Sensory Motor and Homework

Sensory / Motor & Homework

Motor skills, as well as processing and integrating sensory input can affect homework.

Visual | Auditory | Movement | Snacks & Scents

Visual: Children may become overloaded or distracted with materials that appear visually busy or disorganized, or they also may not notice visual detail
Experiment with the use of color, as well as different font styles and sizes
Reduce the number of items or words on a page
Arrange items in a linear format rather than a cluttered format on the page	Examples of worksheet layouts Create your own worksheet
Highlight visual details, such as indentions, punctuation, margins
Play Games that require planning	Mazes Unblock Me app Flowfree app Snap Circuits Electronics kit
Use a cover page to help focus on one row at a time, fold worksheets in half, draw a line after every 10 items to make short sections
Auditory: Children may become easily distracted by noise or require background noise to help filter out extraneous input or thoughts
Try noise-canceling headphones that are soft and lightweight	Snug Kids Earmuffs Banz Kids Headphones Headband
Use clocks that do not produce a ticking noise
Identify sounds that are pleasant to the child to use as notifications/reminders
Movement: Children may need to engage in movement or calm movement prior to and during homework
Establish calmness before beginning work by tapping a slow, quiet rhythm and engaging in breathing exercises
Engage in movement exercises	Exercises for Sensory Processing
Try using a wiggle seat
Snacks & Scents
Have homework snacks that are healthy and offer various textures & taste preferences (e.g. carrots, celery with cheese, pretzels, grapes, apple slices with peanut butter)
Use sensory chewy tools, such as chewy tubes, chewy pencils, chewing gum	Chewy Pencil Toppers
Try fragrance lamps, diffusers, or candles for pleasing scents