Action Verbs

Here are two pages from the Action Word Writing Packet to expand your student’s vocabulary, use for brain breaks, practice handwriting and more.  Download the Action Word Wall freebie here –  http://yourtherapysource.com/actionwordwallfreebie.html Get more information on the complete packet here – http://yourtherapysource.com/actionwordwall.html

5 Tips to Support Risk Taking in Children

Do you allow children to explore enough?  Risk taking is so important in childhood. This generation of children is so shielded from many risks that perhaps you and I were allowed to overcome as we grew up.  Taking a risk and achieving a goal provides a child with a strong sense of accomplishment.  Remember back to when you were young when you climbed a tall tree, scaled a fence or rode your bicycle down a steep hill.  It feels exhilarating that you did it by yourself.  So next time a child is trying a new skill that might be a bit risky try some of the tips before you say "stop":

1. Observe the situation closely. See if they can do the task safely without you interfering. 
2. If you need to interfere to ensure safety can you offer verbal suggestions instead of physical prompts?  
3. It is the same theory when children are learning any new skill assist as little as possible. Even in situations where it may be easier for you to help in terms of speeding up the task or peace of mind. 
4. Will the child will succeed better if someone else is the teacher?  If you are particularly nervous watching a child perform a certain skill, perhaps ask someone else to work on the goal ie parent, aunt, uncle, etc.
5. Stop and make sure that you are not saying "no" due to your own fears.  When children walk along in the school or the community, are you especially fearful that they may not make it safely to their destination? Perhaps start off small and follow quite a bit distance behind until you are comfortable that the child arrived to the destination.  In a school setting, send the child back to class alone but maybe call the classroom to let the teacher know the child is on his/her way.  This gives the child a sense of independence.  

What do you do to support risky exploration in children?  

It's a plane..... It's a bird..... It's a Superhero Action Verb!  This download includes sensory motor activities about
action verbs such as roll, crawl, kneel, walk, run, hop, throw, kick, etc.  Practice fine moor, gross motor, handwriting and 

literacy skills with this collection.

FIND OUT MORE at http://yourtherapysource.com/superhero.html

Teaching Action Verbs - Get Moving!

A recent study caught my eye that television is not working when it comes to teaching action verbs to young children. Funny, but I could have told them that. Not sure why anyone would want to use a television set to teach a young child anything. To use it as a babysitter for a few minutes - guilty as charged but not as a teacher. The research did indicate that if an adult interacts with them they can learn the action verbs. Well great, but I can think of so many more ways to learn action verbs instead of watching a television set. How about do the actions. Now there is a novel idea. Children can perform action verbs and adults interact by using words to describe the actions. If a young child has a disability that precludes them from performing the action perhaps a peer or adult can demonstrate it. Provide physical assistance to the child to perform the action verb if necessary. Anyone else have any ideas?

Try creating our Mini Action Books to encourage literacy regarding action words.

Reference: Roseberry et al. Live Action: Can Young Children Learn Verbs From Video? Child Development, 2009; 80 (5): 1360 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01338.x