Any helpful hints?

[AshleyS]

On teaching number/letter recognition to a developmentally delayed child with CP? I want to use the five senses as well as possible, but I fight him on actually "writing" the numbers and letters, so I don't want to keep fighting that battle when he's simply not ready to try writing. So now I'm left with only hearing and seeing them on flashcards or as I write them and say them. We're starting slow with 0-5 and the letters in his name, but I'd really like to make it to ten by the end of the year and maybe add about five letters besides the ones in his name.

For reference, he can spell his name and count to 20. I'm just lost on the recognizing them on paper part.

[Hollie in SC]

Do you have number magnets or foam letters or you could cut numbers out of cardstock or felt. I would try using those to match up with a set of items that you can count together.

3 magnet with a set of 3 blocks
2 magnet with 2 cookies
etc


Is that the kind of thing you are looking for?

I have this book (http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-People-Syndrome-Hands-Learners/dp/1890627429/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254857788&sr=8-1) (but haven't read it :blush: ) and you might see if your library has it. It is aimed towards hands-on learners.

[Esther-Alabama]

What about making letters from stuff with him?

I did this with my middle ds. He read VERY early, but lagged in the writing department. He was just not coordinated enough to write at 3yrs. SO, we made the letter we were working on from play-doh, from sticks, from duplos, from just about anything we could find. He learned to see letters everywhere! we worked on how to form each letter until he really knew it and then when he was ready, he was able to write them.

I would also try the Leap Frog videos I really love those. There is a catchy little tune and it is a fun video.

What about www.Starfall.com? That is a fun little website and my youngest ds still likes playing around on there. He likes to show his sister the letter videos. He loves that he is "teaching" her.

[Alice R]

Writing this very quickly and not really thinking so much. :lol:

Tracing sandpaper letters.
Writing letters in sand
Writing letters in shaving cream

[Alice R]

How impaired is he physically?

I've made flashcards with my daughter (not developmentally delayed but slow with reading). I say the word and she picks it up.

Can you lay them out on the table and have him tap the card that you say/read? My daughter is having fun with that one.

Then I ask her to be the teacher and she says the word/letter/sound and I pick it up.

[AshleyS]

We do have magnets--great idea to use them for more than just decor on the fridge!:lol:

He has pretty good use of his right hand and so far, I have been asking him to point to the "2", etc. I just don't want our lessons to be so one dimensional. I think we should probably focus on one letter/number a week and like you say, make them out of different stuff. But I will try reversing the roles--sounds like a good idea.

Sand and shaving cream: too many sensory issues. :unsure: He would be totally focused on trying not to gag instead of learning.

And he IS NOT a TV watcher except for two things: Food Network and Little People, Big World (loves the guy's crutches!). He loves the computer, but is more into messing with the keyboard and mouse as opposed to actually watching the screen.

I think I'll check out the book as well--thanks for the ideas! Keep 'em coming if anyone else has some!

[Hollie in SC]

You could take the magnetic numbers a step further: Add a cookie sheet and some more basic shaped magnets (circles, fruit, something you can count....) and use them on the cookie sheet.

[Alice R]

Cookie sheets work well with children with mobility issues. You can hold it up or lay it down and nothing slides off and they can hold it on their lap easily.

I've done a fun lesson...might be messy...but you take a mirror and a water spray bottle...foam letters stick to them!!! :lol: It's nothing brilliant but for some reason kids like it. It's good for fine motor skills...combining goals. ;)

Chalk? You can get an adaptive holder. Not exciting to us but kids enjoy it for some reason.

Depending on motor skills, Go Fish is a good one. You tie a magnet on a string and paper clip the letters/sounds or whatever you want. Then you Go Fish. ;) VERY FUN. Again, good for motor skills. ;) I had forgotten about that one. I might have to use it with my daughter. :lol:

[AshleyS]

Great ideas!!! Thank you!

[carriejoy]

Ashley, you can also stand behind him, hold out his arm in front of him and have him write GIANT "air letters". Say the name of the letter as you write it. You might consider doing that in "cursive" since it would be a fluid motion and you could even write his name in the air that way. No picking up and putting down.

this was a method I learned from Slingerland dyslexia training. It helps develop that pathway in the brain.

A white board is fun. I held my son on my lap and held his hand and we did cursive letters on it. It was VERY fluid and smooth - no herky jerky feeling, no ripping paper etc. And you can write BIG w/o using tons of paper! And there are FUN colors for dry erase pens. ;) I would guide Einar's hand and we would both say the name of the letter. I actually did the SOUNDS of hte letter rather than just the name. Einar has some motor skill issues and I REALLY suspect there is some neuro things happening - sensory/dyslexia/seizures maybe... I don't know. But writing was L.A.B.O.R.I.O.U.S. for him. He hasn't transferred the "ease" of it yet to every day writing, but it's coming.

If you have a clear enough space on your floor you could put masking tape down and make HUGE letters/numbers with it. You guys could walk the letters, or crawl them or whatever.

He may like using water colors to write with too.

As far as using sand or rice or beans or something, could he wear a glove to "cushion" the sensory input on his skin but still get the "resistance" of the medium? I have no real experience in this - just thinking outloud.

Good luck! What a good mommy you are!

[Alice R]

http://ebeth.typepad.com/serendipity/2008/08/a-tutorial-for.html

Maybe this is helpful? Maybe not?

But it is a fun blog to read and get great ideas. :clap:

[AshleyS]

Alice--super resource!:clap:

And Carrie--I'm definitely going to be getting a white board. I already use his fingers to trace over letters/numbers as we talk about them (makes me feel like Anne Sullivan teaching Helen Keller!!). I'm making a better plan of attack for the weeks to come.

[Hollie in SC]

Saw a website this weekend....not sure how I found it :lol:. She uses cookie sheets, super magnets (follow her links to find the site she uses) and printables (same site).
http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/2009/08/prek-letter.html

Also, Handwriting Without Tears has the wooden letters that you use to learn to make the letters and strokes. They also have a pre-K set which has a nifty looking Stamp and See screen.
http://shopping.hwtears.com/category/prek

[Alice R]

maybe a montessori approach?

i have a nice link somewhere...

[Alice R]

http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/sweetness_and_light/

meredith has a nice blog and she is a new author.

if you search her blog, she does a montessori pre-k approach. maybe you'll see a few ideas?

[DD in IL]

You can put beads on a pipe cleaner and then bend the beads to make letters. When you have him point out the number 2 when he does it...tell him to take 2 mini M and M's, etc., have him hold up 2 fingers, go find 2 stuffed animals, 2 cars, etc. Using the letter magnets, flash cards, etc have 2 sets and let him play match/memory. If you are using the magnetic letters show him your letter A and see if he can find the same letter on the fridge. While sitting at the doctor's office, etc I would have dd circle all the letter A's she could find in our magazine, etc. Sing the ABC song while pointing out each letter. We sing it 3 times each day....one is the old usualy alphabet song, then we rap sing it and then we sing it the way they do on Word Why show....pointing each time we sing.

[Melissa C]

How about using stamps? Putting out 3 letters, having him choose the letter A and stamping it on a paper somewhere? You could do the same with numbers. It makes for a quick way of copying or independently providing an answer without having to write.

This is a good reminder for me... I need to get the stamps out for Mattie; she'll love them!

[Leslie Nelsen]

What a lot of great ideas. I need to save these for future use with Eliana.

:group: Praying you find the answers you need for your sweet boy.