Coach's
Column
Susan Roberts
October 10, 2020
Hello Friends! My happy place is with children and educators so it is good to be back after this long summer!
Childcare Resources’ first professional development offering will be More WHATs, HOWs, & WHY’s of Fine Motor PLUS Sensory Activities & Self-Help Skills! Dr. Marianne Gibbs will give a live presentation packed with ideas that can be easily used in the classroom with readily available materials. She is a very motivating and engaging speaker and I think you will really enjoy her interactive Zoom session.
She will be sharing many ideas for working with fine motor skills which are so important to developing dexterity and strength. Both are necessary for the more formal writing demands of elementary school. I saw many of her ideas being used in classrooms after her last visit. Children enjoy using “tools” such as tweezers and materials like cotton balls and sand. Activities like stringing fruit loops on pipe cleaners and drawing on vertical surfaces or under tables is always fun!
Did you notice the words in the title after the PLUS? Dr. Gibbs will be reviewing the developmental sequence of obtaining fine motor skills and giving example of appropriate activities by age. Tummy time is an activity which strengthens a child’s arms and wrists which help with the fine motor development of the hand and fingers. Self-help skills such as eating finger foods, buttoning, picking up and putting away toys, lacing, etc. all encourage motor skills. Each age and stage builds upon previous experiences. The result is a child who is less frustrated when entering school. He is able to communicate by drawing and writing letters which leads to an easier kindergarten transition.
The first 75 people to sign up for Dr. Gibbs workshop will be getting a small bag of materials to use during the Zoom session and the handout delivered to their school a few days before the workshop. The only other thing you’ll need is your very full purse. I’ll leave you guessing as to what that is for!
I hope to see you on Zoom!
Wishing you Well!
