Hi,
The virtual environment creates two advantages in regards to acquiring perceptual and learning abilities. One is the motivational factor and the other is body movements as part of the learning process.
In relation to the first advantage, Timocco’s virtual environment presents a playful experience that increases motivation and extending the child’s attention in the activity.
In general, Occupational therapy treatment frequently uses sensory – motor activities that involve movement of the body in order to enhance learning. The learning can be focused on improving motor skills, but often, the motor activity is the basis for learning
and internalization of spatial perception, directional, sequence of actions, and sometimes preparation for handwriting and writing letters and numbers.
According to these principles, we will use the virtual environment of Timocco that involves movement, to work on perceptual skills. Timocco can improve a child’s spatial perception and abstract thinking by understanding the connection between the hands and the monkey’s movements.
The child learns that he can control the movements of Timocco and interact with the game.
On another level, you can work on perception and recognition of numbers and quantities, such as in the balloon game of Timocco that requires the child to hit the balloon as the number of dots that appear on it, or on the higher level, according to digits. Other games that enhance numbers and letters recognition are: ‘Num-Bubbles’, ‘Magnet board’, ‘Puzzle’, ‘Hot air balloons’ etc.
Other games focus on visual and auditory sequence (simon), categorization (sorted fruit baskets), recognition of colors (‘white board’, ‘paintball’) and the distinction between figure and background (Photo-Album).
Through the motion game and the motor experience in the virtual environment, we can challenge the child and help him to internalize concepts of space and to improve perceptual capabilities in a wide range of areas of early learning.
Hope this helps,
Sarit
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