Occupational Therapy

Cumberland Valley School District

Check out each week's content to find resources to support your child. These are optional activities and there is no expectation to complete all content areas! Please email your child's OT if you need additional support.

Thanks for trying our activites and sharing them with us!

Week 8 : (5/25-5/29)

Fine Motor: Summer fine motor fun. The link below has a lot of activities that can be done through the summer. Building fine motor strength can be done with common daily activiites such as washing a car or a table and wringing out the sponge/washcloth, pulling weeds, helping to garden, and even with helping prep food. All of these life skills are good for kids to learn and help with the development of the their hands. Best thing to do is to find ways to make it FUN!

Sensory/Self-Regulation: Click the link for information on sensory/self-regulation and the 5 minute activity for the week.

Self-Care: Recreation and Leisure: As we approach the official first day of summer, we can hope that we will be able to enjoy all the wonderful recreation and leisure activities that our area has to offer. Click the link below to find out about some of the recreation resources for children with special needs in Cumberland Valley. (Some places may still be closed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.)

Handwriting: Let's talk handwriting accommodations! This week we'll cover some resources (provided below) that can be good options for students to use in the classroom who may still struggle with handwriting legibility and/or typing skills. Some students may also use a voice generating device for writing (AAC). Technology accommodations for handwriting are not an appropriate option for every student, but, if used, should be determined in collaboration with your child's OT. There are also more options/resources than the ones listed below, but Talk to Text and SnapType are two frequently used formats that we'll introduce this week!

Check out the videos below to learn more about each one:

Google Talk to Text

Voice generated text features can be used as a handwriting or typing accommodation for students with clear speech. Watch the video to learn how to use the Talk to Text feature on Google Docs!

SnapType Pro Features

SnapType Pro is an app that is often used as a handwriting accommodation for classroom worksheets. Watch this video to learn about the different features in SnapType!

SnapType Pro Text

Watch this video to learn how to add and adjust the text for an uploaded worksheet using the SnapType Pro app!

*Activity: Type a short message/letter to your classroom teacher, therapist, specialist teacher, principal, OR another staff member you choose! Just pick one and send them a digital note. This can be via Seesaw, email, Google Docs, etc.

Lastly, thank you for all your hard work these past 8 weeks! Feel free to go back and review/repeat any previous handwriting lessons whenever you want. Keep practicing your neat handwriting this summer!

Week 7: (5/18-5/22)

Fine Motor: In-hand manipulation. This is the skill to get coins from the palm of your hand to your finger tips, flipping your pencil in your hand to get it held correctly, and being able to put a hand full of pegs in your hand into a peg board using one hand. My favorite game to work on this skill is Mancala.

Sensory/Self-Regulation: Click the link for information on sensory/self-regulation and the 5 minute activity for the week.

Self-Care: Planning and organization are key in the success of students being independent at school and home. Planning tasks and being organized are also areas of self-care and help with time management. Here are some tips and resources for you to help your child be more effective at planning and organization.

Handwriting: This week we're going to discuss basic tips to help with some of the most common letter and number reversals. It's important to remember that it is normal for young students to reverse letters and/or numbers until around the beginning of 2nd grade. One of the most widely used strategies to help with letter reversals for "b" and "d" is the "bed" method, which you can see in the picture to the right. Another great strategy to use with numbers is the "thumb numbers" method, which you can find explained in the video to the right.

Activity: Write out the uppercase alphabet with one letter on each line going down the left side of the paper. Then write one word that starts with that letter until you have a word next to each letter (26 words) written down! Here's an example:

  • Ape
  • Belly
  • Camping
720p.mov

Week 6: (5/11-5/15)

Fine Motor: Does pencil grasp matter? How could you change a pencil grasp? Click on the Google slide to the right to watch videos and view resources. The videos in the google slide show are also found in the link below if it is easier for you to view that way.

Pencil grasp

Sensory/Self-Regulation: Click the link for information on sensory/self-regulation and the 5 minute activity for the week.

