On Point Handwriting

✏️ Wishing you all a Happy Easter! 🐣🐇 ✏️

✏️Great read! No need for fancy exercises! All you need are these household/office items!

Strengthening fine motor skills doesn't need to be complicated! Here are more ideas: https://www.theottoolbox.com/improving-pencil-grasp-with-fine-motor/

Visual discrimination is a key piece of eye-hand coordination and fine motor tasks! Here is a resource on how this skill develops and activities to support visual discrimination: https://www.theottoolbox.com/visual-discrimination/

Yes! “Separation of the hand” is so important for success in handwriting. This allows a child achieve a strong grasp which includes using thumb, index, and middle finger to maneuver the pencil while tucking in the ring and small finger for stability.

Separation of the sides of the hand: https://www.theottoolbox.com/separation-of-sides-of-hand-activity/

These are the 6 fascinating stages of drawing development in early childhood.
--->> https://empoweredparents.co/child-development-drawing-stages/

One piece of handwriting that isn't always covered is 𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. This ability to store a motor plan for letter formation helps with automaticity and functional writing. We have information on this skill...along with a great resource on knowing WHEN to consider discharge from school based OT for handwriting needs here: https://www.theottoolbox.com/how-long-should-ots-address-handwriting/

🦃 Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

✏️Grateful to help little hands be successful in handwriting! ✏️

✏️This is one of the first skills I assess on a first visit. Many kiddos who have difficulty with pencil grasp do not have this underlying skill.

Pincer grasp...it’s more than a toddler picking up cereal. This important skill determines precision and dexterity in tasks like pencil grasp, writing, manipulating snaps, beads, threading a needle...so many skills.

👌🏼 Pincer grasp is a skill that develops around 9-12 months of age. At this time, children are typically able to pick up small items such as cereal with the pads of the thumb and pointer finger. This pad-to-pad grip is called the pincer grasp.

Neat pincer grasp uses the tips of the thumb and pointer finger to stabilize objects. When using a pincer grasp, children use the pads of the thumb and finger to stabilize the object. Pincer grasp develops around 9-12 months of age. Neat pincer grasp develops between 12-18 months and is a much finer skill.

👉🏼For more info and loads of activities to build this precision skill, head to The OT Toolbox and search “pincer grasp” or head here: https://www.theottoolbox.com/neat-pincer-grasp-activities/ 👌🏼👌🏼

✏️See below for components needed for a successful grasp!

✏️Sometimes all it takes is working on just one of these skills to make a successful and confident writer.

The OT Toolbox

✏️Absolutely ❤️ this! Yes, it all comes down to strong hands!

✏️Strong intrinsic muscles=improved grasp=increased legibility=confident writers!

Credit: Fine Motor Tricks and Tips