Ostracism and Physical Activity

Pediatrics published research on a small study of 19 children (average age 11.7 years old) to assess the effects of simulated ostracism on children’s physical activity behavior, time allocated to sedentary behavior, and liking of physical activity. In the first experimental session, children played a virtual game where they were exposed to ostracism followed by […]

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Tweaking Equipment

Pediatric therapists frequently modify or adapt equipment for children.  Whether it be a writing utensil or sports equipment, sometimes children don’t need a specialized tool to participate in the activity but just small adjustment to the typical equipment.  Here is a simple example – perhaps a child would write more legibly with a shorter pencil […]

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Writing Forces and Pencil Grasps

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy published research on the writing forces associated with four pencil grasp patterns in 74 children in grade 4.The students completed a handwriting assessment before and after a copy task and grip and axial forces were measured. The results indicated the following: no kinetic differences among grasps, whether considered individually […]

Reflective Questions for Motor Learning

How do you provide feedback to children regarding their performance on a motor skill?  Do you provide constructive criticism, positive praise, additional motor commands, additional demonstrations or more trials? Why not ask the child to verbally plan or review their own performance on a motor task.  For example, once you request a motor task to […]