Number Reversal Intervention: Vertical Air Tracing Activity
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After the summer break, I noticed my daughter was reversing some numbers again while writing. Writing has never been something she enjoys, ironically since I write about handwriting all the time.
Since she just turned 8, I knew we needed to address this, but I also wanted to do it in a multi-sensory approach. Number reversals are not uncommon up to age 7 or older, but it could also mean she is struggling with some visual discrimination or visual processing issues.
So I created a number reversal intervention with vertical air tracing printables that can be used in a few different ways. Let me show you how I set this up and also how you can adapt the activity.
How to set up the Vertical Air Tracing Activity
The first thing I did after creating the printables was to print each one out on a regular 8.5×11 size computer paper. You could also use card stock if you want it to be a little sturdier.
Next, I laminated each page with laminated sleeves.
After that, I put a piece of tape at the top and bottom of each page I was going to use. You could also use glue dots on the back of each page.
If you have space, you could hang up all the numbers you want to focus on at one time. However, I suggest focusing on one number at a time until your child has it down.
Hang the number at your child's eye-level. Since both my son and daughter did this activity, I changed the height of each one as needed.
I hung up the page with the visual prompts on the page first and we repeated each direction as we “air traced” the page.
You could also have your child use a marker or a dry paintbrush to get some tactile feedback while tracing on the wall.
Having the numbers on a vertical surface adds some gross motor muscle memory, and it's a great way to build up shoulder and arm strength.
After practicing with the visual prompts, I switched to a page without the visual prompts.
The verbal directions come from the Fundanoodle Handwriting program that she is familiar with. Unfortunately, Fundanoodle is no longer in business. If you use a different program, you can adapt the verbal directions as needed for your child or student.
Get Your Free Number Air Tracing Card Packet
In this printable, I've included 3 different pages and prompts for each number 0-10.
To get your free numbers 0-10 air tracing card packet, put your email address into the form below.
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If you are looking for an alphabet version of this, keep scrolling.
My letter formations for air writing – uppercase packet is now available in my shop.
You'll get 127 pages with 5 pages for each letter of the alphabet. There are 3 types of fonts, 3 pages with red and green visual prompts, and 2 pages with no visual prompts as shown above.
Need more resources for letter reversals? Check out the links below.
Heather Greutman, COTA
Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.
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