Edmonton Catholic Schools
Occupational Therapy
Stress-Free Strategies
For You and Your Child
Parent Engagement Evening
January 18, 2017
SECTION A: How To Teach a New Skill
Backward Chaining
All activities are made up of many small steps. Think of activity steps as links in a chain. Below is an
example of how to break down the activity “setting the table” into small steps, and helping your child
learn using backward chaining. This is a strategy in which you finish all but the last step, which would be
done by your child.
Activity: I want my child to set the table for dinner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Put down table mats
Set utensils
Set plates
Set cups
Who Does It
Parent
Parent
Parent
Child
After your child masters the last step, you allow them to learn the second-to-last step, and so on. Practice
continues with the adult doing fewer steps and the child completing additional steps at the end.
For example, after the child masters setting cups (s)he takes on more responsibility:
Activity: I want my child to set the table for dinner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Put down table mats
Set utensils
Set plates
Set cups
Who Does It
Parent
Parent
Child
Child
What if my child gets “stuck” at one step?
If you run into a problem at one step, the activity needs to be broken down into smaller learning steps,
and/or your child needs more cuing to be successful. For example, a child learning how to set utensils and
may need more guidance on left-right orientation, so you model for them first:
Activity: I want my child to set the table for dinner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Put down table mats
Set 3 spots with utensils
Set 1 spot with utensils
Set plates
Set cups
Who Does It
Parent
Parent
Child
Child
Child
Tips for Teaching a New Skill:
•
•
Backward chaining can apply to almost any skill – learning to draw, cook a recipe, change the oil
on a car or apply for a job. Make sure you are consistent with the order of steps to your chosen
routine. Always perform it in the same order.
You can add cues to make a step easier, such as pointing, using pictures, demonstration or
giving verbal directions. Fade out cues as your child becomes successful.
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SECTION B: Pick Learning Goals for Your Child
1. Daily Living Skills
Check 1-2 skills you want to work on with your child:
Personal Hygiene
Dental Care
Trip to the
Dentist/Doctor
Call 911
Pet Care
Setting Goals
Restaurant Etiquette
School Safety
Home Safety
Laundry Care
Appropriate Weather
Clothing
Activity: I want my child to ____________________________________________
1.
Doing Chores
Telling Time
Measuring Skills
Calendar Skills
Time Management
Who Does It
2.
3.
4.
5.
Activity: I want my child to ____________________________________________
1.
Who Does It
2.
3.
4.
5.
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2. Social Skills
Check 1-2 skills you want to work on with your child:
Making Friends
What Is A Friend
How To Be A Friend
Emotions
Interrupting Others
Waiting Your Turn
Listening Skills
Apologizing
Public Vs Private
My Manners
Bus Manners
Friendship
Boundaries
Personal Space
Activity: I want my child to ____________________________________________
1.
Personal Boundaries
Peer Pressure
Conflict Resolution
Dating
Responsibility
Handling Bullying
Who Does It
2.
3.
4.
5.
Activity: I want my child to ____________________________________________
1.
Who Does It
2.
3.
4.
5.
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3. Health and Nutrition
Check 1-2 skills you want to work on with your child:
Basic Food Groups
Kitchen Safety
Measuring Skills
Following a Recipe
Meal Planning
Writing a Grocery List
Grocery Shopping
Sport & Exercise
Activity: I want my child to ____________________________________________
1.
Who Does It
2.
3.
4.
5.
Activity: I want my child to ____________________________________________
1.
Who Does It
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Public Washrooms
Using a Seat Belt
Safety Signs
Street Safety
If You Get Lost
Stranger Danger
Reading a Map
Public Transportation
4. Community Awareness and Finances
Recreation and Leisure
Using an ATM
Community Resources
Tipping
Coin and Dollar Value
Needs vs. Wants
Counting Money
Making a Budget
Paying for Items
Saving Money
Making Change
Credit Cards
Opening a bank account
Banking Your Money
Activity: I want my child to ____________________________________________
1.
Who Does It
2.
3.
4.
5.
Activity: I want my child to ____________________________________________
1.
Who Does It
2.
3.
4.
5.
