Handwriting

Home Exercises-Handwriting

Habits are formed by the end of second grade and can be difficult to change, remediation may be a better option as the child gets older.

Identify writing expectation (Age, Grade, Cognitive ability) and what writing program is being used
Can the child identify letters/sounds prior to writing?
Does the child have a hand dominance/preference?
Does the child use a fork/spoon independently?
Talk to your Occupational Therapist and ask where your child’s difficulty are

8 Components Needed for writing:

Memory-Remembering and writing letters and numbers
Orientation-Facing letters and numbers in the correct direction
Placement- Knowing where to start the latter and helps with the fluidity of the letter
Size- How big or small the child writes
Start- Where does the letter start? This will dictate its formation
Sequence- Order and stroke direction of the letter or number parts
Control-Fluidity of the strokes
Spacing- This can be between letters within a words or words within a sentence

What can you do when there is a problem for the above mentioned components?

Memory- Play visual games with letters, Magnetic letters, letter beads, leap frog letter game
Orientation- Games that teach top to bottom, left to right. Use Handwriting without tears, letter formation app, or wood pieces, play doh
Placement- Provide the child with how the letter should look, practice with near point copy tasks
Size- Use age appropriate paper, Provide boundaries- green, yellow and red lines, boxes
Start-Show the child where the letter starts- Use tactile cards, HWT app on Ipad, wet dry try with chalkboard
Sequence- Show the child how to form the letter
Control- Teach tripod grasp, three fingers are working two are sleeping
Spacing- Provide the child with sample sentences for them to copy, Use red lines to indicate spacing between words