Session Outline. Teaching and Intervention Strategies. Handwriting 202. Writing is a Complex Task. Handwriting Curriculums. Handwriting Instruction

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1 Session Outline Handwriting 202 Foundational Skills for Handwriting Handwriting Curriculum & Instruction Erin Friesen, OTR/L And Candy Meyer, OTR/L Fun Make & Take activities Try out a variety of fine motor activities Compile and explore low tech writing tools Resources Writing is a Complex Task Foundational Skills Cognitive Language Social/Emotional Hearing Vision and Visual Perceptual Sensorimotor Motor Gross Motor Fine Motor Visual Motor Handwriting Curriculums Zaner Bloser D Nealian Handwriting Without Tears First Strokes Loops and Groups (Cursive) Other curriculum options available See resource list for additional examples Handwriting Instruction Short, daily practice Begin instruction with a gross motor warm-up Learn gross motor letter formation before using paper/pencil try with eyes closed, pool noodle tracing Practice multi-sensory letter formation Teach pencil grip Letter practice by modeling, tracing, imitating, and then independent writing Group letters by stroke and teach upper and lower case separately (upper case letters easier to print) Use consistent language and paper Teach concepts top, middle, bottom, right, left Gross Motor Warm-ups to prepare for writing Upper extremity weight bearing (animal walks, donkey kicks, wheelbarrow walk, crawling) Exercises (arm circles, shoulder shrugs, palm presses, jumping jacks) Chair and wall push-ups Brain Gym, MeMoves, JAMmin Minute Yoga, stretches, deep breathing 1

2 Posture Seating at desk: feet flat on floor, knees/hips at 90 degrees, desk 2 above elbow when rested at side use footstool or box, nonslip surface on seat Seat placement: distractions (study carrel), light, visual field, noise (tennis balls on bottom of chair) Change positions: standing, kneeling, prone on elbows, vertical plane for writing (slantboard) Seating alternatives: chair with arms, rocking chair, chair with wheels, ball chair, t-stool, cushions (move and sit, hunting cushion, camping pillow), weight on lap Specialized seating Slantboard One small pizza box (ours was a 10 ) Extra piece of cardboard the same size as the top of the pizza box Chalkboard and dry-erase contact paper Craft knife, scissors, hot glue gun 1. Glue down the center flaps of the pizza box. 2. Cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the top of the pizza box and hot-glue to the front flap. 3. Cut a piece of dry-erase contact paper to size, peel and stick it onto one side of the easel. Repeat for the chalkboard contact paper, sticking to the opposite side. Fine Motor and Hand Skills Tongs, tweezers, strawberry hullers with small manipulatives during games/art During art or painting activities use an eye dropper Spray bottle for cleaning desk top Find treasures hidden in play dough or putty Clothespins, lacing Snap fingers, clapping rhythms Spinning tops, wind up toys, kid size paper punch Stencils Tennis ball Activities Fine Motor Skills Bath appliqués strawberry huller & eye dropper Push pin shape activity Multi-Sensory Writing Practice In a variety of sensory materials (shave crème, finger paint, sand, rice, salt with black paper, cornstarch, clay/putty, jello writing) On different textures (foil, plastic needlepoint, burlap, sandpaper, window screening, carpet square with chalk) Trace with fingers (dried glue letters, sandpaper letters, Ziploc gel bags) Scratch art Multi-Sensory Writing Practice Writing to music Writing tools with sensory input vibrating pens, grease pencil, large paintbrush and water, chalk, lighted pens (visual attending) Form letters with wikki stix (sample), pipe cleaners Write in the air with arm and ruler/pool noodle, try with eyes closed 2

