Working on handwriting is often met with resistance. This is typical and expected. When a child or adolescent requires practice with handwriting, it’s usually not due to lack of effort or motivation. Instead, it’s a reflection of the increased amount of effort they are required to use to write in comparison to their peers. This can be a result of challenges with fine motor, motor coordination, motor planning, visual, and cognitive skills.
Let’s be honest, traditional handwriting curriculums can be boring. As boring as practicing handwriting can be, it is required in order for it to be legible to others and age or grade appropriate. Illegible handwriting can impact academic success, which can result in decreased functioning in a school setting. Luckily OT’s know how to put the fun back in functioning!
One way to make handwriting fun is by changing the materials that are written on. Instead of writing on paper, utilize a textured platform, such as: Play-Doh, TheraPutty, or kinetic sand. By adding texture, it looks and feels more like play. A textured surface provides tactile sensory input in addition to visual input. Proprioceptive input is provided by grading force to write in the different textures, building fine motor strength.
Another way to practice handwriting is by changing the materials utilized. You can use paintbrushes or fingers with paint or shaving cream. This creates a multi-modal approach (multiple senses) through combing visual, tactile, and proprioceptive input.
Terminology:
Proprioceptive input: sensory information from the muscles and joints.
Grading force: Amount of pressure applied.
Multi-modal: Multiple modes of teaching.