Self-Care: Home and Community Safety

Teaching safety is crucial for all students. We all have the responsibility to help students be safe in the home and community. Check out this week’s resources on activities to teach safety, tips to teach the special needs child about safety, and child friendly safety videos.

Handwriting: This week we're going to focus on writing vital information: first and last name, home address, and phone number.

Activity: Grab some paper at home or use the printable triple lined paper under the Handwriting tab. Practice writing your first and last name on one line. On the line below, write out your home address, like the example to the right. On the next line down, write your phone number with the area code (ex. (717) 123-4567 ).

*For a Bigger Challenge: Write a letter to a friend or family member and then mail it to them! Follow the example on the right to address the envelope for your letter.

Week 5: (5/04-5/08)

Fine Motor: It's starting to get warmer out and this activity will be fun to do outside. All you need is a clean sponge, water, 2 bowls or buckets, and clean squirt bottles or squirt guns. Hope you have fun.

Sensory/Self-Regulation: Click the link for information on sensory/self-regulation and the 5 minute activity for the week.

Self-Care: This week’s self-care resources are dedicated to Cooking and Feeding. Check out the link below for more information on cooking modifications and adaptations, adaptive feeding utensils and cups, helping your child to be independent with feeding, and helping the picky eater.

Handwriting: Now let's practice what we've learned! Think about your letter formation, letter sizing and spacing as you write.

Activity: Palindromes are words or sentences that read the same forward and backward. We had a palindrome "day" this year, 02/02/2020! Here are some other examples: level, radar, Hannah, kayak, rotor, race car, madam. Choose 5 palindrome words to write forward and backward (hint: you'll write each word twice!)!

*For an Easier Activity: Practice tracing and copying numbers 0-9. Click the link below for a printable number worksheet or make your own at home!

*For a Bigger Challenge: Find which phrases listed below spell the same statement forward and backward (ignore punctuation marks and capital letters). Write out each phrase forward and then backward and circle the ones that match!

  • Yawn a more Roman way.
  • Was it a ball or a bat I saw?
  • Tuna nut.
  • We are seven, eve saw.
  • Wet rare paper art, ew!

Week 4: (4/27-5/01)

Fine Motor: This week's activity involves folding, cutting, writing, and using both hands together for some fun. It is a 12 minute video, but many of you many know this activity already and may be able to complete it quicker. The video shares how to make a Fortune teller, also known as a Cootie Catcher.

Sensory/Self-Regulation: Click the link for information on sensory/self-regulation and the 5 minute activity for the week.

Self-Care: Many of us may be enjoying our time in our yoga pants and t-shirts, but eventually, we will need to really get dressed. This time at home may give you an opportunity to help your child become more independent with dressing and fasteners.

Handwriting: This week, we're going to discuss spacing! Appropriate spacing between letters and between words should be addressed after letter formation and letter sizing has improved.

The first video uses spacing terminology from the Size Matters Handwriting Program:

  • Spaghetti spaces: skinny spaces between letters of the same word
  • Meatball spaces: fat spaces between two separate words

The second video is another resource for appropriate spacing between words in a sentence using a finger space.

  • Younger children might be familiar with using a "space buddy" in class.

Activity: Pangrams are silly sentences that use every letter in the alphabet at least once. To practice spacing concepts, choose one (or more!) pangram(s) below. Make sure you rewrite it with good spacing between your letters and words!

  • The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.
  • The five boxing wizards jump quickly.
  • How vexingly quick daft zebras jump!
  • Waxy and quivering, jocks fumble the pizza.
  • Watch "Jeopardy!", Alex Trebek's fun TV quiz game.

*For a Bigger Challenge: Create your own pangram sentence. Make sure you use every letter at least once and be creative!

Week 3: (4/20-4/24)

Fine Motor: This week, we are introducing the basics of cutting. Click on the video to the right to learn the basics. If your student is more advanced with this skill, please have them cut out a more complex shape, click the link below for some cutting handouts. Materials needed: paper, card stock (if you have it), paper plates, and scissors (preferably safe kids scissors.) Please stay with your child during this activity and explain to them the only items scissors should cut. Doing this should help eliminate having your child cut inappropriate items.

