What is Dough Disco?
Dough Disco™ is a fine muscle exercise that Shonette invented when she realised the children in her class were struggling to write letters. She studied information on brain development and found the fingers are one of the last things the brain controls during child development.
A group of neuro developmental practioners called INPP do an exercise with older children called tapping. It’s simply tapping the fingers in a certain order, some quite complex, on the table in front of them. She enjoyed it as much as the children and it started the growth of Dough Disco. She used dough because everyone loves dough and disco, the music stimulates our ‘happiness chemicals’ which in turn impact on memory.
There is a YouTube channel – “Spread The Happiness TV” which is full of Dough Disco™ resources that your child can sign and follow along to. https://www.youtube.com/c/spreadthehappinesstv
Dough disco involves moulding play dough in time to music and performing different actions such as rolling it into a ball, flattening it, putting each individual finger into the dough, rolling it into a sausage and squeezing it. The books and YouTube videos have lots of examples of all the different themed moves you can do.
What are the benefits of Dough Disco?
Children and adults need to have strong muscles in their hands to enable them to write effectively. This is exercise for the fingers to improve fine motor control and gross motor skills. Doing these simple, fun exercises will help your child prepare for writing. Dough Disco can also be used to develop finger dexterity for people with health conditions or impairments.
How do we do Dough Disco at Glebe?
In Reception, the children have a daily Dough Disco session which is the length of a song (around 4 – 5 minutes). They gradually progress through the different moves which helps to reinforce and strengthen different muscles and movements. In KS1 and KS2 Dough Disco will either be done as whole class sessions, to warm up the children’s hands before writing or it may be used as an intervention for those who need additional support with their fine motor skills.
What age is Dough Disco for?
It has no age limit and is used to exercise fine muscle in all ages. It has been used in schools, homes and old people’s homes
Dough disco is a fun way that parents can support their children to strengthen and develop their fine motor skills at home.
