Where We Got The Idea: Inspired by a Sound Wall she saw at her niece’s preschool, Ami immediately thought… "Hey, I can do this!" So she made one for her son’s full inclusion preschool. Sound Walls are extremely important to the overall gross motor development of all preschoolers by requiring:
·scapular and trunk/pelvis stabilization to allow coordinated and controlled upper limb movements
movement sequencing using rapid hand and arm movement (often altered in cerebellar, sensory and vestibular ataxia)
improved upper extremity kinesthesia (limb movement) and proprioception (limb position)
crossing mid line skills for balance and full body awareness
full range of motion movements of upper extremity
auditory feedback of movement production
feedback/feedforward motor task learning
multidimensional sensory engagement
How To Do It: Ready to make one for your students or child? Go to your local re-use store to look for ideas. Pots and pans from Goodwill are perfect. Your local music store may have drum heads to get rid of, so stop there and ask if they have anything to donate. Scrap plywood can by used as a chalkboard and cheap towel bars are great to hang buckets and sticks from. Remember to make sure everything was secure once installed.
We hope this idea inspires you! What other materials could you use?