Copy a design using the visual and tactile systems. No auditory instructions will be provided.
Time: 5 minutes
Materials
Setup
1. Divide the Toobeez set in half. The therapist and child should have the same exact pieces.
Time: 30 – 60 minutes
Instruction: Individual or pairs
Space: Tabletop or floor space (about the size of a gym mat)
Helpful Hints
1. With younger children, and if necessary with older children, review the concept of shapes such as square, triangle and rectangle (shapes that are able to be created when using the Toobeez product).
2. With younger children, and if necessary with older children, review the colors of the Toobeez pieces.
Therapist Note
For children with visual impairments, review size concepts. Label the Toobeez as different sizes such as small (11” Toobeez), medium (16” Toobeez), large (24” Toobeez), and extra large (36” Toobeez). If using all four tubes is difficult for the child, choose only two sizes (such as 11” and 24” tubes) and label them as short and long or small and large.
3. With younger children, and if necessary with older children, review directional concepts of left and right, up and down, away from and toward, and straight and veer.
4. Read the following Activity Challenge Box.
Challenge: Copy a design using the visual and tactile systems. No auditory instructions will be provided.
5. Without the child looking, the therapist should create a shape, design or structure. The difficulty of the design can increase by increasing the number of pieces used.
6. Once the therapist has completed the design, the child should then be instructed to copy the design using the same number and sizes of pieces. The therapist should not provide auditory instruction as this activity is designed to strengthen visual and tactile systems.
7. When the activity is completed, move on to the Discussion and Processing questions.
Here are available Training Options!
2. Increase the difficulty.
Use a snapshot approach to the activity. When presenting the child with the design to copy, allow them to study it for up to five seconds (increase the time for a more difficult design). Once they have studied the design, remove it from their field of vision and ask them to reproduce the design from memory.
3. Increase the difficulty.
Take a picture of a few designs using a digital camera and print them out. Ask the student to create the 3-D design from a two-dimensional picture.
4. Increase the difficulty.
If a digital camera is not available, draw a shape, design or structure on a piece of paper. Label the sides with the color of the Toobeez you would like them to use. Ask students to create the three-dimensional design from the two-dimensional model that is drawn on the paper.
5. Increase the difficulty.
To further challenge visual-motor and visual-perceptual skills, use Variations #2 & #3. Tape the pictures on a vertical surface such as a wall or chalkboard. The child must then re-create the design on a horizontal surface (such as the floor or a tabletop). This requires the child to shift his/her eye gaze. In addition, the brain must interpret the picture from a different plane than the plane in which the child is working.
6. For children who use wheelchairs.
Tape the picture of Variation #2 & #3 to a vertical surface. Ask the child to study the picture as in Variation #1. Allow the child approximately five seconds (depending on the difficulty of the design) to study the picture, and then take the picture away. Instruct the child to reproduce the picture with a set of Toobeez by relying on his/her short-term memory.
7. For children who use wheelchairs.<
If working in pairs, ask one student to create a shape or structure without the other student watching. When completed, ask the other student to copy the first student’s design. See the example pictures below.
Student creates a design.
Student copies the original design.