My Obstacle Course: Engage, Encourage and Empower

A fun, structured, systematic way to work on your child's strengths and weaknesses at home!

Archives for March 2011

Spring Themed Word Sort

When Andrew was younger, it became obvious that sitting at the kitchen counter to practice school work or therapy words was not going to be easy or fun, for either of us! That is one of the main reasons for coming up with My Obstacle Course. We needed something different and one of the things that I realized right away was how easy it was to turn basic skills he was working on into easy games or sorts. These sorts also allowed him to show what he knew without needing to be intelligible. I was able to reinforce his teachers and also challenge him where he was academically. Turning something like working on long vowel patterns into a game or a sort like this makes it so much more fun.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Sort the words according to their vowel pattern.

The picture shows this station activity during a March/Spring themed Obstacle Course. Doesn’t it look so much more appealing than the usual ways to practice spelling patterns? I think so, and more importantly, so does Andrew! The task is clear and he knows that once he is done, we get to move on. He’s not going to be stuck there for an unknown amount of time practicing something he may or may not care about. There is a purpose to this, sort the words into the correct pail, which makes motivating him so much easier.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Long Vowel Sorting (-ay, -ai-, -a-e)

Putting The Station Activity Together:

  • I wrote out words that had the long /a/ patterns he was working on (words like pail, rain, lane, gave, day, ray, etc.) on calendar cutouts and also provided cutouts with the vowel patterns on them as labels to show where they go. This could be done with uppercase or lowercase letters for letter recognition, or any vowel/spelling pattern that your child is working on (here is a link to a page of vowel patterns).
  • If you don’t have cutouts or don’t want to use them, any paper, index cards or post-it notes work well.
  • I used some spring colored pails from Target so he would have a place to sort the words into. This also helps me because after he sorts them and before we move on, we go through each pail’s words, read them out loud together and I can double-check to make sure they were all correctly sorted.

What To Do At The Station:

When they get to the station, point out the vowel pattern labels and say the sound the pattern makes. Flip over the first card in the pile, say the word and find the pattern the word uses. Place the card into the pail that is labeled with the pattern. Continue until all of the words have been sorted. If you’d like to add a challenge, hold the cards, say the word and have them spell it out loud or place it in the correct pail without looking at the word. If they don’t get it correct, put it back in the pile or show it to them, point out the vowel pattern and place it in the correct pail.

 

The word "pail" sorted into the "-ai-" bucket.

This activity doesn’t take much time to make or set up at all, just a little planning and prep work. It really is such a simple thing however it is helping your child build academic skills while also allowing you to engage and encourage them in a fun way.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Spring Colored Containers

I love containers! I don’t know what it is about them, it just always makes me feel good to know that something has a place. When I began doing My Obstacle Courses with Andrew, I began collecting inexpensive containers (paper or plastic cups included!) that went along with themes that would not only help me create a fun, colorful adventure but also really helps me with organization and Obstacle Course set up.

I found these spring colored pails at Target and thought they were so cute but in all honesty, at first I said to myself,”Well, he doesn’t like to dig in the sand or dirt. That’s really too bad!” But then as I took another look at them, I realized that I could use them in so many other ways with him; ways that had nothing to do with things that are messy! So now, I notice things at stores that I would never have noticed before, and think about all of the possible new uses for basic things.

These pails are not only bright and spring-y, they are perfect for sorting into or holding larger items like blocks or Duplos at a station.

Spring colored buckets

These smaller containers (you could take the ribbons off if you like) would be great for holding materials like question strips or story sequencing cards, as well as being used for sorting colored puffs or math facts written on calendar cutouts.

Small spring colored pails
Buckets Large and Small

I also found these muffin cups (and if you’ve been following my blog, you know that I don’t bake 🙂 ) and immediately thought would be great for holding small items like colored marshmallows before sorting or graphing or could contain coins that are waiting to be counted. They are great because they are durable, reusable, and can be squeezed to help pour things into one’s hand or onto a work surface. These could also be combined with frosting and a cake decorating kit to build hand strength by having your child fill them with frosting to make pretend cupcakes (Just thought of that as I’m writing and am definitely using that with Andrew this year!).

Spring colored muffin cups

While this particular post does not give specific activities to use with these adorable containers, keep checking back because the posts I have planned for the next few weeks will show how I have used them in the past, as well as how I’m planning to use them this spring, to build literacy, math and motor skills!

