Do your students sit in their chairs? Or try to stand at their desks? When they are in their chairs do they slouch or fall out of the chair? Are other positions hard for them to hold?
When you have your child completing an activity you don't have to just sit at a table and do it. Have them lay in prone, sit on the floor, stand at the wall, kneel, or side sit. Just remember to grade the activity to how difficult the position is they have to hold. For example, don't have them completing a 48 piece puzzle for the first time in prone.
Why lay in prone? Prone position is when your child is lying on the floor on their stomach. This position requires upper body, neck, and trunk strength to hold. Watch that your child is not hiking their hip when lying in prone and that their hips are flat on the floor. Lying in prone, your child can complete a puzzle, coloring activity, play a game or do their homework. In addition to working on upper body strength, they are also strengthening ocular motor muscles as they move their eyes to scan their environment.
Why Sit on the Floor? When sitting on the floor, your child is activating their trunk muscles to hold themselves up. Have them sit with their legs crossed in front of them or Taylor sit. Many children try to sit with their legs behind them in a "w" sit position which you want to try to avoid. Have them sitting on the floor to play a board game with their peers.
You are also working to elongate and stretch muslces when sitting on the floor. Have them sit with their legs straight out in front of them. Are muscles too tight? Are they avoiding sitting in a taylor sit position?
Why Stand at the Wall? For all around strengthening! Many children sit in a chair and will slouch against the back or lean their head and body on the table. Tape a paper to the wall when completing handwriting tasks, this will make your hild work on upper body strength and endurance.
Why Sit in a Side Sit Position? When your child sits with their legs to one side, this is a side sit position. They may have one arm on the floor to support themselves but in this position you can promote midline crossing. For example, sitting with their legs to the right, and left hand on the floor supporting their body, your child has to use his or her right hand to reach across body to pick up an item.
