Handwriting, Pen Grip and Spelling Strategies

As well as teaching full time I also take on private students who are falling behind in their studies or just not making as much progress as expected. many of my current students also have learning differences around fine and gross motor skills which means that holding a pencil correctly is difficult. This in turn has an impact on handwriting and even spelling.

I have tried lots of strategies with my students to help them overcome their difficulties. I have found that steering away from pen and paper altogether is the most effective, instead focusing on developing language through technology. There is a huge choice of software on the market that is designed to do exactly this, but I have found that it doesn't go far enough to develop creative writing. My fall back resource is a website called Communication4all. Created by Bev Evans, it delivers excellent quality resources that are fully inclusive and are all free! My favourites are the traditional tales and Storymaker powerpoints. In the traditional tales section children can read an interactive book and retell their own version using drag and drop.

Or they can write their own story from start to finish using one of the high quality interactive powerpoints.

Sadly, Bev is no longer with us, but you can make a donation in her memory to help with the upkeep and hosting of the site.

Technology is great, but there are times when children need to work with traditional writing implements. Channie's Quick and Easy Writing Pad will help children to develop motor skills and form letters in preparation for cursive handwriting. 

The pad has angled guidelines for proper slant and consistent letter size, and green shade to assist in lower case positioning. Adapted for quick and easy learning, the pad has 80 pages of strong blank practice worksheets and full  instructions inside the front cover. Channie's visual Cursive pad make cursive writing fun and easy with vertical lines and angle blocks for consistent slant and letter sizes! You can get hold of yours for just $11.21 by clicking the image. 

Grotto Grips are great for teaching pencil control. Finger guards and special angles place and hold the hand in a mature tripod grasp. They facilitate an open web space between the thumb and index finger, targeting, training and activating the proper muscles for writing. The guards maintain arches in the palm of the hand for dynamic finger movements for increased pencil control. They discourage hypermobility at the joints of the index finger and thumb, decreasing hand fatigue and pencil pressure. The guards can be used by both right and left handed writers, are non-toxic and latex free, and come in a range of neon colours and sleek designs to invite children to use the grip. $12.99 for a pack of 5. 

Finally, I just love this Fun-Schooling Spelling Journal for children aged 5 and up.

and up. This spelling method is best for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade, but with help it can be used for children as young as five years old. The activity book can be used for Dyslexic children and children with ADD, ADHD or Autism. Struggling learners thrive with this method!

There are 180 activity pages so you can use one page per day during the school year. The method used is a unique approach for teaching visual learners who are artistic and intelligent, but may not be doing well with phonics and memorisation. It has been said that if children can not learn the way we teach, we must teach the way they learn. That is why this book is so different from other spelling books.

You can get your copy for just $27.50 by clicking the button below.