I’ve been searching the old posts in this forum , but I can’t find the threads that discussed this topic.
DS is doing homework from the VT to improve his right/left issues,but our home exercises are too boring. I was hoping to get some tips here on variations we could do until we see the doctor next time.
We’ve been having him stand in front of a black board,and when I draw an arrow he has to say what direction and point (“up and right”). That type of thing.
If any of you have any other ones… Thanks!
Re: VT exercises for directionality isues
Maybe it is too abstract to have him *tell* you or even point, you might try getting him physically involved. Sort of like a Simon Says only you say and do move forward/backward/ this way— say right and that way/ left. Then raise arms up and down. After he gets that you might try moving a toy, say one with legs different directions. After that you can go to the directions on paper or computer screen.
In On Cloud Nine, Nanci Bell spends a little time on making sure the kids can do this physically before having them do it on a number line, but doesn’t have any suggestions if they cannot. But I would guess it is like teaching prepositions, some kids just don’t get it unless they are actively/ physically involved.
—des
directionality
We have several exercises. One involves using P and d turned forward and back. The child sits and taps right hand for the P and left foot for the d. Then you can add a forward and back B that requires they tap right hand and right foot together. Of course they have to say what they are tapping as they do it.
Try doing it to a metronome as well.
Also look at stomp for nintendo and play station. Someone else here mentioned it. It requires the child stomp a pad on the floor in the front, back, left or right direction in response to arrows on the screen. There is a timing element to it as well and it is fun because it is set to music.
We will be getting that for Christmas. This is still an area of difficulty for my son too.
Re: VT exercises for directionality isues
Hi Karen,
Our VT had me create intricate mazes. My son had to follow them with his pencil and say the directions as he moved through them. We also did the arrow exercises which were dull, but they were quick and easy so we never had problems with them. My son prefered saying them rather than moving his arms to them (although it seems like body movement would be more effective).
I did notice that even only one to two months of just using directionaltiy arrows and his verbal participation seemed to help.
We have the Playstation Dance Revolution game which sounds similar to Stomp. The kids LOVE it and quite honestly I never even thought about it as being good for teaching directionality, but I can see how it might be helpful. I like it for general coordination. But it’s really an awesome game that most kids seem to really enjoy.
We had a sheet of large arrows-4 x 5 rows of arrows pointing in the four directions. We did some of what you are doing - using both hands and verbalizing. we also did opposites - do and say the opposites of what is on the sheet.
We also turned the sheet 90 and 180 degrees.
the old program logo used have kids direct ‘turtles’ on screen with forward, back, left. right commands. lego’s mindstorms line of products comes from this. you can build and program robots! But it was very common to see kids unable to direct the ‘turtle’ if it was in a position different from the child’s orientation -eg. upside down. Try a simple maze drawing and have your child verbally direct your pencil or game marker thru the maze.
Trudi’s time and place - a piece of software by edmark - has a game that practices the ordinal and cardinal directions. Great for younger child ( up to age 10 or so)