Tips for Choosing Your Pencil Grip from Gail Kushnir, MA OT, B.Ed

Handwriting

On February 2, 2020 Therapro was happy to host another successful webinar, Let’s Do It Write! Writing Readiness presented by Gail Kushnir, MA OT, B.Ed. During this webinar many writing readiness topics were discussed including the use of pencil grips. Gail noted the purpose of a pencil grip is to provide maximum support to the child in order to allow skill, stamina, and speed while handwriting. With a vast array of grips available, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. Gail simplified the process with these basic rules:

  • Too much flexibility and instability….use a grip with firm support like the Bulb Grip
  • Ectopic Dermatitis or physical anomalies….use a tube that increases the circumference of the pencil

Still not sure, check out Therapro’s Get a Grip on Grips Handy Guide!

Therapro’s Collaborative Blog Post Project: Handwriting Evaluations

Handwriting

January 23 celebrated National Handwriting Day.  In honor of a holiday near and dear to many occupational therapists’ hearts we tasked you all with sending us your best ideas, tips, tricks, and opinions on all things handwriting.  We then compiled these comments into Therapro’s first ever series of collaborative blog posts.  Our first topic, handwriting evaluations! Here is what you all had to say:

Favorite & Most Helpful Handwriting Assessment or Evaluation Methods

Evaluation Tool of Children's Handwriting

By far most therapists surveyed relied on non standardized measures and skilled observations to collect information about a students handwriting.    When it came down to standardized measures the most popular were The Print Tool, The Evaluation of Children’s Handwriting (ETCH), and the Test of Handwriting Skills Revised.

Pros & Cons

The Print tool

When discussing the pros and cons of each of these measures a few common themes emerged:

  • The Print Tool provides detailed information about a student’s physical approach to handwriting but can be time consuming to administer and score.
  • Non-standardized measures can be quick and easy but don’t provide needed normative data.
  • It is difficult to gain reliable information when a student does not yet know the alphabet. 

Other Factors to Consider When Evaluating Handwriting

Visual Perceptual Skills-4

Therapists surveyed indicated that evaluating a student’s motor performance as well as visual perceptual skills were critical aspects of the handwriting assessment process.  Sensory, environmental, and psychosocial factors were also identified as areas to include when assessing a student’s handwriting.

Helpful Hints & Suggestions for Evaluating Handwriting

  • Include both a near point and far point copy tasks .
  • Include observations of the student performing both preferred and non preferred tasks.
  • When observing a child writing, position yourself  for an optimal view of the student writing hand.
  • Eliminate distraction.
  • Have grips, different seating options, adaptative paper, and a variety of writing tools  available to try.
  • Have letter strips available for visual reference.
  • Choose a topic that is of interest to the student to write about.
Handwriting Tools
Adaptive Paper

Thank you to all of the therapists who shared their knowledge and expertise!

Let’s Move! Fun Ways to Add Movement Experiences to Everyday Activities

Activities

A quick web search will unearth a vast number of articles, books, and research supporting the notion that movement is critical to so many life functions including a child’s ability to attend and engage in learning activities. Cold winters, limited daylight hours, and the current Covid pandemic situation have all played a significant role in limiting access to movement opportunities.  However, there are still some great ways to move within the confines of these restrictions! Check out these ideas!

Obstacle Courses

Obstacle Course

Obstacle courses can be big, small, built indoors, or built outside.  There are no set of specific materials needed, just a little imagination!  At home, obstacle courses are a great rainy day activity. Use couch cushions, blankets, pillows or whatever else is readily available around the house.   In the classroom obstacle courses make a great option for indoor recess.

Simple modifications can help everyone get in on the fun!

  • To help learners still working on motor planning, establish a starting and end point and/ or identify materials to use for the course.
  • Make it more complex by adding games rules such as “the floor is lava” and cannot be touched!
  • Get creative juices flowing by establishing a challenge. Can you make it from your desk to the pencil sharpener using only three materials? Can you make it from the couch to the kitchen without touching the floor?

Check out Sensation Fun and Therapro’s free resources for ways to enhance obstacle courses with sensory exploration!

Alternative Seating

Alternative Seating

Swapping out traditional chairs for something that allows for wiggling is a great way to add movement experiences to traditionally sedentary activities! Be sure to supervise those with decreased balance!

Some Ideas Include:

  • Sit on a jacket, blanket, pillow, or air filled cushion.
  • Sit on an upside down water jug, chair with wheels, rocking chair, ball chair, or Kore Stool!
  • Place an air filled wedge between a student’s back and the back of the chair or under the feet (also great to support posture and positioning!).
  • Use a ready made Foot Fidget or tie exercise bands to chair or desk legs.

For more alternative seating ideas check out Therapro’s Blog Setting up Your Seat for Virtual Learning Success!

Games!

Trunks Memory Game

Games are engaging at all ages and a great resource for movement.  Some games come with built in movement opportunities like the Yoga Spinner Game, Trunks, or Letter Treasure Hunt. For games that are traditionally sedentary, table games, a few tweaks can add a dose of movement!

Try These ideas:

  • When game setup allows, spread games pieces out.  For example when playing a memory game place cards in different spots in the room (across multiple desks, across the living room floor, or even taped to the wall!)
  • Use sticky notes or small stickers to cover game board spaces with a movement activity.  For example, take a traditional board game and add movement cues (“10 jumping jacks”, “run in place”) to several of the game’s squares.  When a player lands on this square they would perform the movement prescribed.
Little Treasure Hunt

Be sure to check out Therapro’s Gear Up for Games Handy Guide for more game modification ideas!

Movement Breaks!

More and more classroomTry These ideas:s are adding movement or “brain breaks” into the daily schedule. A simple stretch break can do wonders for changing a students level of alertness and their ability to attend. These mini breaks don’t have to be restricted to the classroom, they are perfect for homework sessions, online learning activities, or even Saturday morning cartoon sessions!

Try These ideas:

  • Get students involved. At the beginning of the day assign a movement activity to each student. During the designated movement break time, students take turns leading classmates through their assigned movement.  Make it super simple by distributing movement cards at the beginning of the day (for example Fun Deck cards or Yoga Cards) for student’s to use as guidance!
  • Keeping a visual near spaces where sedentary activities usually occur helps to provide reminders to move. Try Move Mindfully Poster Strips, simple cut outs from favorite magazines, or Drive Thru Menus.
  • Create a movement corner near learning spaces to help students have quick and convenient access to movement opportunities without getting off track! These can be quick and easy to create; try using a small yoga mat or towel, some weighted balls or filled water bottles, and/ or a therapy ball.
Move Your Body

Be sure to check out Therapro’s Tap Into Tools For The Body Handy Guide for more ideas!

Small amounts of movement will quickly add up.  Providing the space, tools, and opportunities to access movement experiences will help students attend, focus, and better access their learning environments. In addition, these early, positive experiences with movement will help to establish lifelong health habits!