Get Students Ready to Excel in School through Movement
Jeff Haebig
Here is a list of behaviors observed in school that pose problems for the teacher and learners. We often view these behaviors negatively, thinking the student is misbehaving... or not trying. We frequently label the student rather than getting to the root of the problem -- and solving it.
I have described various problems below as
Learning Challenges, suggested immature
Sensory-Motor Systems that might be the cause, and proposed
Neuro Stimulation Activities that have been successfuly used to remediate the problem.
Our desire is to build student success in reading, writing, spelling and math through movement sequences. Acquire handy ways to inhibit primitive reflexes, build visual acuity, strengthen auditory processing, improve tactile and motor function, and mature the vestibular system. Build a solid neurological foundation that supports vibrant learning. Move beyond rhetoric and labels – leave no child behind developmentally with neurostimulation activities.
Learning Challenge: slumping in the desk, collapsing the head on the desk for support
Sensory-motor Systems: – retained TLR/STNR reflexes, weak vestibular system, poor muscle tone
Neuro Stimulation Activity: superman pose, saucer spin with head and hands up, tuck and pop
Learning Challenge: white knuckles bearing down while writing, torn papers, poor penmanship
Sensory-motor Systems: retained primitive ATNR, Grasp, STNR reflexes, tactile system
Neuro Stimulation Activity: lazy bubble blowing, one-armed wall push-up, creep track, overhead ladder
Learning Challenge: poor penmanship, difficulty switching from printing to writing
Sensory-motor Systems: lack of fine-motor finger/ wrist control – retained STNR and ATNR, proprioception
Neuro Stimulation Activity: whole-arm tracing, fine paint brushing, start-stop writing activities, play dough
Learning Challenge: residual movement of opposite arm, difficulty writing, drawing, throwing, catching
Sensory-motor Systems: – retained STNR primitive reflex, retained bi-laterality, deficient arm extension
Neuro Stimulation Activity: wrist weights, one arm tug of war, scooter board surfing, balloon tapping
Learning Challenge: trouble copying work from the chalkboard, or shifting focus from teacher to your paper
Sensory-motor Systems: – STNR, visual accommodation (near, far), convergence, hyper vestibular system
Neuro Stimulation Activity: thumb/wall focus, super straw, cotton-ball hockey, playing catch, beanbag toss
Learning Challenge: noodle in desk -- wrapping the foot around the desk leg for support, clumsy
Sensory-motor Systems: – weak tonic (static) muscle control, retained STNR, hypertactility
Neuro Stimulation Activity: push, pull, carry, traction, and compression activities, pogo stick, stretching
Learning Challenge: bouncing, fidgeting, and squirming while seating at their desk
Sensory-motor Systems: hypo vestibular, weak proprioception and co-contraction of hips, knees and ankles
Neuro Stimulation Activity: standing, work up to ten15-second spins then15-second eyes closed recovery
Learning Challenge: attentional problems
Sensory-motor Systems: low dopamine production in the reticular and vestibular system, excess stress
Neuro Stimulation Activity: fun, novel sensory stimulation, gross-motor movements, vestibular activation
Learning Challenge: continual tapping a foot or pencil, clicking a pen
Sensory-motor Systems: – weak proprioception, low body awareness, lack of directionality
Neuro Stimulation Activity: obstacle course, reciprocal actions (mimicking activity),
Learning Challenge: falling out of the desk, holding on the desk for support
Sensory-motor Systems: – hypo vestibular, weak proprioception, weak muscle tone, active TLR
Neuro Stimulation Activity: rotation, stop and go, rolling, jumping, swinging, changing directions quickly
Learning Challenge: slowly rocking back and forth in the desk -- or frequently out of desk walking around
Sensory-motor Systems: hyper vestibular, visual and auditory overwhelm, allergies
Neuro Stimulation Activity: rocking, slow swinging and linear movement, direction change, balancing board
Learning Challenge: fixation problems, trouble reading with inability to sustain steady eye focus
Sensory-motor Systems: vestibular weakness, binocular focus, convergence, accommodation
Neuro Stimulation Activity: coloring books, puzzles, tracing, clay letters/words, aiming at a target
Learning Challenge: visual tracking is not smooth or sustained, lose your place reading, letter reversals
Sensory-motor Systems: – vestibular, ocular muscle control, neck stability, visual fixation, binocular focus
Neuro Stimulation Activity: lazy 8s, smooth hand-eye, rainbow tracing, puzzles, light therapy,
Learning Challenge: reading and writing challenges, eyes jerking and switching when crossing the mid-line
Sensory-motor Systems: interhemispheric, mid-line, ATNR, STNR, smooth pursuits, fixations
Neuro Stimulation Activity: smooth hand-eye cross-laterals, juggling, Bal-A-Vis-X crossover activities,
Learning Challenge: trouble reading and writing left to right, running to third base instead of first, not knowing the upper right corner of the page, letter reversals (m-w… p-q… wow-mom)
Sensory-motor Systems: laterality, directionality, directional discrimination, vestibular weakness, STNR
Neuro Stimulation Activity: obstacle courses, human knot, over-under-through, large letter tracing
Learning Challenge: touching and bumping into people, standing too close to people
Sensory-motor Systems: hypo vestibular, tactile, weak proprioception, visual coordination, depth perception
Neuro Stimulation Activity: stretching, adding weights, pushing, pulling, hanging, vision development
Learning Challenge: ambidextrous, shifting hands to write, cut, draw, throw, etc.
Sensory-motor Systems: laterality, mid-line problems
Neuro Stimulation Activity: repetitive movements of dominant hand, (check writing foot for dominant hand)
Learning Challenge: dizzy, nauseated, headachy from attending gym or sitting in a busy room
Sensory-motor Systems: hyper vestibular, hyperauditory, visual coordination and depth perception
Neuro Stimulation Activity: balancing, slow rolling, swinging, gradual spinning, vision development
Learning Challenge: aversion to being touched, handling materials, catching balls, sitting on rough carpet
Sensory-motor Systems: hypersensitive, immature tactile system
Neuro Stimulation Activity: deep pressure, massage, rubbing, rolling, stretching
Learning Challenge: aggressive, withdrawn, silly, helpless, frustrated behavior
Sensory-motor Systems: excess stress, sensory overload, lack of learning choices
Neuro Stimulation Activity: self-initiated activities, more frequency, intensity and duration, relaxation, fun
Learning Challenge: delayed reading/spelling with weak letter, word and sound recognition (next session)
Sensory-motor Systems: auditory processing, interhemispheric, visual memory, auditory blending
Neuro Stimulation Activity: SMART word ladders, sound blending, auditory closure and discrimination
Learning Challenge: math delays, finger counting, counting by ones (next session)
Sensory-motor Systems: motor planning, motor planning, visual memory, cerebellar
Neuro Stimulation Activity: SMART dominos, flash cards, skip counting, rhythmic/movement sequences
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