X’s and O’s: All About Handwriting Readiness

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L
All About Handwriting Readiness

Children scribble. Children draw. Children explore, get messy, and climb on things. All of these build the skills necessary for handwriting. 

The moment a child has a writing tool in their hand, their first inclination is to make marks with it. As they mature, they create intentionally meaningful drawings and scribbles which later turn into letters and words.

As children begin to learn how to write letters, they start developing pathways in the brain necessary for reading. In fact, research shows that 2- and 3-year-olds can distinguish writings from drawings, and that children at the age of 4 can recognize that printed words have meaning that can be decoded.

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The Quick Long List of Handwriting Activities

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L
The Quick, Long List of Handwriting Activities

Warmups

These prep activities help activate the sensory systems (touch and proprioception), and enhance visual motor and fine motor skills. Pick a few or pick all. 

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Love Letters #1: Handwriting in the 21st Century

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

This is the first post in our Love Letters Series about the importance of handwriting.

Love Letters: Handwriting in the 21st Century

Everything is digital nowadays. Smart phones, tablets, touch screen monitors…all you need to do is swipe, tap, or “sign” with a finger and you’re good to go. Typing and voice-to-text software have substituted one’s need to put pen to paper. 

With all this technology, it’s hard to determine handwriting’s place in the world and in child development. So, it begs the question: why do children need to learn handwriting? 

Handwriting is considered a fading practice as computers and tablets enter the academic arena. Teachers today spend less time on handwriting instruction. However, handwriting still consumes much of a student’s school day, spending 25-50% of their class time engaged in paper-and-pencil tasks. 

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Thank you!

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Hey Friends!

Thank you all for the Child(ish) support, likes, and follows this past month! It means so much to me and our whole team. 

Have any topics you’d like us to discuss? Let us know in the comments. 

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Superhero Stretches: Stretches for the Toe-Walker

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

The goal for these stretches is to lengthen the lower leg muscles as well as strengthen the front leg muscles. Do these daily. Remember: These stretches should not be painful. 

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