Week 3
Dear Kindergarten parents!
I hope everyone was able to watch the 2 videos that were sent out on hand strengthening and functional pencil grasp! These are important skills for your child to have as they move through kindergarten!
This week’s video is on Pre-writing Skills – practicing how to draw shapes such as circles, squares and triangles! These shapes are important for drawing skills and forming the letters of the alphabet – e.g. O, A, b and k all start with shapes! The suggestions in the video can also be used when your child is practicing “Fundations” printing at home!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMuMYLYqTnQ&t=11s
As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.
Katherine McKee-Blanche, OT Reg.(PEI)
Occupational Therapist, School Therapy OT Program
kmckeeblanche@ihis.org
Dear Kindergarten parents!
I hope everyone was able to open the link and watch the video on hand strengthening! Please continue to work on your child’s hand strength throughout the school year as it is very important when doing anything with their hands – using a utensil, playing with toys or getting dressed!
This week’s video is about Pencil Grasp! Kindergarten students are starting to use pencils, crayons and markers every day in school. Holding these tools with a functional pencil grasp will make the activities of colouring within the lines and printing letters and numbers much easier. Please watch this video and work on the activities at home to help develop their pencil grasp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs8f6L7y7c8&t=24s
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Katie McKee-Blanche
Occupational Therapist
kmckeeblanche@ihis.org
Dear kindergarten parents!
My name is Katherine McKee-Blanche and I am the occupational therapist (OT) for your child’s school. My job as an OT is to work with students in the schools on their motor skills, self-care skills, self-regulation skills and getting ready for different classroom activities!
This year your child’s kindergarten teacher will be sharing some short write up from me with a link to a video. These videos were created by our school OT team and focus on the important skills needed for kindergarten! Kindergarten is a BIG year and a very important year for your children as they develop their motor skills, language skills, play skills, and social skills which prepare them for their school career!
Please watch the videos – each video includes information about each skill and provides some activities or strategies to work on at home! It is VERY important to work on these skills at home with your children.
This week’s video is on Hand Strengthening! These activities will help strengthen your child’s hands so they can grasp their pencil correctly, hold and cut with scissors, zipper coats and colour!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04igYLGNc40
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Katherine McKee-Blanche, OT Reg.(PEI)
Occupational Therapist, School Therapy OT Program
kmckeeblanche@ihis.org