How to foster early writing skills and confidence Narelle Lancaster Occupational Therapist LOTS for Children cnande@tpg.com.au 0408 868 837

We now expect a 4 year old child to do what was once expected at 6 years of age

Today we will discuss: Writing pre-cursors, Effective fine motor activities, Peggy Lego Program

Why play based?

Sensory Motor VS Visual Motor

There is more neurological activity when young children are engaged in multi-sensory activities compared to predominantly visual motor activities

Letter by letter A child learns more effectively by tracing, copying and then writing their name – LETTER by LETTER

If children cannot do this …

Each new letter proposes a new motor sequence. That is 52 new motor sequences to learn.

What if we can reduce that to combinations of 5 new motor actions?

Waking up children’s proprioceptive systems

What is the single primary goal of the activity?

If the child doesn’t experience success after practicing one method … change by simplifying or modifying the task.

Development of Writing Pre-Cursors How do we get from this to this?

By three years of age … Refined pincer grip Good bilateral integration and orientation to their midline Use a static quadrupod pencil grasp Have good manipulation skills Copy a horizontal and vertical line, and a circle and copy a cross. Draw a person with a head and 1 or 2 other features Can copy basic whole body and arm actions to songs.

By four years of age … Draws a person with head, face, legs and arms Uses tripod grasp either static or dynamic Copy a cross and imitate a zigzag line Colour in targeting a boundary Usually have a hand preference Can imitate simple hand actions to songs

By five years of age … Have good pencil control for writing and colouring Can copy +, X, angular lines and squares Uses a dynamic tripod grasp Has clear hand dominance Draws people in action with other basic depictions

By six or seven years of age … Sophisticated tool use Emerging in hand manipulation and pencil pressure allowing pencil flow and speed to emerge Smaller symbol reproduction Able to draw detailed, elaborate drawings depicting scenarios Accurately forming letters and symbols Cognitive conceptual and visual spatial elements of writing emerging Good visual tracking, localising and switching

1. Peggy Lego sensory motor program 2. Fingertip proprioception games 3. Hand strengthening/pincer grasp reinforcer games 4. Breaking down how a child holds a pencil into concrete steps 5. Deep pressure shoulder work 6. Eye hand co-ordination warm ups 7. Fine motor planning games 8. Lots of sensory based drawing and symbols 9. Commence paper based visual motor readiness 10. Name writing

Adapted Peggy Lego Directionalities and rhymes, and associated letter formations . “Tall man, tall man, starts at the top, pulls down to the bottom and stops.” (l i t j f)     “Sideways, sideways to the magic land” (f t and visual scanning across the page)   “Starts with a click, up and around” (c o a d g q e s)    “Up and over” (n m h r k p) “Down and under” (u v w b y)

Classroom expectations 3K Gross motor and sensory motor learning of the directionalities and rhymes 4K Gross motor and sensory motor learning of the directionalities and rhymes Basic craft/ paper based practice Utilise in prompting for drawing Exposure to correct letter formations in a play based manner (commences motor mapping for correct formations whilst nurturing early writing confidence and interest.) Name writing. Remember trace, copy, write – letter by letter. Consider cut our name tracers to trace and paste onto work rather than attempting to write name too early. PP Paper based craft practice Use a sensory motor reinforcer immediately before visual motor practice (tracing, then copying letters on paper.)

Peggy Lego 4K Classroom Session Samples “Tall man and Sideways” Sample A   Water painting on fence/ wall Wheelbarrow walks, pegging onto clothesline Sensory motor letter stations - ltijf -marble roller letters -tactile letters -car/ road letters -rice tray letters    “Tall man and Sideways” Sample B Running fingers down each others backs/ bodies Blindfolded playdough treasures Sensory motor letter stations - ltijf -shaving cream letters -sandpaper letters -torch letters -Wikki Stix trace For PP add in related craft task, and paper based letter formation practice after sensory reinforcer practice.

Moving on from Peggy Lego Remember: Formalising too soon may cause regression.