Child(ish) Reads: Growing an In-Sync Child

Since April was National #OTMonth, I wanted to switch gears from our usual parenting library. So for this edition of Child(ish) Reads, I bring you “Patti reads an OT book”.

I asked Mary for a few title recommendations on occupational therapy concepts that could help the everyday parent understand child development, and I landed on:

Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop, Learn, and Grow
by Carol Kranowitz and Joye Newman

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Playing in Prone: Superman Activities for All

Tummy Time for babies is a basic building block to prone extension for children and adults. 

What is that? Prone extension (aka the Superman) is when you lay on your stomach and lift your arms and legs straight off the ground. 

This position helps with balance, attention, and coordination. It’s also a good indicator if your child has postural control issues. 

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Let There Be Light: Flashlight Play for Visual Processing

Let There Be Light: Flashlight Play for Visual Processing

Oc-You-Low-Motor.
Oculomotor relates to the motion of the eye. The eye muscles are just like any other voluntary muscle, they need to be exercised! This flashlight activity is the perfect example of activating and exercising the eye muscles and still having fun.

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The Quick Long List of Pencil Grasp Activities

An effective pencil grasp is one that allows for the greatest amount of finger movement and the least amount of fatigue in the hand muscles. This requires hand and finger strength, finger isolation, manual dexterity, and wrist stability. Here is a quick list of activities to help. 

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