See Also: Continuous Motion
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CONTINUOUS MOTION, EYE-HAND
PURPOSE: To develop rhythmic, accurate eye-hand movement and a wide field of vision
APPARATUS: Chalkboard, paper and pencil, sample worksheet (supplied)
METHOD:
1. The assistant is to write the numbers one through 20 in a very random order in a three to four foot area of the chalkboard, leaving several inches of space around each number.
2. The patient is instructed to take chalk in his preferred hand and, starting at number one, circle each number three times counterclockwise.
3. Without stopping or removing the chalk from the board, patient is to keep it moving until number two is reached and circled three times counterclockwise.
4. Patient continues, in sequence, until number 10 is reached and circled in the same manner.
5. When moving the chalk from one number to the next, the patient is instructed to avoid touching or crossing any number, but keep the chalk moving during the search for the next number to be circled.
6. The patient is to use his non-preferred hand to repeat the procedure from number 11 through number 20, except that he is to circle each number three times in a clockwise direction.
7. When performance is efficient at the chalkboard, repeat the procedure on paper with pencil.
ASPECTS TO BE EMPHASIZED:
1. Smooth continuous control of chalk with avoidance of contact with numbers, and with appropriate circling of numbers by each hand.
2. Increased speed and accuracy in the visual search for the appropriate number.
Also, try this variant:
Equipment: Paper/Printout, Pencil/Pen, whiteboard & markers/chalkboard & chalk. Note: The attached sheet ‘292 Continuous Motion Worksheet’ is simply a blank paper with a title; any blank piece of paper will do.
Method: This is an excellent exercise for developing VSA, VMI, visual search skills, figure-ground awareness (VSP), motor skills planning, and awareness of the visual periphery. You can follow the exercise as presented, unless you do not have a large drawing surface like a whiteboard or chalkboard. (Office supply stores will have a medium/large white board with erasable markers for a reasonable price). Reassure the child that it’s ok if it’s hard at first, especially while using the non-dominant hand, and that there is no rush. Avoid using the metronome until the child is fairly confident in doing this exercise using both hands.
Loading: As always, encourage the child to determine the pace of things and to challenge himself with progressively faster speeds. You might also have them do their own continuous motion pattern. Patterns can contain either letters, or numbers, or a combination, but should not exceed about 20 stops. So, for example, the following sequences are allowed:
A-B-C-D-E-F-G, etc.
A-a-B-b-C-c-D-d, etc.
1-2-3-4-5-6, etc.
Z-Y-X-W-V-U-T, etc
A-1-B-2-C-3, etc.
