In my opinion (and I believe this is in line with many parents and teachers), educational games and toys are one of the best ways for people with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia & other learning difficulties to enjoy learning.
With over 25 muscles in the hands and fingers, you can understand why these are essential to be strong, as this leads to good handwriting and drawing. What a fantastic way to increase these muscles by playing!
Students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, ADHD and other learning difficulties often have weak fine and gross motor skills. This selection of educational games and toys offers an easy way to increase and strengthen these areas of weakness.
Playing with educational games and toys is one of the best ways for children with dyslexia to improve their dyslexia and learning difficulties. Also, certain games help increase and strengthen core abilities; for example, playing marbles helps develop fine motor skills. Standing on a ‘wobble board’ and/or trampoline will improve gross motor skills. Therefore, if you can get educational games and toys for kids, it’s often a free or cheap way to increase their problems without trying too hard.
I understand this concept is often difficult for people to appreciate, but I can assure you it does help tremendously. After a while, you will see a real improvement because playing these games will help kids with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia etc., the ability to succeed in literacy, numeracy, time, tempo, spatial awareness, and much more – all vital areas that involve fine gross and gross motor skills.
The best part of this approach is that children think they are just ‘playing’ with games and toys. Therefore they offer little resistance and enjoy the one-to-one time, often with a parent, teacher or carer. They enhance and reinforce these essential skills; playing in a group setting will offer valuable learning opportunities. There is also research to support that learning through play helps children learn.
The ideas below should help tremendously with handwriting, math, and social skills. They are all tried and tested techniques, so why not give them a go?
I have compiled a list of over one hundred educational games, many of which are free or cheap. These will help kids with learning difficulties improve their fine and gross motor skills for balance and stability.
Kids with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, ADHD and other learning difficulties often learn differently, so playing various games will reinforce and strengthen their abilities.
Maria Chivers
November 2019
I believe playing games is the best way for students to learn, especially young ones.
Suppose you or your child has dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, ADHD or other Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) when you play certain games. In that case, it can increase the ability to achieve literacy and numeracy skills.
That is why I believe in getting students to learn through play. When playing educational games, they improve core skills, like fine motor skills or gross motor skills. All these games and exercises mentioned below help advance ‘fine motor and ‘gross motor skills’. These skills are vital for literacy, i.e. handwriting, numeracy, i.e. multiplication tables, time, tempo, and spatial awareness.
Furthermore, much research supports that learning through play produces good results.
Children love balance boards (also called Wobble Boards). While they are ‘just playing’, the skills involved in this task are tricky. Balance boards help to improve balance, coordination and other physical benefits.
This one is from Amazon.
Make words out of foam in the bath. Or use water guns (if your walls are tiled.)
The better they get at target practice, you will be amazed how eye-hand coordination increases, with the knock-on effect of boosting self-confidence at the same time.
Who doesn’t like popping these? And they are excellent for tiny fingers and Fine Motor Skills.
Perfect to help strengthen Fine Motor Skills to encourage better handwriting and to help with other skills. Dysgraphia and Dyspraxia.
Once again excellent for little fingers and balancing skills.
Help your children to unleash their creative side with this 80 piece Wooden Block Set. The different shaped blocks can be placed together to build whatever your child can think of, improving their knowledge of shapes, colours and sizes as they do. Placing them together can also help them to develop their hand-eye co-ordination.
This is available from Argos.
Doing up buttons and zips – young children or people with dysgraphia and dyspraxia find these very difficult. One idea is to get about half a yard of material (or an old dress), cut it in two and sew different size buttons on it. The other piece makes small to medium slits, and the child can play with them. They can start with the big buttons and gradually work down to the smallest ones. (Or go to the wardrobe and find some clothes with different size buttons, a bit messier, though!).
This is available from Amazon.
Card-making – make cards using peel-off stickers, small ‘eyes’ etc.
Chalk or coloured pens – practice letter formation on a black/whiteboard.
Clothes pegs – can be used to get children to pick up small to medium objects and move them from one place to another. (I think we all have them at home!).
Qualia
Colouring books – help children stay inside the lines.
Conkers – great game; some schools have banned them in the UK because they are dangerous! Can you believe it? I don’t know how we managed to grow up safely. However, this was another game I never managed to conquer!!
Construction toys – like Meccano and Lego (more about these further on.)
Crocheting – like knitting, this cannot be very easy when you first start, but you can always find an easy one to begin with.
Darts – Now, you need good coordination for this game, don’t you? And, of course, it increases your math skills while you play it.
Doilies – colouring in old-fashioned ‘doilies’ (for cakes) is another way to improve fine motor control. Use double-sided tape to stay in place.
Dominoes – not just number ones; you can get picture ones now.
Dot-to-Dot – I love this good old-fashioned game, but it teaches so many skills, coordination, direction, spatial awareness and more
Drawing shapes – i.e. triangles, squares and circles. Many people overlook this activity but believe me; you will soon know if your child has difficulty with handwriting etc., by only getting them to draw shapes!
Etch a Sketch – practice writing – write, shake it, and it goes away.
A Storybook for Children with Handwriting Difficulties.
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