Teaching the Moving Child: OT Insights That Will Transform Your K-3 Classroom »

Because sensorimotor and environmental factors have a profound effect on children's learning, every teacher should know how to weave strategies from Occupational Therapy (OT) into their everyday instruction. This is the guidebook K 3 teachers need to think like an OT'and form effective partnerships with OTs in their schools'so all students can achieve their full potential. A clear and reader-friendly guide from an OT with 35 years of classroom experience gives elementary educators the solid foundation of knowledge they need to maximize the link between movement and learning; meet the needs of students with sensory processing issues by modifying the classroom environment and task demands; improve students' writing skills; facilitate children's fine motor ability; optimize learning through strategic use of classroom seating, space, lighting, and visual and auditory stimuli; promote imaginative play; recognize and minimize students' stress during transitions and waiting times; decrease restlessness and increase attention; and collaborate skillfully with OTs to address sensorimotor issues before they become barriers to learning. To help inform their instruction, teachers will find thorough, research-based explanations of the movement-learning link and the effect of sensory processing issues on school performance and outcomes. Plus they'll get a wide range of simple tips and strategies they can use to support their students' motor skills, task engagement, and management of sensory issues.