I gave a mom a few of Handwriting Without Tear’s flip crayons this week. She was amazed at what her son did with them. He picked them up, examined them and proceeded to figure out how best to hold them without a word from me. He automatically achieved the mature grasp that we had been…… Continue reading Can HWT’s Flip Crayons Transform Pencil Grasp in Preschoolers?
Category: kindergarten
Child Writing Too Lightly on Paper? It Might Not Be Hand Strength Holding Him Back
If your child barely makes a mark when he scribbles or writes, most adults assume that grasp is an issue. Today’s post suggests that something else could be the real reason for those faint lines. Limitations in postural and bilateral control contribute far more to lack of pressure when writing than most parents and teachers…… Continue reading Child Writing Too Lightly on Paper? It Might Not Be Hand Strength Holding Him Back
Is Your Gifted Child Also Your Most Strong Willed Child?
Parents of some gifted children know that this gift comes with more than a quick intellect. It can come with a will of iron and incredible emotional range. Gifted children can be expansively happy one moment, and intensely sad the next. No, it isn’t bipolar disorder, and it probably isn’t ADD (gifted kids are misdiagnosed…… Continue reading Is Your Gifted Child Also Your Most Strong Willed Child?
Strengthening A Child’s Pencil Grasp: Three Easy Methods That Work
When a child makes fast progress from a fisted grasp to a mature pencil grasp in therapy, parents notice. This isn’t easy to accomplish, but it is possible. I spent the first decade of my pediatric OT career thinking that finger exercises were the answer. Nope. Here are my three favorite strategies to…… Continue reading Strengthening A Child’s Pencil Grasp: Three Easy Methods That Work
Avoiding Letter Reversals In Preschool
Are letter reversals in preschool normal? Yes. Can you avoid them, and thus speed up the accuracy and automaticity that are hallmarks of successful handwriting? Sure! This post will explain why reversals are slowing kids down unnecessarily and how to limit letter and number reversals right from the start. Writing letters backward is very common…… Continue reading Avoiding Letter Reversals In Preschool
How Do You Teach Word Spacing?
Kindergarteners need to learn to space their words correctly. But how exactly do you do that? Most teachers are using the “put your index finger next to your last word as a spacer” strategy. This isn’t a terrible idea, but many children can grasp the true spacing measure. Here is why you should attempt to…… Continue reading How Do You Teach Word Spacing?