Help with handwriting

[camismom]

As do most of our ADHD kids, Cami struggles greatly with handwriting. She absolutely hates to write and avoids it at all costs. As you can imagine, this causes quite the turmoil at times when it comes to doing homework. I have modifications in place that allows her to type what she can, but somethings just have to be written! Her handwriting is awful and I worry about her future because of this. I mean, writing is something we have to do daily! If she can't get her handwriting in order, how will she function daily? Not everything can be typed (checks for instance, she'll have to write checks to pay her bills when she is older). My stepmother suggested I give her a small paragraph to write each day for "practice". I love her for trying to help, but I have a hard enough time getting her to write what she HAS to (homework) I sure don't want to battle over the voluntary "practice."

Anyone have ideas on how to help with this? Found something that worked for your child? I really want to help her because I worry that highschool teachers won't be so accepting of this almost illegible handwriting. Help please!!

[dansmommy]

Well -- is your stepmother near by enough so she could work with her on her handwriting? I feel for your daughter because my handwriting was terrible until I was 26 years old when it suddenly improved. I had a job where I had to write in patient charts and somehow having my writing legible for legal reasons and to communicate with other staff seemed to motivate me. In the meantime, could she use one of those Alphasmart keyboards? I guess you still have to go over and print it off. I've heard the "Handwriting Without Tears" program is really good, but it sounds like she may be getting old for it. Christie

[eaccae]

DS has dysgraphia but the school refuses to give him special ed. The thing about dysgraphia or any handwriting problem is that it doesn't get better without practice. At the same time - I know all too well that the handwriting can get in the way of the rest of the education. DS has an alphasmart but his teacher refuses to let him use it in class. So he usually types up his homework or dictates it to me. We are going to get him a handwriting tutor (but it is $30 a half hour and we need two sessions a week - we don't have the money currently). If you can find someone and can afford it - it wouldn't be a bad idea to have her tutored in handwriting. As a parent it becomes too much of a battle. I know that DS will NOT work with me on the handwriting - so we need to get outside help. He is actually very into working with the tutor. That way your daughter can work with someone who she can't yell at, start to improve and build confidence separately from school work.

[tridlette]

My DS11 won't even touch a pen/pencil unless forced to. He has dysgraphia, and I homeschool him now. He dictates, he gives oral answers, tape recordings work too. I have actually given him a few months off of writing just so that he could lose the bad habits. When I called Handwriting Without Tears, and talked to the guy there, he said the important thing to do now is to let him chose whether he wants to learn printing or cursive. Either way it is HIS choice. Once that decision is made, let the school know in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, that she will not be forced to write the other way. She should be graded only on the work, not on neatness. If you kick the kid too many times in public, she won't try anything at all. Patrick completely refused to step foot back in a public school building after 5 weeks of being humiliated about his handwriting. There is NO good reason for a teacher to force her to write in cursive if she can communicate adequately with printing, or vica versa. Don't let them screw her up further by setting rediculous rules for a child who is at risk already.

Also, look at www.peterson-handwriting.com

I have a close friend who is friends with the peterson guy and what I read there makes a lot of great sense. I am kind of torn between HWT and Peterson now. I am still weighing the pro's and con's to decide what is best. But, just like FLY Lady, I have to limit the writing sessions to 15 minutes.

When Patrick was still in the public school, I made the agreement that EVERYTHING but math would be done on the computer. He then had to copy the first paragraph of the paper in his own hand for the practice. It made him do the work, the production was complete (book report, research paper, whatever) and he got the time with the pen in hand. The teacher could correct the computer version and the entire work was his, completed without Spelling and Grammar check!

Good luck, I feel your frustration!

[AustinsMom]

tridlette, the Peterson writing program looks interesting. My ds has atrocious handwriting. We have tried HWT and Callarobics, but he is so resistive to the work I have decided to put handwriting on the back burner. The reading issue seems so much more critical now, that I have decided to surrender the handwriting for the time being. I am looking for info about personal experience using the Peterson method. Did your friend use the program? Did her child like it, or at least tolerate it? Any info would be appreciated. THANKS.

[BBW4EVR1]

Our son's handwriting is the worst. We have found that a major cause of this is that he is lacking strength in his hands. So, we now work with him each day with hand grip exercise balls and special instrument that we received from his PT that is basically a squeeze toy with different strengths of rubber bands on it. These games and toys are fun and we have noticed that as his strength increases, his handwriting is more legible. ;D

[tridlette]

I don't know anyone who has used Peterson. My friend reports that the man at Peterson is the only person in the United States to have a Ph.D. in "whatever it is that you call the study of handwriting"!

I have completely relieved Patrick of handwriting for about 3 months now. I am waiting for an OT consult, but I have been curious what sort of exercises would work to strengthen his finger muscles. I will check further into the hand grip workout.

I am going to call and talk directly to the peterson guy. I have e-mail forwarded from my friend the retired teacher that invited me to call him anytime. I have been acutely ill for 4 days, so I am not sure how soon I will get through to talk with him, but I will let y'all know what I find out!

From what I can see, the price of peterson and HWT are pretty similar. I looked at the peterson page, looks like about $20 for all 3 programs, and I paid about that for 2 student workbooks and 2 teacher guides (printing and cursive~ since I am working with 2 different kids)

BBW4EVR1 Do you have any idea what they call the exercise thingamajig? I would be interested in tracking down something that might help Patrick.

