Munira - Children's Occupational Therapist

23/09/2026

I hate tooting my own horn so wanted to share a few more things parents have said about the fr.e.e Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop over the years in case it helps you decide whether you'd like to join too:

💬 “It was so useful I've asked to watch the replay again a couple of years later!”

💬 “I found it so insightful and innovative.”

💬 “Helping kids learn to write through becoming comfortable in their own unique bodies, it is an invaluable approach.”

💬 “It was great, very informative, yet easy to understand, really useful information.”

💬 “I felt empowered to do the body & other activities with him and support his progress.”

A bunch of different parents.
A bunch of different takeaways. ❤️
And perhaps some of this would be helpful for you too.

My f.r.e.e. Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop is tomorrow on 24th September.

Comm3nt ‘no writing’ and I’ll send you the L1nk.

23/09/2026

1 DAY TO GO…
NO PENCIL GRIPS.

And here’s #5 in my series: 5 things you WON’T hear about in my f.r.e.e. Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop.

Despite the name Beyond Pencil Grasp, you won’t hear me telling you to put a pencil grip on your child’s pencil or “fix” their grasp. 😆

Because the grasp itself gives us clues about their whole body sensory processing, strength and coordination.

And THAT is really what this Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop is about.

Can't wait to dive into it with you all tomorrow.

1 day to go!

My f.r.e.e. Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop is tomorrow, 24th September.
Comm3nt “no writing” and I’ll send you the L1nk.

P.S. My best cat drawings for the last post of this series.

23/09/2026

Why do I want you to come to this workshop so much?

Because I’ve seen too many kids struggle and be misunderstood.

Kids told they’re lazy, lying or not trying hard enough.

Kids saying that their hands hurt from writing but not believed.

Kids feeling unsupported.

Kids whose confidence and self-esteem take a hit because the adults around them don’t understand what’s really going on.

And I want to do whatever I can to change that.

I want more kids to be supported, listened to and have their needs honoured.

More kids to be able to learn the way that their brains and sensory systems are wired.

I want us to move the focus away from endless writing practice and towards helping kids feel comfortable in their bodies and nervous systems.

And ultimately, I want kids to find joy in creating, however they do that.

Because really, that’s what matters.

Kids feeling good in their bodies.
Kids getting excited about new ideas.
Kids being creative.
Kids keeping their confidence and self-esteem intact.

Not perfect pencil grasp.
Not perfectly formed letters.

Those things can develop too in time.

But we start with the foundations underneath them.

That’s why I care so much about helping parents and teachers understand what may actually be going on underneath writing difficulties.

And it’s why it looks like I'm trying to encourage so many of you to my free Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop. :)

Because if I can help more adults understand what kids are telling us through their bodies and behaviour, hopefully fewer kids will have to spend years feeling misunderstood, struggling, and losing their self-esteem and confidence.
The FREE workshop is on 24th September.
It's live with a Q&A afterwards, and a replay available too.

Comment ME below and I’ll send you the link to register. ❤️

If you can help me share it with others, please do.

23/09/2026

Writing is no big deal!

People often say writing isn’t that necessary anymore because of technology.

And honestly, I can totally see that.

But writing difficulties can tell us about much more than writing itself. And this is what my workshop is all about.

Kids who struggle with writing are often told they’re lazy, not trying hard enough, or just need more practice.

Meanwhile, they may be dealing with sore hands, frustration and writing becoming something they really dread.

And the skills affecting writing can also affect lots of other parts of life.

For example:
Body and spatial awareness can affect navigating spaces, tripping and falling, playground play, sports or riding a bike.

Balance can affect sitting comfortably for games, crafts, meals out or other everyday activities.

Core and shoulder strength can affect posture, endurance, getting dressed and how tiring writing feels.

Fine motor skills can affect things like eating, opening packets and managing everyday objects.

So for me, the point isn’t simply:
“We need to fix the writing.”

It’s:
“What is the writing difficulty telling us about what else this child may need support with?”

Then we can support the things that actually matter to that child and family, while also using accommodations to make writing easier right now.

That might mean helping with writing.
Or concentration.
Or feeling more comfortable in their body.
Or riding a bike.
Or something completely different.

That’s exactly what we’ll start exploring in my FREE Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop + Q&A on 24th September.

