Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop, Learn, and Grow

by Carol Stock Kranowitz, Joye Newman

A fresh and timely approach to understanding the profound impact of motor development on children of all ages and stages.

Based on the authors' more than seventy combined years of professional success working with children of all abilities, Growing an In-Sync Child provides parents, teachers, and other professionals with the tools to give every child a head start and a leg up.

Because early motor development is one of the most important factors in a child's physical, emotional, academic, and overall success, the In- Sync Program of sixty adaptable, easy, and fun activities will enhance your child's development, in just minutes a day.

Discover how simple movements such as skipping, rolling, balancing, and jumping can make a world of difference for your child--a difference that will last a lifetime.

Genres: Parenting, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Education, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2009

Reviews

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I picked this book up because my son has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing problems, and I had read The Out-of-Sync Child by the same authors. This book gives a great concise explanation of sensory processing challenges and then gives you activities and games to play with your child to encourage development of their areas of difficulty. The activities are simple and do not require a lot of equipment. Each activity gives you ways to make it more "advanced" as your child begins to master the skills. They are divided by age level to help you quickly find the ones appropriate to your child's age level. There is also an index by the particular skill on which you want to focus (ie balance, visual perception, proprioception, motor planning, etc.) I highly recommend this book!

[Laila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for teachers of young students, or parents. The first third focuses on how physical development, coordination, processing, balance, etc can impact a child's behavior, sensory or visual processing. The second part of the book is different games to do with children to help improve their deficits/delays. Some activities are definitely meant to be done one on one, but others can be incorporated into the classroom.

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! I wish I had read this 12 years ago when I began my parenting journey, but my family (and preschool co-op) will still benefit greatly from implementing these strategies! Neurodivergent and neurotypical children alike will see important gains by implementing these strategies regularly into their lives. Plus, they're games so kids love them!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel ambivalent about this book.

[Sandra Lium]

Kathy Chluzdinsky's book Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner recommended this author.

[Jennifer Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading

This is the common sense way to raise children in our world that is out of sync. Great resource for parents and educators.

[Heather Pehnec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting look at the correlation between physical and cognitive development. Written by a teacher who saw kids being sent to psychotherapy for various concerns like sensory processing disorders, introversion or aggressive behavior, etc. Kranowitz explains that parents actually inhibit their kids by pushing early reading and penmanship in place of physical activity. The book shows examples of handwritten exercises (copied patterns), which she and occupational therapist, Joyce Newman, then used to prescribe activities for "improvement" of sensory processing, midline crossing, spatial awareness, visual skills and so on. She concludes the studies with testimonials and a redo of the copied pattern that clearly shows improvement of skills. The best parts of the book are the examples of simple exercises to enhance motor development with children of all ages with or without special needs.

[Cayenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating concept. I resented a little the implication that I had possibly messed my child up by trying to teach them something before they were ready, etc, but I love the idea that motion is so important for healthy physical and mental development. I think adults as well as children can benefit from the activities in the book. I appreciated the concenpt of moving as a way to boost my spirits and energize my body. I borrowed the book from the library on a friend's recommendationg and ended up purchasing it. My kids love the activities and I love having some new ideas of things to do with them to get them moving and away from a screen. The book also helped me be more patient with my kids and be more motivated to encourage them to do things for themselves.

[Marjanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea of this book. That there is so much to learn through moving your body and getting a better grasp on a variety of motor, spatial, and visual abilities. The biggest down side is that you kind of need to own the book in order to really do anything with it and I'm not quite sure I want to buy it right at this moment. There looked like a lot of great activities to do with kids to encourage their abilities.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy reference guide to help any parent engage in fun, meaningful and purposeful activities for children age 3-7. I skimmed the first half of the book, although it did have some great information for people who are new to sensory processing disorder or the whole "In-Sync" series. Some of the activities are new, others are repeats from Kranowitz's other books. My kids at school (and at home) should be excited to try some of the new, fun activities.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just been hired by the co author, Joye Newman to work as a dance therapist, teaching creative movement classes using the "In Sync" method. It's a very sound theory, asserting that children need to be encouraged to explore a large vocabulary of movements from a very young age, in order to develop the perceptual motor skills needed to succeed in all the facets of academic life later on. I'm excited to help implement this practice at local schools as a representative of Kids Moving Company!

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of ideas for games and exercises to grow kids' coordination and promote sensory well-being.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun activity ideas for motor and sensory development, interesting developmental information.

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A supper easy read and a book that I would recommend to any parent.

[Almah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great practical ideas for specifically helping kids to regulate their senses, have fun, and become more coordinated at the same time.

[Kena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great book. I decided to read this one after being suggested to read the first, Out of Sync Child. It has great ideas for growing with your sensory kids.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, though not super applicable for us right now. Will keep in mind as reference for the future.