Have you heard of Bal-A-Vis-Ics?

I went to a workshop quite a while ago, and while I was there the speaker briefly introduced a program called Bal-A-Vis-Ics.  The program teaches children to focus using their mind and body together. The program begins by having kids toss a bean bag from one hand to the other. As they get older, they start using racquetballs.  They progress to using more than one at a time, and then also while standing on a balancing board.  The speaker liked it because she felt that racquetballs were a great fit for the natural contour of the hand.  We did a few of the exercises from it, and it was excellent eye hand coordination training.  It focused on natural rhythm, crossing midline, tracking, coordination, and it was FUN.  Of course I am not a certified trainer in the use of this program, but I did take some of the basic concepts from what I did learn and I use it in my OT sessions with kids.

There have actually been studies done on how participating in this program has improved academics and concentration for kids, and you can find these studies on the Bal-A-Vis-Ics web site. The training to be certified for this is in some parts of the US and in other countries...but, you can find recommended reading, books, dvds, videos, activities, materials, etc. on their web site here:  http://www.bal-a-vis-x.com/  I did find some videos on you tube as well.  You can use the basic principles and activities and practice them with your child and students. When you consider all of the skills this program addresses, you can't go wrong using it to enhance these skills in a fun way.