EmPower Training
Posted by Gary Court on 12/1/2014 8:00:00 AM
Our staff attended several days of training in late August learning how to use EmPOWER, a writing strategy system that has vastly helped us become better teachers of writing. Writing is usually one of the hardest disciplines to teach and we are excited that our students are utilizing the “brain frames” and really organizing their writing.
The presenter of EmPOWER, Bonnie Singer, said that good writers need to write fluently and legibly. Our staff has decided to put more time into helping students learn to print upper and lower case letters (lower grades) and master cursive writing (upper grades) in order to help them physically write with automaticity.
Our occupational therapist, Deborah Kay, has helped us understand what is necessary for students to become writers who can easily and unconsciously get words on paper without thinking about how to form each letter. She said one of the most important activities kids can do is gross motor exercises. It takes core strength to write and we need students’ shoulders, arm, hand and finger muscles to be strong! The monkey bars, rope climber, ga-ga pit, and pull up bars are all great ways for students to develop their upper body strength – helping them become better writers!
So, when your child begs you for more indoor video game time, say no, and send him or her outside for some gross motor time.