Sensory/Self-Regulation: Click the link for information on sensory/self-regulation and the 5 minute activity for the week.

Self-Care: Now that we all have lots of time at home, this may be a great opportunity to introduce chores to your child or create a chore routine. Check out the link below to find resources on chore apps, chore charts, chore suggestions, and modifying chores for a child with special needs.

Handwriting: This week, we're going to review letter sizes! Letter sizing is one of the biggest factors in handwriting readability. Letters come in 3 sizes: Tall, Small, & Tail.

-Tall: All numbers, uppercase letters and lowercase letters: b, d, f, h, k, l, and t. Tall letters/numbers touch the top and bottom lines.

-Small: Lowercase letters: a, c, e, i, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, x, and z. Small letters touch the middle and bottom lines.

-Tail: Lowercase letters with descending parts: g, j, p, q, and y. Tail letters start at the middle line, if they have a belly - it sits on the bottom line, and the "tail" hangs down below the bottom line.

To practice letter formation, click the links below for printable worksheets to practice copying the upper- and lowercase alphabets:

Letter sizes.pdf

*For a Bigger Challenge: Write your first and last name as neatly as you can on lined or unlined paper using the correct letter sizes. Next, find a magazine or newspaper your parent no longer wants. Choose a short article/section and circle all the letters that match the sizes of the letters in your name (example: Bob - circle all the tall B's, b's, and small o's)! See how many you can find that match your name!

Week 2: (4/13-4/17)

Fine Motor: This week we would like you to look in your kitchen for elbow noodles or Mac and Cheese noodles, cavatappi pasta, or really pieces of spaghetti pasta. Also, look for: disposable plastic food containers. After you have collected these items, please click on the video to the right. *please note that the size of the whole you make in the container depends on the size of your noodle. If you don't have pasta, then parents can make a slit in the container and you can have your child put coins in the slit.

*please also note that on the Fine Motor page I have Adapted games to play at home. I will keep adding new games and ideas.

part 3 fine motor tasks at home.mp4

Sensory/Self-Regulation : Click the link for information on sensory/self-regulation and the 5 minute activity for the week. Materials needed: ball, beanbag or stuffed animal

Doc1.docx

Self-Care: Brushing teeth is an essential life skill. Check out this week's list of updated resources in the Self-Care Section to help your child with brushing teeth. Resources include how to videos, adapted toothbrushes, and links for printable brushing teeth routines.

Handwriting: If you have a younger child or your child is having difficulty forming specific letters, check out this video on letter formation. It is a little long, so feel free to jump to certain letters!


To practice letter formation, click the link below for a printable worksheet to practice tracing and copying the alphabet (or make your own at home!):

*For older students: Can you write the upper- and lowercase alphabet letters from memory in reverse order (Z to A)??

Week 1 (4/6-4/9)

Fine motor: This week we would like you to look around your house and gather some small items such as: pom poms/cotton balls, Lego, small Play Doh balls, small erasers, etc. Also look for: tongs and/or tweezers, cup, and disposable plastic food contianers. After you have collected some of these items, please click on these videos links for activities:

20200405_133757.mp4

Sensory/Self-regulation : Click the link for the introduction to Zones and a 5 minute activity for today. Materials needed: wall, painters tape, line on floor, or chalk if doing this outside.

Self-Care: Click the link (Self-Care Week 1) below to find out more about what OT's do to address self-care and watch a kid friendly video about buttoning, zipping, and shoe tying.

Handwriting: Pre-writing strokes are the foundational skills for handwriting and indicate handwriting readiness in children. Check out this video that shows the 9 pre-writing strokes:


Click the pre-writing worksheet links below to practice tracing and/or copying these (print OR use paper at home!):

Now, can you try making your own picture using ALL 9 of the pre-writing strokes?? Think people, houses, rocket ships, boats, etc. -- get creative!!