3 Tag board (and/or cut index cards) Jell-o Jell-o Letters Dry erase marker Glue 1. Cut tag board (index cards) for individual letters 2. Write a letter out of glue, continue to make letters to spell a word 3. Sprinkle on dry jell-o and let letters dry 4. Cut tag board for a word strip or name 5. Write a word or name on the strip (laminate and use dry erase marker) 6. Place letters in order and trace jell-o letters with finger 7. Match and attach with a clothespin to the word strip or name ¼ cup cornstarch ¼ cup water Stencil and/or premade letters Liquid Chalk Food coloring Spray bottle 1. Mix and stir cornstarch and water until smooth 2. Add a few drops of food coloring 3. Pour into small, spray bottle 4. Follow letter start and sequence to spray chalk on letter shape or stencil Writing Tools Consider size, weight, shape, resistance, diameter and/or grip needed, how to access (caps, sharpening), sensory feedback (smell, color, auditory, tactile), lines produced, flow of tool Tools: pens, crayons, chalk, marker, gel pens, liquid lead, china/grease pencil, paint, weighted, novelty pencils with fidgets, small crayons/chalk Pencil Grip Supervise use! Commercial grips or writing tools with built in grips Built up grip: Handles from milk jug/laundry detergent bottles, foam insulation, foam curler, foam bicycle grips, pool noodle, modeling putty Finger placement: visual cues on pencil and/or fingers, rubber band or wikki stix wrap, verbal cues Rubber bands or pony tail holders around wrist and pencil to position Try holding a small object (koosh ball, bead) in ring and little finger Assemble and Make Low Tech Tools Milk jug handle Foam curlers Pencil grips Weighted pencil Weighted Pencil Materials Pencil Washers (2) Nuts (2) O-ring (2) (or rubber bands wrapped around pencil) Directions 1. Place o-ring on pencil 2. Alternate nuts and washers on pencil 3. Place o-rings at the end of the stack to hold the nuts/washers Try alternative weights coupling nut 3/8 x 1 3/8 or drapery weights Try more/less weight on pencil and placement on the pencil 3

4 Pencil Pressure Mechanical pencil, vary pencil lead (#1 and #3) Resistive writing tools (grease pencil, crayons), markers Place paper on top of materials to provide sensory feedback (sandpaper, foil, cardboard, Styrofoam) Practice coloring with water color pencils Too light grease pencil, #1 pencil lead, marker Grading Pressure Sandpaper and water color pencils Variations in pencil lead Strawberry huller and marshmallows Paper Position: Angle paper (30 from vertical to right for left hander, 30 from vertical to left for right hander) for sentences, cue with tape guide on desk Vertical surface: slantboard, easel, whiteboard, presentation pads, 3-ring binder, 30 slant decreases eye/neck fatigue Stabilize: Clipboard, whiteboard with chip clip, non-slip surface Paper Type/Lines Choose writing tool before paper, line size based on the size of the student s letters Visual input (stickers, highlighting tape) and provide more or less cues for margins, alignment, size, spacing Color: more/less contrast Lines: try single, double, and mid lines, shaded lines, bold lines, paper strips, colors (paper/lines) Raised lines: wikki stix, glue, trace over lines using ruler and dressmaker s serrated tracing wheel, correction tape, writing window template on cookie sheet or clipboard Spacing Finger space, use objects (stickers, popsicle stick, beads, chips, cubes, spoon, wikki stix, spaghetti) Box words Graph paper Small tics on paper Writing guide Skipping lines More Suggestions and Ideas Consider fonts on worksheets and tracing (solid or dotted lines) Reversals (may observe up to 2 nd grade) use visual or cognitive strategies, tactile, vertical surfaces Encourage control with coloring by using wikki stix boundaries and decrease size Dot to dot and maze activities Commercial games using manipulatives 4

5 PocketMod Additional Low Tech Tools Letter stamps, stickers, bingo dauber, stencils, highlighters, sticky notes Magnetic words/letters Word wall/book LoTTIE Kit One page paper organizer that is folded into 8 pages Able to customize create mini books, tips and strategies Assemble - PocketMod PocketMod Handwriting Resources Wrap Up Questions Resource list Resources at the front table 5