Printables, Activities & Resources for Visual Motor Skills
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Simple, Easy Visual Motor Activities
Positioning of Materials
When doing copying tasks with your children, always keep in mind the ocular (eye movement) demands. In the classroom, most copying tasks require the child to look at a model that is positioned VERTICALLY (i.e. a blackboard or whiteboard) and then copy onto something positioned on a HORIZONTAL surface (i.e. their desktop). This in itself is a very complex skill. Likewise, a child to typically required to look at something far away (requiring distance skills) and copy onto a paper that is positioned at near point.
If you find that a child is having difficulty copying, try modifying the components of the task. Here are some ideas:
To learn more about eye movement, go to the Ocular Motor Skills section.
If you find that a child is having difficulty copying, try modifying the components of the task. Here are some ideas:
- Provide Xeroxed copies of lessons, so the student is copying two near points models on horizontal surfaces.
- Elevate the writing surface by using an incline board or 5-inch binder to provide two vertical surfaces.
To learn more about eye movement, go to the Ocular Motor Skills section.
Copying Tasks
Copying is a great way to work on using the eyes and hands together. Using your eyes to focus on one object (i.e. a blackboard) then move then to focus on another object (i.e. your paper) is an advanced skills. Many children lose their place when scanning from a vertical to horizontal surface. It is easiest copy from a model that is in the same plane as what you are using. Likewise, it is easier to look at an object that is inclined forward, rather than positioned on a flat horizontal surface (i.e. using a incline board rather than a desk top).
When the brain has difficulty understanding how to move the eyes and hands together to copy something, whether it be shapes, letters or sentences - use the other senses to help the brain make a plan. The sense of touch is a wonderful tool to use. Here are some mediums to work in that are much more fun than just pencil & paper, and provide plenty of tactile feedback to the brain:
When the brain has difficulty understanding how to move the eyes and hands together to copy something, whether it be shapes, letters or sentences - use the other senses to help the brain make a plan. The sense of touch is a wonderful tool to use. Here are some mediums to work in that are much more fun than just pencil & paper, and provide plenty of tactile feedback to the brain:
- Shaving cream spread on a tabletop
- Pudding spread on a tabletop
- Sand
- Fingerpaints
- MagnaDoodle
- Chalk Board
- "Creating" with cooked spagetti noodles
- "Creating" with playdoh
- Out of small balls of crumbled tissue paper.