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How to prepare little hands for writing
Let your fingers do the walking!
Have you ever thought about how hard little fingers, hands and wrists work when children start to form their first letters, words and sentences?
The concentration of learning a new skill creates a tension in their muscles and with that tension comes a stress.
As an adult, you’d never dream of going to the gym, or playing an active sport without first taking time to stretch. So it is with little hands!
These quick and easy warm-up exercises are the perfect way to get ready to write.
Quick Warm-Up Exercise #1
- ☉ Touch index finger to thumb
- ☉ Follow the fingers in sequence, each touching the thumb
- ☉ Touch the little finger to the thumb.
Try increasing the speed as children develop the skill. Can they do it without looking at their hand? Can they do it with both hands?
Quick Warm-Up Exercise #2
Create a mini circuit training course:
- ☉ Balls of playdough ready to be squished between thumb and index finger.
- ☉ Row of coins ready to be turned over.
- ☉ Push some buttons/bolts/coins into playdough ready for children to pull them out.
- ☉ Pick up the coins with them thumb and index finger, then hold them in the parm of your hand with the other three fingers. How many coins can you hold?
Readiness to write checklist:
Hand dominance is established.
Good pincer grip
Can sit at a table and stay seated for 5-10 minutes
Can hold a pencil correctly (with or without a grip)
Understands how to copy an action
Understands how to copy an action, for example, “start at the top”
Can follow a 2-stage simple verbal instruction
Shows interest in mark-making tasks
Can draw this…
These ideas and suggestions are taken from the ‘Learn Well Start Write Handwriting Kit’
Developing the correct grip right from the start has long term and lasting benefits. With clear photographic demonstrations, practical advice and activities, you will be able to
support young children at the early stages of mark making and writing.
Written by an experienced Occupational Therapist, the kit includes 10 double-sided, laminated cards and 10 pencil grips
With many thanks to Cath Chell for writing this article.
Cath is the director of new and exciting stuff at www.learnwell.co.uk
