Included this week in Learning Community News:-
- Prep Learning Community
The Perceptual Motor Program (PMP)
PMP operates in Prep, during Term 3, as a strategy to assist the development of children's gross motor skills and fine motor skills, essential in the learning of reading and writing. It helps to aids concentration and reasoning and gives a sound basis for formal learning. PMP enhances brain development by stimulating the five senses through movement.
The key areas of development through PMP are:
Gross motor skills The acquisition of large scale movements eg: walking, running, jumping, skipping, climbing and moving in and out of positions. Fine motor skills The acquisition of small scale movements eg: performing building tasks, isolating various fingers, using tools, copying precise actions without overflow (accompanying large scale movements)
Crossing the midline of the body (laterality) Children who fail to develop this skill are at risk of changing hands at the midline when performing tasks involving movement on a horizontal place. Eyes must also learn to track across the body midline to avoid potential difficulties with reading.
Balance Closely associated with the development of gross motor skills.
Body and space awareness. This usually develops from head to toe and from the centre outwards. Spatial concepts such as behind, between, backwards, forwards and up/down are also practiced.
Visual and spatial skills. Students are helped to track objects in all directions, match shapes and copy patterns.
Rhythm sequence, memory and listening. Activities such as clapping to rhythms, fast vs slow movements, counting claps, steps, jumps, etc.... These skills are relevant to the development of mathematical abilities.
We hope to run our PMP every Thursday afternoon in term 3 beginning week 2, from 2:30 - 3pm. Activities are set up as rotations or stations, and therefore we require at least five parent helpers to assist each session. If you are able to assist please add your name to the list on the Prep Whiteboard or email the Prep teachers.
Emily emullane@scballarat.catholic.edu.au Julie jcooper@scballarat.catholic.edu.au Whitney wbruty@scballarat.catholic.edu.au.
Oliver: We have a new turtle. It’s name is Squirt.
Matilda: I have been going to the performance area to sing and dance.
Chloe: Sick patients go to the hospital. Someone had twins. One of them had a broken neck.
Nathan: The marble race is really fun and you get to make different tracks and see which one goes into the hole.
Eimear: We have a castle in our room. You can be a king or queen. Our word of the week is king.
Elliott: We have our own marble run. It is tricky to make the marbles go all the way.
Cormac: You can make your own crowns to help you become a king or queen.
Zara: I have been a princess baby in our castle. It is so much fun.
Sadie: Our stage has it’s own special dressing room. I love dressing up.
Bodhi: In our hospital if you get a broken leg it’s okay because we even have our own crutches.
PMP operates in Prep, during Term 3, as a strategy to assist the development of children's gross motor skills and fine motor skills, essential in the learning of reading and writing. It helps to aids concentration and reasoning and gives a sound basis for formal learning. PMP enhances brain development by stimulating the five senses through movement.
The key areas of development through PMP are:
Gross motor skills The acquisition of large scale movements eg: walking, running, jumping, skipping, climbing and moving in and out of positions. Fine motor skills The acquisition of small scale movements eg: performing building tasks, isolating various fingers, using tools, copying precise actions without overflow (accompanying large scale movements)
Crossing the midline of the body (laterality) Children who fail to develop this skill are at risk of changing hands at the midline when performing tasks involving movement on a horizontal place. Eyes must also learn to track across the body midline to avoid potential difficulties with reading.
Balance Closely associated with the development of gross motor skills.
Body and space awareness. This usually develops from head to toe and from the centre outwards. Spatial concepts such as behind, between, backwards, forwards and up/down are also practiced.
Visual and spatial skills. Students are helped to track objects in all directions, match shapes and copy patterns.
Rhythm sequence, memory and listening. Activities such as clapping to rhythms, fast vs slow movements, counting claps, steps, jumps, etc.... These skills are relevant to the development of mathematical abilities.
We hope to run our PMP every Thursday afternoon in term 3 beginning week 2, from 2:30 - 3pm. Activities are set up as rotations or stations, and therefore we require at least five parent helpers to assist each session. If you are able to assist please add your name to the list on the Prep Whiteboard or email the Prep teachers.
Emily emullane@scballarat.catholic.edu.au Julie jcooper@scballarat.catholic.edu.au Whitney wbruty@scballarat.catholic.edu.au.
Oliver: We have a new turtle. It’s name is Squirt.
Matilda: I have been going to the performance area to sing and dance.
Chloe: Sick patients go to the hospital. Someone had twins. One of them had a broken neck.
Nathan: The marble race is really fun and you get to make different tracks and see which one goes into the hole.
Eimear: We have a castle in our room. You can be a king or queen. Our word of the week is king.
Elliott: We have our own marble run. It is tricky to make the marbles go all the way.
Cormac: You can make your own crowns to help you become a king or queen.
Zara: I have been a princess baby in our castle. It is so much fun.
Sadie: Our stage has it’s own special dressing room. I love dressing up.
Bodhi: In our hospital if you get a broken leg it’s okay because we even have our own crutches.