If you want to understand what may be contributing to your child’s writing difficulties and where to start, comment ME below and I’ll send you the link. ❤️

22/09/2026

Have you noticed that despite all the practice, pencil grips, and worksheets, your child's writing isn't improving?

There's a scientific reason for that.

When it comes to developing writing skills, there are two fundamentally different approaches:

BOTTOM-UP which builds the foundation first, and
TOP-DOWN which focuses directly on the end skill

Most schools, therapists, and even some OTs use a TOP-DOWN approach:
The brain guides the body
Requires direct practice of writing itself
Provides quick but temporary solutions
Often leads to frustration and resistance
What they're missing is this crucial developmental pyramid you can see in the image.

Writing doesn't *start* with writing. It starts with foundational skills that must develop in a specific sequence

Sensory processing (at the base) → core & shoulder strength → fine motor skills → visual motor integration → learning/writing (at the top)

The BOTTOM-UP approach I use with kids I support:
Lets the body teach the body
Develops skills in the correct developmental sequence
Creates lasting changes that transfer to multiple areas
Is more fun and child-led
Builds confidence along with skills
This is why some children practice writing for years with minimal improvement, while others transform their skills in weeks using the right approach.

In my free Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop on 24th Sept, I'll show you exactly how to identify which foundational skills YOUR child needs to develop, and simple activities to build them in the right sequence.

REGISTER NOW and you'll automatically get the free workshop replay - available for a week only.

Comm3nt 'no writing' and I'll s3nd it to you.

If traditional approaches haven't worked for your child, it's not because they can't learn. It's because they need a different approach - one that builds from the foundation up.

22/09/2026

2 DAYS TO GO…
NO SPECIAL PENS.

This is #4 in my series: 5 things you WON’T hear about in my f.r.e.e. Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop.

You won’t hear me telling you to go out and buy a special pen or writing utensil to solve your child’s writing difficulties.

I want us to look much deeper than the pen in their hand.

You'll totally understand why after the workshop.

2 days to go!
My f.r.e.e. Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop is on 24th September.
Comm3nt “no writing” and I’ll send you the L1nk.

22/09/2026

Why Writing Practice Isn’t Enough

Does your child write too big, press too hard or too lightly, have sore hands, or just find writing really effortful?

The usual advice is often:
“Practice more.”
“Do handwriting drills.”
“Work on fine motor skills.”

But writing difficulties are often about much more than the hands.

Things like core strength, shoulder stability, body awareness, coordination and pressure control can all affect how easy or hard writing feels.

And when a child is using so much brain power just to manage the physical act of writing, there’s less available for the ideas and words they actually want to get onto the page.

We want those mechanics to become easier and more automatic, so their brain can focus more on what they want to write.

That’s what the chart below shows:
Some common writing difficulties and what they might be telling us about the skills a child needs support with.

It’s definitely not an exhaustive list, but it gives you a glimpse into why more writing practice isn’t always the answer.

If you’d like to understand more about WHY writing is hard for your child and what you can do to help, come and join my FREE Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop + Q&A on 24th September at 8pm UK time.

Can’t come live? Register anyway and you’ll get the replay.

Comment ME below and I’ll send you the link. ❤️

21/09/2026

When the focus stays on pencil grasp, we can miss what is actually going on underneath.

This parent said:
“It was really helpful in understanding the underlying reasons why a child might find writing challenging or have an unusual pen grasp.

It also helped me to explain to his school more things that might help him, as their focus was on helping him practise a tripod grip 'top down' by using gripper tools and fine motor activities.

Showing them some of your resources helped us and school to focus more on whole body 'bottom up' approaches.”

This is such a big part of what I teach in Beyond Pencil Grasp.

Not just how writing looks on the surface, but what may be underneath it.

My f.r.e.e. Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop is on 24th September.
Comm3nt ‘no writing’ and I’ll send you the L1nk.

21/09/2026

21/09/2026

3 DAYS TO GO
NO 'MORE WRITING PRACTICE.'

Here’s #3 in my series: 5 things you WON’T hear about in my f.r.e.e. Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop.
If writing is already difficult, exhausting, painful or stressful, you won’t hear me saying:
“They just need to practice more.”
There’s a reason I call my approach the No Writing Way™. 😆

You'll hear all about it in the workshop.
3 days to go!
My f.r.e.e. Beyond Pencil Grasp workshop is on 24th September.
Comm3nt “no writing” and I’ll send you the L1nk.

P.S. Like the kitty drawings?