Solution For Handwriting Problems in LD Students
As teachers, frequently you may come across children who find handwriting
difficult. The following may give you
some things to look out for as well as some ideas to try which might help:
Posture
and position when working at the desk for writing tasks
What you may
observe:
¨
Poor posture ‘slumping over the desk’
¨
Tendency to lean to one side in a awkward position
For some
children they need to consciously think about balancing on their chair. Sometimes they:
* Position the non-writing arm across
the body, hooking the hand or the thumb over the edge of the table.
* Hang onto the chair with the
non-working hand instead of supporting the page.
* Support their head with the
non-writing hand forming a closed kinetic chain.
* Wrap legs around the chair legs and
fix the tummy against the edge of the table.
* Constantly fidget and possibly fall
off the chair.
When a child
has to put this much conscious effort into sitting on a chair, it leaves very
little else for looking, listening or doing.
Suggestions:
¨
Check to see that the chair and table is a suitable
height for the child. Ideally the child
should be able to place their feet firmly on the floor. The table should be at about elbow
height. If it is not possible for the
child to get his feet to the floor, place a small block or covered telephone
directory underneath the feet.
¨
Check the type of chair is the child sitting on. Bucket chairs at best encourage a rounded
sitting posture. Where possible exchange
it for a ‘flat bottom’ chair.
¨
Try using an angled writing surface in conjunction
with a wedged sitting cushion The combination has the effect of promoting a
more upright and correct sitting position.
¨
For some children with generalised balance problems, a
more supportive seat may be required e.g. a chair with arms on such as a
‘captains chair’.
Liaison with the local community
children’s occupational Therapist would be helpful if sitting balance is significantly
impaired.
¨
Check the working position of the child. Can he see the board? Does he have to visually follow the teacher
around the room? Is the child sat on an
aisle and likely to get bumped every time someone goes passed? If so consider changing the position.
¨
Check that the child does not have a visual
problem.
Writing
- control and pressure
What you may
observe:
¨
The child uses big arm movements to make letters and
shapes.
¨
The movements appear ridged.
¨
The wrist or the whole arm raises off the writing
surface during writing and drawing activities
¨
Lack of finger and thumb movements being used to push
and pull the pencil.
¨
Moving the paper or the body to accommodate
directional changes rather than move his hand.
¨
Tight grasp
¨
Motivation and productivity
Suggestions:
¨
Use warm up activities in preparation for handwriting
tasks (‘finger aerobics’). These could
be as simple as rubbing the hands together, palms then the backs of the hands,
wiggle fingers, touch fingers to the thumbs in sequence or scrunch up the hands
to make a fist, squeeze tightly then flick out the fingers. These ‘warm ups’
can be used by the whole class whilst they are sitting at their desk or table.
¨
Adding a pen grip is not always the solution as it can
reduce the contact of the fingers with the barrel. This therefore can decrease control rather
than increase it.
* If a grip is to be used you may need
to try different sorts as each child is different. Consider grips that still allow the child to
‘feel’ the pencil under the grip.
* Try fatter barrelled writing tools,
especially those which have a sponge or foam grip on the barrel.
* Try using smaller pencils e.g. 4-5cm
long which encourages the child more to use a three-fingered dynamic grip.
* Use writing tools with integral
grips to aid placement of fingers
* Try adding some reasonable firm
sponge tubing to help ‘fatten’ an ordinary pencil. By having a semi dynamic material such as
this will help to reduce the tension
placed on the small muscles of the hands and reduce discomfort/pain on writing.
* Allow a choice of wring tools –
different tools suit different hands e.g. hand huger pens and pencils, Dr Grip
pens.
¨
Try using a sloped writing surface as described
earlier. Alternatively use a level arch
file turned on its side if resources are not available.
¨
Discomfort on writing - try the alternative pencil
grip (more suitable for the older child).
Place the pen in between the index and the middle finger, supporting the
pen underneath with the thumb
¨
Allow regular ‘writing’ breaks’
¨
Provide opportunities for different writing positions
(more manageable with younger children!) e.g. lying on their tummies on the
floor, positioning large pieces of paper up on the wall.
¨
Consider whether the tools are right for the job:
* Lined paper is better than plane.
* Glossy paper is hard to use with a Biro, as the surface is too ’slippery’.
* Felt pens may not be helpful for
children with tight grips as the fibers ‘splay’. This is similar with fountain pens.
¨
Where there is too much pressure:
* Use leaves of carbon paper under the
writing page.
* Provide a pad of paper to write on.
* Try retractable pencils- these tend
to snap if pressed too hard and again will give some sensory feedback.
¨
Some children can develop a
reluctance to participate in pencil/writing tasks if they are ware that their
work is not as good as their peers.
Encourage informal pencil activities and opportunities to use
motivational tools:
*
Vibrating pens
*
Doodle pens
*
Magic writing pads
*
Magic painting books
*
Stamper and roller pens
Difficulty
with making shapes/ patterns and organizing work
What you may observe:
¨
Difficulty producing shapes – eliminate any perceptual
problems or visual acuity problems.
¨
Starting work from the middle of the page – if this is
happening, consider where the paper is positioned. Is it excessively over to the side of the
writing hand?
¨
Letters do not sit on the line.
Suggestions:
¨
Check paper position.
This should be place toward the mid line of the writer. If the child is right handed it should be
tilted slightly towards the left. If the
child is right handed it should be tilted slightly toward the right.
¨
Difficulties sitting letters on the line - use
additional cues:
* Raised lined writing paper.
*
Mark lines more boldly with colored
pens – use e.g. green for the grass and blue for the sky.
¨
To ensure writing begins to the left hand side of the
page, use colour again to draw the eye to that side e.g. using green margin
lines for go on the left and red margin
lines on the right of the paper.
¨
Use squared maths paper.
¨
Use a window card to aid the spacing of letters.
¨
Attach an alphabet strip to the back of a ruler or
inside the cover of a book.
¨
Provide activities to develop mental
images of letter/word shapes e.g. playing freely bag games, draw a letter on
your back, mystery writing.
For any of assistance about learning disability in concern of your child you can mail us at: counselling.ks@gmail.com
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