crayons, while others may find the pencils, brushes or crayons too thin, long or heavy. Others may be reluctant due to past negative experiences. It can be tricky to work out exactly why a child doesn’t want to draw or write.

For some tips and ideas that may help you get them started, check out this week’s Teach Handwriting Blog: https://teachhandwriting.blog

We have created some new drawings using simple shapes which you may find helps you to get started. Follow this link and scroll down the page a little you will find them under the ‘Activities to help hand development’:  https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/more-activities.html

Pancake Making – Word Play

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Pancake Day (Tuesday 21st February 2023) will soon be upon on us, and a great time to share some cooking time with your child.

It is amazing the number of different noises that occur when we cook, providing an ideal opportunity to use and introduce your child to the wonderfully descriptive world of onomatopoeic words. These are words that imitate the sounds being described such as bang, crash, whoosh, clip and clop.

So, we have created a list of onomatopoeic words which you could use and share with your child as you describe the sounds, potential chaos and fun that comes from shared cooking time with your child.

Bang, crash, rattle, clang, clank, clatter, clink, plop, slap, crack, splish, splash, splosh, hiss, sizzle, fizzle, crackle, squeal, giggle, smack, splat, gobble, scrap.

A Traditional English Pancake Batter Mix

For a thin pancake batter mix:

  • 100g plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg
  • 270ml of milk or milk and water

Method:

  1. Sift the flour and salt together.
  2. Make a well in the flour and add the egg and enough milk (milk/water) to make a sticky mixture.
  3. Beat well, then gradually whisk in the remaining milk (milk/water).
  4. Keep in a cool place until ready to use, always whisk the batter before using.

An American Style Pancake Batter Mix

For a thick, sweet pancake batter mix:

  • 150g plain flour
  • 1 tea spoon baking powder
  • 3 pinches of salt
  • 1 egg
  • 150ml of milk
  • 30g caster sugar

Method:

  1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  2. Stir in the caster sugar
  3. In another bowl, whisk the egg and milk together.
  4. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the flour and beat with a wooden spoon.
  5. If the mixture is left to stand for about half an hour the pancakes tend to have a lighter texture.

Have fun and enjoy!

Why Placement (Preposition) and Directional Vocabulary is Important!

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Teaching your child the vocabulary related to placement (preposition) and direction is import in supporting them to understand and follow instructions, as well as sharing information themselves, such as; ‘put your cup on the table’ or to say ‘teddy in car’.

We also use this placement (preposition) and directional language to explain how to draw shapes, patterns and write letters and numbers. We have created three sets of picture cards and games to help you support your child in developing and using positional (preposition) and directional vocabulary

You can find these free resources on our Phonics website by following this link: https://www.teachphonics.co.uk/phonics-resources.html

What are prepositions?

“A word used with a noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or means, e.g. at home, in the hall, on Sunday, by train.” Definition from Oxford School Dictionary, third edition 2002.

Here are just some preposition and directional phrases you might like to use:

On the … On top of the … Above the … Over the…

Under the… Below the … Beneath … Underneath …

Behind the …

In front of the…

Next to …Beside the … On the right of … To the right of … On the right-hand side … On the left of … To the left of … On the left-hand side… Before the … After the …

In the…  Inside the …

Out of the … Outside of the …

Between the … In between the … In the middle … In the center …

Going up the ….  Going down the … Going towards the… Going away from …

How do Cheesy #Christmas Stars Improve Vocabulary Skills?

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Cooking is a great, fun way introduce new vocabulary to your child especially those related to touch, texture, actions and instructional language. Words such as: cold, warm, soft, hard, smooth, rough, gritty, roll, squeeze, squash and pull, mix, stir, blend, whisk etc…
So why not try our tasty savoury Christmas baking treat!
Go to our ‘More fun handwriting activities’ page: https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/more-activities.html for the recipe and just download the pdf (https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/assets/pdfs/christmas-cooking-cheesy-stars.pdf )

Christmas Finger Printing a Fun Way to Support Language Development

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Hand and finger printing can be a fun way of getting your child used to touching, using different textured mediums and descriptive language associated with it. Such as: slimy, smooth, slippery, squidgy, wet, dry, squelch, ooze, press, push down, harder, softer, gentle, lift, light and dark.
Printing activities also help your child to start to become aware of how to control the amount of pressure they use and to develop a vocabulary to describe the different range of pressures required. Learning to control the amount of pressure exerted and how it feels can be very difficult for some children and it takes time and a range of experiences to develop these skills.
There are some fabulous printing ideas out on the internet; one of my favourite art resources is The Usborne Art Idea Books. Hand and finger printing can create some amazing artwork which can be used to make wonderful personalised Christmas cards, tags and paper.
Who could not be charmed by these fun thumb and fingertip snowmen or robins or delighted by a hand print angel or Father Christmas?
For other useful tips on printing and setting up a printing work station, check out our ‘More fun handwriting activities’ in our Parents section of our teachhandwriting.co.uk website under Learning Through Play: https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/more-activities.html

Christmas Fun to Develop Vocabulary Skills

lucyteachchildrenLeave a comment

Learning new words (vocabulary) and their meaning begins with earlier play opportunities. Activities, that use play-dough type modelling materials, are great for developing the language knowledge relating to touch, texture, actions and instructional language. Words such as: cold, warm, soft, hard, smooth, rough, gritty, roll, squeeze, squash and pull.
An added benefit to these types of activities is that they also support your child in developing their hand and finger strength, bilateral coordination, sensory perception and for learning and perfecting different grips for using tools.
Salt Dough
So, why not make some great salt dough Christmas gifts and tree decorations with your child. Not only will they melt the hearts of those who receive them but you will be developing your child’s fine motor skills (needed for good handwriting) while having fun; can’t be bad!
For a salt dough recipe that I have found good to use with children go to our Go to our ‘More fun handwriting activities’ page: https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/more-activities.html and just download the ‘Salt Dough Modelling’ pdf (https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/assets/pdfs/Salt%20Dough%20Modelling.pdf )