Laurie

[mctavish23]

Hi,
Help with fine motor coordination can come from several sources.One of the best is thru Occupational Therapy. While schools do provide OT services, the most complete therapy is usually from outside the school. So, getting a child evaluated is a start. As a general rule of thumb you probably will need a physician's referral.

The other resource that looks helpful to me is thru different books on the subject. For instance, the book The Parents Guide to Attention Deficit DIsorder ...by McCarney & Bauer ( Hawthorne Press) has a section on handwriting tips you can do today /right now at home.
Also The Out of Sync Child...by Carol Stock Kranowitz is a great book as well,

I wish you lots of luck.

mctavish23

[kellys4babies]

Have you guys heard of modern script? this is what my son is learning and it is very dificult to remember all the tail that are involved. Ds is really having a hard time in handwriting. I work with him daily on it and is it not improving and it mostly because he can not remember where to start each letter. I love the peterson idea of the flash card. It ashame I can not get it right now for my son.

Does anyone know of any place online that I could print out practice writing paper? I am not having any luck finging any.


Kelly

[eaccae]

DS is doing D'Nelian at school which has been a nightmare. One idea - we are actually going to do this - is that you can order special writing paper on which the lines are raised.

[tridlette]

I called Peterson handwriting today. Randy Nelson, the vice president of the company spoke with me on the phone for 75 minutes. I was amazed.

I told him that we are using Handwriting without Tears, and his reply was something along the lines of "Jan Olsen's program is wonderful! She has done so much for the art of handwriting." Wow, he didn't slam the competition and even graciously complimented them!

He explained the theory and then gave me a verbal tour of the site, and then had me do the actual demo with him on the phone.

When I asked him for a little help in submitting my purchase order, he quickly put a stop to it! He wants me to spend a little bit of time with each of the children doing the on-line free trial before I spend "hard earned money on something that the kids might be resistant to." I laughed and told him that he wasn't a very good salesman! He said of course he wants to sell his product, but that if he pressure sells me, and the kids don't try the program, that he really hasn't educated the child, which is his goal in life!

I asked permission to relate the conversation here, and he was agreeable.

Essentially, his main point is that written communication is a 2 step issue. First you have to translate ideas into words. After the words are chosen, they have to be transcribed into movement sequences.

His program does not like the trace and copy theory. (I know that when I write a letter for the boys to copy, I never write it exactly the same way twice.) A visual learner visualizes the same letter a thousand different ways. No wonder he can't figure out which one way to make his letter!

Peterson uses a 4 step sequence to teach kids how to write. 1. describe and illustrate what the motions are to form the letters. 2. Air writing for gross motor rhythm. 3. Finger tracing (that way the lines don't have to visually match up, freeing the child to learn the rhythmic movements necessary) 4. Put it on a peice of paper (unlined). Eventually you advance to lined paper.

Mr. Nelson told me of his work with an 8th grade class last week! And he was in a 3rd grade room yesterday. There are product for adult on his web store, so I get the impression that this is not a "kiddy" program that my 11 or 13 yr old would resist based on the "see spot run" mentality.

I hope this doesn't sound like a commercial. I just know how long I have been searching for a program for my boys to recover their handwriting self esteem, and I think maybe this is a program that if I invest MY time wisely, I can cause dramatic results!

But, some kids just resist what is good for them, and no program will work for them.

[singnmommy]

This idea should work at any age. Take her to a store and let her pick out whatever kind of paper and pencils or pens that she wants. MAKE THIS FUN! Each day encourage her to write a story. NO TOPICS! If you give her a topic, it tells her that her experiences aren't important. Also tell her that there is no grading therefore what ever she writes or draws will be right. Encourage her. Biggest thing of all, don't correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. I am an elementary major and this is what my step son's teacher and the classes that I am in say how to encourage. WHen they are done, ask her "what do you want this to say?" and really listen. ;D ;D ;D ;D Good luck and if you try this let me know if it works.

[BBW4EVR1]

Unfortunately, I don't remember what the name of the hand strengthener is. We had it recommended to us through the hospital where he was receiving OT. All I can tell you is that you wrap different colored rubber bands around it-each color is a different amount of squeezing pressure to get the trigger to pull back. Any OT should be able to get you one. Another thing we use is called "floam." It is rather a slimy substance-therefore we have no problem getting our son to play with it. It changes shapes and textures as he plays with it. This helps his sensory intergration so he becomes more aware of things in his hands such as a pencil when he is writing. Again, this was suggested to us by his OT. Both seem to be working well. Good Luck!! ;D

[Annette]

66.113.195.73/

This is a site that will let you print out handwriting sheets. I have a program I bought at a teachers store that lets me print out my own handwriting sheets using Microsoft word.

[anneke]

hy

I am a terrible writer and most of the times cant read what I wrote. when I was younger my mother made my coppy little`poetry for children. I did not like it but if I did it without crying it was only 10 minutes.

it did not help mutch and I still cant write on the line, somethimes to the left somethimes to the right sometimes big and 2 lines later verry little. I dont like it myself

the only thing that helpt my a bit was writing with a big pen.

the problem with a bad handwriting is that you try to hard and push the pen too hard. my pensils sometimes break in half.

try diferent pens, they all write diferent. try a big one too. it helpt for me but i have big hands so maby for childrens hands it is too big.

Anneke