These suggestions cannot not and should not take the place of medical services. Be sure to check with your child's doctor before trying any of the activities or using any of the strategies listed. Occupational Therapy is a medical services, that requires a doctor's referral. If you feel like your child may benefit from services, speak to your doctor.
To have good handwriting, a child must have established good Fine Motor Skills. Try to integrate Fine Motor Activities into daily activities to develop a good foundation to build on. |
Printables, Activities & Resources for Handwriting
I spent the better half of my career as an OT determined to create a Handwriting Program that meet my students' needs. Combining a variety of programs, conferences, teacher feedback and student preference - the program came to be. From that program came a variety of "learning how to be a writer" activities. All of these resources are available to you on my Teachers Pay Teachers page. Click on the image to the left to scroll through.
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Simple, Easy Graphomotor Activities & Accommodations
Tactile Learning
Many children are hands on learners. The need to "build" letters with different mediums, like playdoh, WikkiSticks, and blocks. They also need to experience "drawing" letters with more than just pencil and paper. They need to use shaving cream, finger paints, markers, bingo dotters - the options are endless.
For upper case letters, I like using foam, laminated or wood pieces for a tactile "building" experience. For lower case letters, I like using playdoh or Wikki Sticks to form the letters.
For upper case letters, I like using foam, laminated or wood pieces for a tactile "building" experience. For lower case letters, I like using playdoh or Wikki Sticks to form the letters.
The Writing Line
I tell teachers to ALWAYS use lined paper when working on handwriting, even if the children don't know exactly how to use it. Having a consistent visual of letter placement, alignment and size helps them get an accurate idea of what a letter "looks like" on a writing line.
I always suggest to give additional visual cues, especially for kindergarten. I like to highlight each line a different color - specifically I like using green for the top, yellow for the middle and red for the bottom. That way, if a child has weak language skills and does not consistent understand directionality concepts (top, middle, up, down, etc.) - they can relate to the visual cues (i.e. "k starts on the GREEN top line, sits on the RED bottom line.....).
I also suggest using paper that has LARGE spaces between each line. When a kid is first learning to use writing lines, if they are too close together - all the lines blend into one. Instead of three distinct top, middle and bottom lines, the paper turns into a mess of horizontal strokes.
I always suggest to give additional visual cues, especially for kindergarten. I like to highlight each line a different color - specifically I like using green for the top, yellow for the middle and red for the bottom. That way, if a child has weak language skills and does not consistent understand directionality concepts (top, middle, up, down, etc.) - they can relate to the visual cues (i.e. "k starts on the GREEN top line, sits on the RED bottom line.....).
I also suggest using paper that has LARGE spaces between each line. When a kid is first learning to use writing lines, if they are too close together - all the lines blend into one. Instead of three distinct top, middle and bottom lines, the paper turns into a mess of horizontal strokes.
Upper Case Letters
After a child masters pre-writing lines and shapes, they are ready to work on the formation of upper case letters. Upper case letters are developmentally the next step in visual motor skills - because all the upper case letters all start in the same place (the top line) and they all bump the same place (the bottom line). Likewise, all the upper case letters are formed by combining the same four shapes - a big curve, a small curve, a big line and a little line. Therefore, even though it's not "grammatically" correct for students to print in all upper case letters, for a motor perspective, it is developmentally appropriate for a new printer to do so.
Lower Case Letters
Lower case letters are much more challenging for a new printer. First, these letters require a solid understanding of the writing line - and the visual perceptual components involved - including spatial concepts like "top, middle and bottom". Students also need to be able to apply these spatial concepts to understand a lower case letter's placement on a writing line - meaning whether it is a "tall, small or fall down letter". I often use "Mrs. Atkinson's house" to teach these concepts. Students love talking about "Mrs. Atkinson's stinky basement"
In addition, to higher level visual perceptual skills, lower case letters also involve more advance visual motor concepts - like retracing.
Because there are so many different "parts" involve to form lower case letters, chunking letters based on their "motor blue print" is so important. For example, once a student has the "motor blue print" for letter "c" - they can build on that blue print for forming letters "o, a, d, g and q."
In addition, to higher level visual perceptual skills, lower case letters also involve more advance visual motor concepts - like retracing.
Because there are so many different "parts" involve to form lower case letters, chunking letters based on their "motor blue print" is so important. For example, once a student has the "motor blue print" for letter "c" - they can build on that blue print for forming letters "o, a, d, g and q."
Specific Handwriting Issues
Illegible handwriting is usually a result of the follow problems:
1. Poor Letter Memory
2. Errors in Letter Formation
3. Errors in Placement and Alignment
Remediating the problem will depend on what area of need the student is displaying.
1. Poor Letter Memory
2. Errors in Letter Formation
3. Errors in Placement and Alignment
Remediating the problem will depend on what area of need the student is displaying.
Handwriting Disclaimer
For all my OTs out there - this is for you.
Parents and Teachers - Please remember that while most of us OTs do address handwriting, we are NOT handwriting tutors. There is a lot of skills that go into handwriting, some that are motor or visual motor based. That is where we come in. But sometimes, a child can have perfectly appropriate motor and visual motor skills and still have messy handwriting. It could academic (the child might not be able to spell the word), it might be attention (the child loses focus and therefore he doesn't attend to the quality of his work) or it could be behavioral (he just doesn't care that it's sloppy). If a child can perform other motor and visual motor tasks appropriately (think coloring, cutting, tracing, drawing, etc.) - chances are, it's not an "OT issue". Can we still provide some pointers - sure. (Two of my favorites that actually work are: 1. use lined paper [duh] and 2. let the child use a pen [no, seriously].) But please don't get upset if the child doesn't qualify for services.
And look. Some people just have sloppy handwriting. If you have a 4th grader who prints messy, those motor patterns have been developed and established for the 4 years the child has been printing. You probably aren't going to make any miraculous changes. Instead, maybe you need to try a new approach. I hate technology, I do - but if you absolutely can't handle your child's handwriting - let them type on a computer. Talk to your school district's assistive technology department and see if there's a device that your child might benefit from. And most importantly, don't hate on the OT because of it.
Parents and Teachers - Please remember that while most of us OTs do address handwriting, we are NOT handwriting tutors. There is a lot of skills that go into handwriting, some that are motor or visual motor based. That is where we come in. But sometimes, a child can have perfectly appropriate motor and visual motor skills and still have messy handwriting. It could academic (the child might not be able to spell the word), it might be attention (the child loses focus and therefore he doesn't attend to the quality of his work) or it could be behavioral (he just doesn't care that it's sloppy). If a child can perform other motor and visual motor tasks appropriately (think coloring, cutting, tracing, drawing, etc.) - chances are, it's not an "OT issue". Can we still provide some pointers - sure. (Two of my favorites that actually work are: 1. use lined paper [duh] and 2. let the child use a pen [no, seriously].) But please don't get upset if the child doesn't qualify for services.
And look. Some people just have sloppy handwriting. If you have a 4th grader who prints messy, those motor patterns have been developed and established for the 4 years the child has been printing. You probably aren't going to make any miraculous changes. Instead, maybe you need to try a new approach. I hate technology, I do - but if you absolutely can't handle your child's handwriting - let them type on a computer. Talk to your school district's assistive technology department and see if there's a device that your child might benefit from. And most importantly, don't hate on the OT because of it.