High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Agenda  Why are Fine Motor Skills so important and how can we improve them?  What is High Five Jive?  Who will benefit from using High Five Jive?  Why and How can High Five Jive improve learning in the curriculum  Practical Sessions – Part One Part Two Create your own Jives

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Why are they important and how can we improve them?  Fine Motor Skills and Perceptual Skills are crucial in the development of young children  learn life skills quickly  have better handwriting  complete areas of the school curriculum more easily  Traditionally, we have provided opportunities for these to develop by drawing, painting, handwriting, use of scissors etc.  However, as well as this, I believe there is also a need for a practical, interactive programme that is closely linked to the curriculum.

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 What is High Five Jive?  It is a fun, effective programme of multi-sensory activities and hand jives that flex and extend, based on the inter-connection between movement and learning.  It is important for children to engage in a range of multi-sensory activities to be developmentally ready for school. It is designed to improve and develop – hand & finger strength, manipulation & dexterity, hand/eye co-ordination, visual perception, sequencing skills, movement & co-ordination. KEY FEATURES  A different approach as it integrates fine motor skills and the curriculum areas – Language, Maths, PSCHE, Art, Design, Music, Movement/Exercise, Drama.  It shows how crucial Maths and Music are in Learning.  Encourages children/young people to use their social interaction and creative thinking skills.

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Who will benefit?  All children in Primary Schools and some groups in Secondary. The earlier activity sheets, additional signs and easier hand jives can be used in Pre-School.  As a guide, the most improvement in a childs fine motor skills are from 4-6 years. There is a gradual improvement in more complex behaviours from 5-12 years. For isolated finger, hand and wrist movements there is a significant improvement from 5-8 years.  High Five Jive can be used for children with Learning Difficulties. It is beneficial for all ages be it for dexterity, work, leisure or general health.  It can be used for 1:1, in small groups or whole classes with Parents, Health Professionals, Teachers, Teaching Assistants and Learning Support Co-ordinators.

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Why and how can High Five Jive improve learning in the curriculum?  Language  When we speak, read or write we need to understand movement and direction. We need to understand shapes and forms in space (spatial organisation) before we can write letters.  What difficulties do children experience? e.g. Directional Difficulties. Practical task – Letters of the alphabet.  Letters with clockwise orientation  Letters with anti-clockwise orientation  Letters with clockwise and anti-clockwise orientation

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 High Five Jive is divided into two parts.  Originally designed to progress from Part One to Part Two. However, it is a flexible programme that can be dipped into at any point in Part One or Part Two dependent on the needs of the individual or group.  Part One consists of 30 interactive Activity Sheets with increasingly difficult finger exercises. The Activity Sheets can be used for one hand or both, in sequence or selected as needed. Adult Guidance is given before each sheet.  Includes CD Rom and is photocopiable. Activity sheets can be reduced down for the use of smaller hands.  Can be used as ‘warm ups’ for therapy or lessons eg in DT, Music Art, ICT or Handwriting. Each sheet can be worked on for 3-5 minutes.

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Additional Resource Sheets  In the appendices, these recognise progress, achievement and rewards. 1.Record Sheet – to record completed activity Sheets with feedback and comments. 2.Activity Sheet scorecard – recording times and measuring progress. 3.Parental Guidance Information Sheet for homework. 4.Initial Training and Learning Certificate – to recognise and reward achievement. 5.Create Your Own Hand Jive Template 6.Ideas for Creating New Jives

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 Activity Sheets - Finger Numbers

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Part Two - The Hand Jives  High Five Jive is a series of hand movements. When you see the signs in Part Two unlike Part One you need to do a movement in the air. Do not touch the page. Adult guidance sheets supplied.  Learn the signs sequentially then perform the jive.  It can be performed sitting or standing.  21 signs to learn. 15 jives in total (increasing in difficulty) to the bumper High Five Jive!  Practise learning the signs – a few at a time, then learn a jive.  Easier signs and jives can be performed by Pre-school children.  Can create new signs and jives.

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive Symbols

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 Practice Sheet Symbols 14-17

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 Example of a Jive

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 Example of a Jive

High Five Jive © Susan O’Connor 2012 Dyslexia Action Conference - June 2014 High Five Jive!