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Building Hand Strength with Frosting and Food Coloring

I was looking for ways to build Andrew’s hand strength, particularly the muscles that allow the hand to squeeze and squash things. I have shown how I’ve used frosting in a cake decorator (Cookie Cutter Decorating) to work on this and was particularly excited about his interest in making colors with food coloring and thought about combining the two. Knowing that he doesn’t really like to get his hands sticky (neither do I!) I turned to one of my favorite items for containing messy things – the Ziploc bag.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Squeeze the frosting to make new colors.

Station Activity Set Up:

I scooped some whipped frosting into the bag and placed some drops of food coloring, strategically scattering them around so they wouldn’t all be clumped in the same spot. For this particular station activity I choose yellow and blue food coloring because it was March and I wanted him to see how those two colors make green. With the prep work done for this (another easy station to set up – time spent, probably less than a minute!) it was ready and waiting for My Obstacle Course to begin.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Squeeze the frosting to make new colors.

At The Station:

When he got to the station, he read the directions that he was to squeeze and squish the frosting so the colors would mix or combine. I demonstrated how to do this and showed how he could lift the bag and squeeze the frosting to move it around. He pushed and pressed, made a fist and pounded the frosting. It was hard work for him but he was also so excited to see the colors changing as the mixed in, first turning the frosting yellow and blue in sections and then mixing to make green. I loved it because it was really working his little hand muscles without him getting upset or bothered by sticky frosting on his hands. (Working on sensory tolerance for the stickiness is a station on its own, one done right at the sink 🙂 . But my goal for this activity was to build fine motor, hand strength.)

When you are done, the bag of colored frosting does not have to be disposed of just yet. It can also be used to build beginning handwriting skills…

 

(Colored frosting in Ziploc bag)

the same way I showed with No “Ick” Finger Painting! Your child can practice making shapes, letters and numbers in the colored frosting while also building finger and hand strength.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Calendar Numbers – Not Just For Calendars!

I was strolling through the aisles of my local teacher supply store (One of my favorite things to do! What can I say? Some people love to browse for shoes and clothes, I love to browse for educational supplies! 🙂 ) and noticed that there was a whole section devoted to calendar supplies, especially thematic calendar numbers. Obviously, I knew that they carried these materials, I just hadn’t thought to use them in a different way. I guess that’s one of the many things that Andrew has taught me – think outside of the box a bit more and don’t assume there is only one way to do something or use something!

At the time I was working on numbers and number order with Andrew and didn’t really need to go any higher than 31, so I picked some up. Once I got them home and started playing around with them, I got all sorts of ideas. This is just one way I have used them as part of My Obstacle Course. The activity is so simple and easy to set up and yet your child is working on building an essential mathematics skill.

Calendar Number Idea #1: Putting Numbers In Order

 

How to set up the station: Select a group of numbers that your child is familiar with but also may be challenged by them not being in order (ex. 1-10, 10-20, or 20-30. You could also set out a smaller group if 10 is too much.). Set out the first and last number and place the other numbers below, all mixed up (see photo below for example). Note:  This can be done putting numbers in order from least to greatest and also greatest to least.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Put the numbers in order from 10-20. Read and point to them when you are finished. (March themed calendar numbers)

Instructions:

My Obstacle Course Station Activity:

  • Look at the numbers set out.
  • Look at the first number, find the number from below that comes next.
  • This is a great opportunity to model and encourage talking and thinking out loud. This is one of the benefits of reinforcing things at home, they don’t have to worry about disturbing the child next to them and you get to hear how they are thinking. Example:  Parent: “What is the first number?” Child: “10.” Parent: “What comes after 10?” Child: “10, 11.” Parent: “Yes, 11 comes after 10. Can you find the number 11?”
  • Continue until all of the numbers have been placed in the correct order. Read the numbers in order when completed.

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Put the numbers in order from 15-25 (Apple themed calendar numbers used in September)
Working to put the numbers in order.

Easy and Informative

These make it so easy to reinforce and build on the math skills your child is ready for and also allows you to see firsthand if they are understanding math concepts. You are able to see in a matter of minutes what they have mastered and where they are struggling. This information can then be used to create future stations that build on skills where and how they need.

I have also found this sort of activity really helpful when meeting with evaluators and teachers because I could share with them specific examples of what he was doing in an environment where he wasn’t anxious and didn’t have to use intelligible words to show what he knew by doing this activity.

