The Virtual Bell Blog
Helping Parents Of Children With Learning Disabilities Make Each Day A Little More Functional
13 easy activities to improve hand grip in kids
Having a proper hand grip, or better known as a pencil grip, is the foundation of functional handwriting skills. Being able to properly hold your pencil makes a difference between neat and messy writing. The way we write, good or bad depends on our grip. Most children often have difficulties with holding a pencil or…
Prewriting Skills: Valuable tips to improve handwriting
Prewriting skills are the foundation of handwriting. They consist of lines and strokes that children need to learn to form before they are expected to write. In the first post of this series (How to improve handwriting: 5 successful ways OT’s can help), I talked about the benefits of utilizing OT services when your child…
5 effective products for sensory overload
Children with sensory overload will display signs that will let you know that they are not regulated, even if they are not able to tell you themselves. These signs can consist of changes in mood to changes in muscle tone. You will notice constant fidgeting, restlessness, or that they can not stay focused on a…
How to improve handwriting in kids: 5 successful ways OT’s can help
Poor handwriting is something that every child has when they are first learning how to write. But, what happens when it becomes a constant problem well past the appropriate age? Is your child having a hard time forming the letters of the alphabet? If you are past that stage, are they forming those letters way…
Dyscalculia: A Challenge to understand the fundamentals
Most kid’s least favorite subject growing up is math. I know it was mine! I can recall those long nights at the kitchen table doing math homework. I Struggled to figure out why it was so hard to follow the “simple” step-by-step instructions. Nothing was straightforward to me about arithmetic. Simple math details I couldn’t…
VARK learning style: The Most Important Approach To Comprehension
It doesn’t take an educational expert to realize that with regards to learning style, every child is one of a kind. Every child absorbs knowledge in different methods. Some children learn best with visual aids, some children are more auditory or kinesthetic. With observation and research on the different learning styles, you can find out…
Understanding language processing disorder: proven ways for treatment
When most hear that a child has a language processing disorder, many think it has something to do with a child’s ability to speak. Fortunately, it does not. Language processing disorder is about the ability to use spoken language while understanding its meaning and others. As an Amazon associate, this post may contain affiliate links and I…
Dyslexia in kids: accommodations for successful learning
Dyslexia in kids is common, roughly affecting as many as 1 in every 5 children. What this is is a learning disability that affects a child’s ability to read, write, spell, and in some cases speak. Children with dyslexia have difficulty reading at a decent rate and without errors. Often difficulties with not only reading,…
dysgraphia in kids: important Facts you need to know
Let’s take a look at what dysgraphia in kids may look like. Imagine a bright student in class who loves participating in everything and scores remarkable grades in all tasks. But, when it comes to written assignments, the teacher has a real hard time figuring out what’s exactly written. The letters are of different sizes,…
Successful strategies to help a child with NVLD
The strategies to help a child with NVLD (non-verbal learning disability) are very beneficial once they are put into place. But, before I get to them, I want to be sure that you fully understand what NVLD is and how it affects our children. Imagine witnessing your child not responding to non-verbal cues like body…
Christmas on the spectrum: 4 things we forget about
With Christmas a few short weeks away, it’s natural that we all begin to make plans for the holiday. We’re getting out the tree and lights from the attic. We’re turning up the music to fill our homes with the joys of Christmas! But, as we make plans with the family, we forget that when…
3 Tips to Teach Your Child How to Read
Learning to read at a young age is important for the development of children. It helps them develop a better understanding of their surroundings. Allowing them to gather information from printed materials while providing them with a wonderful source of entertainment. Children develop at different rates, and some children will develop reading skills quicker than…
Program Review: Children Learning Reading
Is the development and education of your child important to you? And have you been searching for a program that will help you teach your child to read? If this is sounding familiar, please continue reading. I’m personally always searching for better programs or different ways of teaching my students and I think I discovered…
What is a Sensory Diet? A Solution To Sensory Needs
When a child has a sensory processing disorder, their brains have a hard time receiving and responding to information from their senses. When this happens it usually results in the child receiving too much sensory input or not enough. Either way, this is not good for our children, and utilizing a sensory diet can help….
Stimming in autism: Stopping the behavior is Pointless
Self-stimulatory behavior or “stimming” as most refer to it, is walking on the tiptoes, the flapping of the hands, or the repeating of words or phrases that we see most of our kids with autism doing. But what exactly is stimming in autism and should you stop this behavior? Let’s find out. This post may…
10 incredibly easy ways to improve handwriting skills
Could your child’s handwriting skills use a bit of boost? If so, you’re in the right place! In this post, I’m going to list 10 easy things that you can start doing today that will help them to improve their handwriting skills! Oh, by the way, these are all favorites in my classroom! This post…
How to make a visual schedule at home (step-by-step)
Today I’m going to show you how to make a visual schedule at home! I promise it’s super easy- maybe a bit time-consuming depending on how detailed you are, but EASY! This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links to purchase something at no…
Virtual Classroom Etiquette: DO’s and alarming DON’TS
Okay, listen up parents of children who are participating in virtual learning. This one is for you. Or, if you are a friend of someone who is in this predicament, this is for you too. You may need to share this valuable information with him or her. As we all know, the pandemic has thrust…
OT: What exactly is Occupational Therapy?
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) defines occupational therapy (OT) as “the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (occupations) with individuals or group to enhance or enable participation in roles, habits, and routines in the home, school,workplace, community, and other settings” (AOTA, 2011). Occupation is essential to the practice of occupational therapy (OT). What does “occupation”…
5 easy ways to increase focus in a virtual class
With school back in session, thinking of ways to increase focus in a virtual class is at the top of every parent’s list. I’m sure you have either seen or have a child that cannot stay focused for long. They are consistently bouncing up and out of their seat every chance they can get. Or…
4 ways to make the best of virtual learning
Well, it’s that time of year again and last spring has repeated itself.That’s right parents, time to pull out the devices, set up the kitchen table, and get ready for virtual learning! Fun right!?Wrong! But it can be. That is with a few tips to make the best of virtual learning. Well, 4 tips to…
