Visual Motor Connections When Tracing, Handwriting and Typing

Trends in Neuroscience and Education published research examining the visual motor connections in the brain when tracing, handwriting and typing in preschool children.  Since handwriting letters has been shown to increase Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal during letter perception in visual and motor brain regions the researchers investigated functional connectivity by analyzing BOLD data obtained from 4 to 6 year-old children after learning symbols through handwriting, tracing, or typing.

The data analysis revealed that functional conditions between:

• visual and parietal regions increased after all training conditions.
• visual and ventral frontal regions increased after handwriting training with letters more than shapes.
• visual and dorsal frontal motor regions increased more after handwriting than typing letters.

The researchers concluded that visual-motor training creates functional connections among visual and motor brain regions that reflect different aspects of the handwriting experience.

Reference:  Vinci-Booher, S., James, T. W., & James, K. H. (2016). Visual-motor functional connectivity in preschool children emerges after handwriting experience. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 5(3), 107-120.

Need handwriting resources?  Check out these titles:

The Handwriting Book

Handwriting Stations

Handwriting Heroes Program

Handwriting Bundle – HWT Style

Need visual motor resources?  Check out these titles:

Visual Motor Exercises

Patterns, Patterns, Patterns

Visual Motor Collection – 50% Off!

Need keyboarding resources?  Check out:

Keyboarding Rubrics

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Aerobic Exercise Improved Self Regulation and Behavior

Pediatrics published research to determine if structured aerobic exercise during physical education (PE) resulted in improvements in behavioral self-regulation and classroom functioning among 103 children (ages 7-16 years old) with students with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and mood disorders.

Over a 14-week crossover design, students were randomly assigned to receive the 7-week aerobic cybercycling PE curriculum or standard nonaerobic PE.  The cybercycling phase had children use the bikes 2 times per week during 30- to 40-minute PE classes.

The results indicated that following the aerobic intervention phase, children experienced 32% to 51% lower odds of poor self-regulation and learning-inhibiting disciplinary time out of class.   The effects were more pronounced on days that children participated in the aerobic exercise where disruptive behaviors dropped over 70 percent, but carryover effects were also observed.

References:

Bowling, A. et al. Cybercycling Effects on Classroom Behavior in Children With Behavioral Health Disorders: An RCT. Pediatrics Jan 2017, e20161985; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1985

Heasley, S. Study: Exercise May Cut Behavior Issues In Half. Retrieved on 1/12/2017 from http://ift.tt/2iabN0C

Self Regulation Skills Curriculum: Move – Work – Breathe – This curriculum provides an effective, time-efficient structured system to provide classroom breaks, improve self-awareness and self advocacy and teach specific self-regulation skills so that kids have tools to use in their classrooms. This system will get kids moving, give them the benefits of a brain power boost [from getting their heart rate up], give them heavy work and isometrics to help them calm down, and help them learn techniques to quiet and control their bodies in order to return to their academic work. FIND OUT MORE.

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