Stay tuned for future posts on more ways to use these thematic calendar numbers.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

 

Easy Theme Reinforcers – March

One of the main reasons I came up with My Obstacle Course was to find a way to engage with Andrew at home while doing reinforcement activities for therapies and school. I found that utilizing a theme for each Obstacle Course allowed me to work on skills in all developmental areas while being purposeful and meaningful for him. The themes can range from a general monthly theme to a specific theme that is reinforcing what your child is learning about in school but what they do is help to tie all the different stations together.

Easy Ways To Reinforce A Theme:

I have had many people comment that it must take a great deal of time to prepare the activities and while it does take a little time and preparation (most of which I hope to make easier for you through my posts!), there are so many easy ways to make activities thematic. For example, it is March and so for the entire month (even after St. Patrick’s Day) I use thematic helpers like shamrock shaped calendar cutouts.

Memory Match game made from shamrock shaped calendar cutouts.

I also gather up anything green (or whatever goes with the theme) that I can find that can be used, such as…

  • a green ball or balloon for bouncing, tossing, catching, kicking, rolling, etc.
My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Pass the green ball back and forth 10 times.
  • green ink for my letter stamps
My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Alphabet stamps with green ink.
  • “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss for a reading or listening station activity
My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Read "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss
  • green dice to roll for number identification, addition, subtraction, multiplication – Link to previous post on dice.
  • green markers or crayons for drawing, texture rubbings, letter, number or word writing practice
  • green Duplo blocks for fine motor skill practice by putting them together or pulling them apart
  • blue and yellow food coloring in water to be combined to make green with dropper or baster – Link to previous post on using droppers.

These easy to put together station activities, along with other ideas I share, make it easy to build skills he is ready for in a way that is fun, colorful and kid-friendly. I encourage you to go on a “green” hunt in your child’s toy box, cupboard or closet and you may be surprised at what you find that can be incorporated! Once I began doing that, I realized that I could use toys and tools in ways other than their originally intended purpose. It made things so much easier for me and also more fun for Andrew because while he might recognize the objects, he never knew how I was going to have him use them. I just love ideas that help me use the element of surprise to keep him engaged with me!

Engage, Encourage and Empower!

Greater Than/Less Than Using Sticker Cards

Here is a link to a previous post, Sticker Cards, that I did showing how to make what I call sticker number cards. These are modeled after a deck of cards but because I make them with stickers and colored index cards, they can be made quite easily to go with the theme we are doing in My Obstacle Course. I love ideas or things that I can make and keep to use in a variety of ways to expand on concepts and skills as his knowledge and abilities expand.

In the past I have used these cards to work on number order, one to one correspondence, “Make This Number” and addition. I was setting up a March themed course and after looking at things Andrew was ready to work on, I decided to use them as a visual aide in a station activity to see how he did comparing two numbers. When I first set up the station, I did not have the sticker cards but when looking at it I decided to include them so he could see what the number amount looked like. (You could also provide actual objects for them to count out. Any kind of manipulative works – dried beans, Cheerios, buttons, pennies, etc. If it can be counted out, it can be used as a manipulative!). I’m really glad that I put them out because he absolutely used them!

My Obstacle Course Station Activity: Decide if the first number is greater than or less than the second number. Flip the sticker cards over if you need help.

As you can see in the photograph below, I used calendar cutouts to write the numbers as well as the “greater than” and “less than” symbols (with words written out). There are several different ways to teach your children how to remember what those symbols mean. One way is to tell them to pretend that the symbol is a hungry alligator and always eats the bigger number. It also helps to read the numbers and symbol like a sentence that has to make sense. The sentence for the photograph below would read, “Six is greater than two.”

 

Sticker cards used as a "greater than," "less than" My Obstacle Course Station Activity.

Note: During my educational courses in college it was always emphasized to incorporate visual, auditory and kinesthetic aspects to each lesson taught to make sure each learning style is reached. I find that this is so helpful when providing reinforcement activities for Andrew, especially when he wasn’t speaking and I had no idea what he knew or how he learned best. It doesn’t take much and does not have to be super fancy but taking the time to provide a visual, auditory and something they can manipulate is well worth it! I hope you are seeing this through the station activities that I am sharing and as always, if you have any questions or would like me to post on a skill or concept you are working on with your child, please email me at obstaclecoursemom@yahoo.com or post on my Facebook Page at My Obstacle Course.

Engage, Encourage and Empower!