Page 6 of 8
SECTION C: Use Natural Routines Throughout Your Day
And watch your child’s skills develop
BEDTIME OR GETTING UP
• Practice balancing while dressing
• Place cushion or foam mattress on floor
and allow child to jump
• Have child identify body parts while
dressing on self and parent / sibling
• Play tug-o-war with bedsheets
• Get child to help make bed
• Fold bedsheets
• Stuff pillow into pillow case
BATHROOM
Independence in Self-Care
• Talk about body part or count fingers and
toes when applying lotion
• Dress and undress (“backwards chain”teach the last step first)
• Follow a picture schedule on the wall to
learn steps to bathing or using the toilet
• Let your child try to brush their teeth,
wash face or comb hair first before
helping
• Get your child to do parts or all of her
hygiene routine independently (floss,
brush teeth, wash face, hair, makeup)
Bath Time
• Pop guns for spraying water
• Bubbles (bubble animals)
• Tape black garbage bag onto tile by tub.
While bathing, child can use soap, shaving
foam, etc. to draw with hands
• Water play in tub or sink (sponges,
squeeze toys, kitchen tools for scooping &
pouring, tea strainer to pick up toys from
the water)
• Make up stories about Under the Sea
animals, Nemo, sailors, pirates etc.
BEDROOM
Play house
• Pack away laundry
• Sort cupboards and drawers
• Organize books by height or alphabet
• Decorate or paint to personalize room
KITCHEN / MEAL TIME
Help with Chores
• Play in sink with sponges
• Wipe table with sponge or dish cloth
• Use spray bottle to clean table
• Use plastic bucket to collect dirty dishes
• Sweep the floor
• Set table using a cutlery placemat (left to
right, top to bottom orientation)
Food Preparation
• Use different utensils (e.g. tongs, baster,
pizza wheel, plastic knife) to cut cookie
dough or play dough
• Spread condiments
• Make meat balls with hands
• Cut up vegetables, mash potatoes, peel
oranges, whisk eggs and other jobs
• Measure ingredients
• Mix cookie dough or cake batter, and talk
through steps
• Make a 3-step side dish (cut/rip, rinse and
spin lettuce for salad)
• Follow other simple recipes
Organization and planning
• Sorting (beans, pasta)
• Make Cheerio/macaroni necklace patterns
• Organize cupboards - label, categorize
• Set the table with theme
• Pack away groceries
• Meal or snack planning- talk about food
groups
• Make a shopping list - fridge magnet,
chalkboard, daytimer, cut out coupons
• When making a list, add prices and have
your child calculate and estimate the bill.
Mealtime Discussion
• Talk about food colour, texture, smell, taste
• Talk about child’s interests
• Roundtable - Talk about everyone’s day
(Positives, challenges, plan for tomorrow)
• Flash Quiz - Discuss 2-3 spelling words or a
test topic (“What is mitosis?”)
Page 7 of 8
OUTDOORS
Pre-writing and Writing
• Sand box
• Sidewalk chalk (body tracing, hop scotch,
letters)
• Use spray bottle to clean off chalk
• Squirt guns with colored water
• Eye droppers or turkey baster with colored
water to make designs in snow
Science/Math Practice
• Observe and talk about seasons, weather,
moon phases, crawling and flying animals
• Talk about trees, plants, waste in our
world and composting
• Make predictions (“Will this sink or float
in the pond?”)
• Sort and count objects in a variety of ways
• Incorporate the senses in experiencing the
outdoors
Pretend landscaping, gardening, architect
• Water plants
• Dig soil
• Pull weeds
• Plant flowers
• Outline a garden plan (talk about sequence
of actions – first ___, then ___, next ___)
LAUNDRY
• Roll up & aim balled socks into laundry
bin
• Aim non-breakable toys into toy box.
Practice underhand and overhand
• Assembly line for laundry. Throw items of
clothes to child and they put into machine
• Measure and pour laundry detergent
• Sort and fold laundry into piles
• Carry laundry to bedrooms
CAR
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Magnadoodle
Songs
Snacks in small container to make
movements more precise
Point out landmarks, street names, stores,
Wash the car
Talk about directions
Child is navigator
Games (find a car that starts with the letter
___, match logo to car name, counting
cars)
Help to change tire, fix wipers etc
LIVING ROOM
Be the storekeeper and prepare the store for
shoppers
• Vacuum carpets
• Dust furniture
• Move magazine racks or push full toy box,
sort toys/dvds by colours, shapes, count
them
• Spend time with older children and get
involved in their preferred games, movies
etc.
• Board games
FAMILY NIGHT
Create family nights with activities such as
cards, building things out of boxes/milk cartons
or Board Games allowing for
• Re-telling of directions on play
• Turn taking
• Sportsmanship
• Memory from game to game and keeping
points/calculating
• Communication
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