Tag Archives: handwriting

Strong handwriting development strategies support legibility, writing fluency, and academic success. Effective handwriting instruction includes posture, pencil grip, letter formation, and spacing. These strategies benefit children with and without motor challenges by building foundational skills needed for written expression and classroom participation. Explore tools, tips, and research-backed approaches to support handwriting development in all learners.

OT Rubrics for Fine Motor, Visual Motor and Handwriting Skills

Events & Conferences, ,

Valorie Todd, MA, OTR/LWhen a group of OTs get together to brainstorm, there’s bound to be some exciting “stuff” that is the outcome. Valorie Todd, MA, OTR/L and her school-based practice colleagues in the New York and New Jersey vicinity had a goal in mind. They wanted to devise a way to monitor quarterly progress in performance skills they identified as “OT goals” or “Areas of Need” on the IEP that was based on normative data. Valorie discussed the rubrics her group developed during her Therapro Saturday Seminar Series workshop on August 22, 2015 entitled:  OT Rubrics for Fine Motor, Visual Motor and Handwriting Skills.

This seminar was the kick-off for the Fall Saturday Seminar Series and attracted about 60 attendees who listened closely, commented freely, and shared thoughts. Valorie and her colleagues were determined to conceive a way to assess a student’s performance against predetermined criteria, in which a student is measured against his own performance.

Valorie’s group identified 7 areas for assessment including:

  • Postural Control
  • Sensory Modulation
  • Ocular Motor Skills
  • Object Manipulation: Fine Motor/Hand Skills
  • Controlled Tool Use: Color, Trace, Cut
  • Design Copy: Graphics/Objects, and
  • Handwriting.

In her seminar, Valorie discussed Object Manipulation, Controlled Tool Use, Design Copy, and Handwriting. Fine Motor Rubrics for Kindergarten and Grade 1 were identified.

Valorie offered a thoroughly researched plan on how to assess function and address the skill through worksheets that acknowledged how a student was expected to progress sequentially in each area.  She made clear distinctions in skills expected of a kindergartner versus a first grader.  For example, when assessing “Tracing,” specifically Pencil Control:

A kindergartner would receive a score of 4 if he:

  • “Controls lines with min. errors 90-100%”
  • “Stops/turns at corners (angles/arcs)”

A first grader would receive a score of 4 if he

  • “Has good control within/on lines in all directions (90-100%)”
  • “Starts/stops on dots with 1-2 errors”

Valorie’s rubrics were well-defined and can be easily replicated. She was very enthused about sharing her work, including worksheets, and encouraged therapists to use her rubrics and provide her with feedback so that the rubrics can further be developed with input and use over time. As a result, a meaningful assessment of quarterly progress can be obtained and insufficient areas can be addressed systematically and meaningfully before the student is due for the next standardized evaluation.

Attendees comments were very positive and encouraging:

“It was excellent! So much info, well related to school based OTs. This will be helpful in writing goals, tracking progress, presenting at meetings, and for my Teachpoint eval.”  Amanda B., Occupational Therapist

“It helps so much to have these rubrics to support our clinical observations when IEPs are moving toward data driven/measurable goals and objectives. It will help with tracking and also guide thinking when working on skills.”  Anonymous, Occupational Therapist

“Love the practicality of the Rubrics.  Anything we can take away & use is terrific!”  Amanda H., Occupational Therapist

“Looks at detail of task performance and observation of foundational skills which students have or need to build on.”  Anonymous,  Occupational Therapist

“I would recommend this seminar to a colleague because it was well researched and the information was very comprehensive.  The material is very current and I can readily apply this information.”  Anonymous, Occupational Therapist

Thank you, Val!

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L

Back-to-School Readiness for Classrooms

School-Based Practice, Sensory, Therapist Resources, , ,

Throughout the summer, we ensure that our children have all the supplies they need. We worry about their transitions from one grade to another, but as therapists and educators, are we back to school ready? I have created a small list of products that every special educator and therapist should have in their arsenal of education. Most of these items are small and easy to transport from classroom to classroom or school to school.

Here is a list of 15 items you need to start the year off right.

Educational Needs – The products below are perfect for the learning needs of all!

  1. Highlighter Strips are great for visual learners. An ideal tool for those with reading and visual processing difficulties. Brightens any written word. The plastic strips can be placed over any written material and used over and over again.
  2. NOVENOPs! is a hilarious game that teaches sentence structure! A card game for children of ages 6 and up. This game helps develop the player’s ability to understand the basic elements of grammar.
  3. Letter Treasure Hunt is a Pirate adventure with a handwriting twist! A board game with a handwriting component and the pirate theme makes it tons of fun.
  4. Trunks is a game where players move their bodies, make sounds and perform actions from memory!

Handwriting – Slant Boards, Paper & Grips, Oh My! Everything you need for working on handwriting skills, you will find here!

  1. Better Board Slant Boards are made for traveling (from home to school, class to class, etc.) and can easily be stacked and stored in a classroom.
  2. Raised Line Writing Paper is perfect for teaching line orientation, and cueing correct letter and word spacing. Graph spacing is also used for teaching numeracy and basic addition and subtraction.
  3. Pencil Grip Samplers let your students experiment and find their most comfortable writing tools.
  4. Highlighter Paper features a highlighted lower writing area and solid lines. Because the paper is visually simplified letters can be formed and spaced correctly.

Organization – An organized classroom helps with transitioning from class to class or task to task.

  1. Time Timers allow students to understand the passage of time so they can monitor their own activities. Better time awareness also relieves stress and anxiety.
  2. Seat Sacks are a great way for students to quickly gather supplies on a moment’s notice.
  3. Talk Bar is a customizable, versatile communicator that helps students visually display and describe a sequence of events.

Sensory Needs – Don’t forget about your students’ sensory needs; make sure you have all these sensational supplies in your classroom.

  1. Sensory Stories Cards are visual reminders of the various strategies that children can employ to cope with unpleasant sensations in daily life.
  2. Fidget Kit includes a group of the most popular fidgets.
  3. Seating Cushions help promote “active sitting”. Perfect for strengthening the muscles that support the spine and to use when sensory input is needed.
  4. Sensational Fun Cards have over 100 activities for parents and teachers who are looking for some great sensory games using common objects found in the home and school.
Sensational Fun a must have tool for back to school readiness
Sensational Fun
Therapro's Sensory Story Cards a must have tool for back to school readiness
Sensory Stories
Gymnic Disc 'O' Sit: Blue
Gymnic Disc ‘O’ Sit

Guest Blogger: Diana V. Mendez-Hohmann BA, COTA