Show # 91- Write On Handwriting with Amy Ford Hebert- Part II
June 27, 2008 by admin
Filed under blog, children, handwriting
In today’s show, Amy and I discuss what is age appropriate for motor skills, how many kids have problems with right-left orientation, and how small things like a good pencil grip can make all the difference in a kid’s writing ability. Strength and coordination and spatial attributes all contribute to good handwriting, making the overall writing process easier.
We are trying out Amy’s program at home (This is not a freebie- I paid for it) and John, my younger child, seems to be particularly interested, and it seems to be showing up in his writing. The daily journal page requirement is not overly popular, and I share some of the funnier moments in today’s show. But the bottom line if that writing is both a physical and mental task, requiring the coordination of both simultaneously, and it won’t improve unless the kids get more practice- so this is the summer of non-stop practice for this skill.
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Please check out Pocketful of Therapy for resources like Write On Handwriting, Handwriting without tears, raised line paper, pencil grips, slant boards and other writing helpers. I have been ordering from them for years- this is where the occupational therapists I know get many of their supplies, and this is a convenient resource for these materials that can be hard to find in the local stores.
As always, please email us at ldpodcast@gmail.com with any comments and questions. The survey will be closing shortly, so if you haven’t filled it out, please do!
Show # 76- Dr. Steve Graham, Part II
January 10, 2008 by admin
Filed under blog, handwriting
In the second part of my interview with Steve Graham, we talk about how early we should start to work on a child’s writing, when kids start developing negative attitudes towards writing, and the costs of not being able to write well. We also share a few things about writer’s block, style, strategies and getting into the flow.
I also talk about a recent article from the BBC showing over 13 million adults in the
I also talk about the recent PBS Frontline special on The Medicated Child.
Our intro features a clip that Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson were kind enough to record for me at a recent book signing, and I encourage you all to check out their Peter and the Shadow Thieves books- they’re fantastic!
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Show #75- Dr Steve Graham- The Development of Writing
December 18, 2007 by admin
Filed under blog, composition, handwriting, learning disabilities
When over two-thirds of children can’t write well enough to keep up with the demands in the classroom, you have to wonder what is going on with writing instruction in the Nation’s classrooms. Handwriting, and the minimal instruction given in schools is only one part of the picture- getting an idea, transforming it into words, and then transcribing those words for others to see- are all involved. Add issues with grammar and syntax, and you begin to understand writing is to reading as calculus is to math- it requires you to bring all parts of the literacy puzzle into play, all at once, like an orchestra.
If you want to understand why a child may struggle in writing, and how to figure out which part of the puzzle may be causing them problems, this two-part interview is for you.
Dr. Steve Graham is a professor and the Currey Ingram chair in special education at
His wife, Dr, Karen Harris, is just as impressive, serving as editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology, and President of the Division of Research for the Council for Exceptional Children.
Dr. Graham was recently quoted in an article in Newsweek, discussing the importance of handwriting in the learning process, and he was kind enough to spend an hour with me, discussing all aspects of the writing process, as kids develop during the school years. Anyone who has a child who has struggled with any aspect of writing shouldn’t miss this two-part interview, covering the three major stages of the writing process, how to give appropriate feedback to kids learning how to write, and how handwriting has both reader and writer affects, impacting how a child is perceived and how his work is judged and graded by others.
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Show #60- Jan Olsen, OTR- Handwriting Without Tears, Part II
June 27, 2007 by admin
Filed under Occupational therapy, blog, handwriting, homework, teachers
This week’s show starts out with a few quick stories, including a wrap up of the amazing people I met at Podcasters Across Borders. Podcasts to check out:
Quirky Nomads- Sage Tyrtle
Just One More Book- Mark and Andrea
The Catfish Show- Cat & Bob
Thanks to Dave Reader of Parrish, NY for all his help in fixing my flat tires, and sharing his life with me on my way to PAB. Dave told me what it was like for him growing up with dyslexia, and how his experiences affected how he encouraged his children to stay in school. His daughter now teaches autistic children in Massachusetts.
I share comments from listener Susanna about the last show.
In the second half of my interview with Jan Olsen, Jan talks in detail about the handwriting without tears program, and how it can help kids learn to write – tear free. One great comment she made- “Honey, you’re doing great- it’s your letters that are in trouble!” As a result of my conversation with Jan, I have new workooks, and will start working with my guys again this summer, no more than five minutes, twice a day. I’ll post their progress on the blog- this will help keep me honest and accountable, too.
Next show, we’ll celebrate our 1 year anniversary!
Thanks again for listening, and as always, contact us by email at ldpodcast@gmail.com and by phone at (206) 666-2343.
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Show #59- Jan Olsen, OTR- Handwriting Without Tears
June 19, 2007 by admin
Filed under Occupational therapy, blog, composition, handwriting
Handwriting skills, or penmanship, is no longer taught in schools the same way it was when I was in elementary school in the 70’s. Yet, we are putting more and more emphasis on writing skills in school. While it’s natural to say “Well, it’s all about computers- they need to learn how to type, not write by hand!” and typing skills are important, the ability to be able to express yourself in writing of any sort begins with the process of learning how to manipulate pencils and have letters, words and sentences flow between your brain and the physical act required to record those thoughts on paper (or this computer screen!)
Both of my children have struggled with their handwriting, and the lack of legibility and the lack of fluidity in their handwriting” has had a serious impact on their composition skills. When handwriting is a difficult, frustrating and unrewarding chore, kids start to do as little of it as possile, and become “minimalists” in terms of their composition- doing as little as possible to skate by. Yet the demands on them to write across the curriculum in school- even in math class, continues to increase every year in school. This is not something we can afford to ignore.
Jan Olsen is an occupational therapist who has taught children handwriting for many years. Jan’s own son had problems with his handwriting, which led in part to her development of the Handwriting Without Tears Program. Most teachers don’t learn about teaching handwriting, mechanics or even the proper posture required during their education, so it’s hard to expect them to teach children the appropriate way to form their leters and numbers. Jan’s program his being used by over 2 million students and has been adopted in over 16 states as the standard handwriting curriculum. It has an emphasis on fun and success, and it has helped my kids, although we will be spending the summer breaking some bad habits and adopting some better ones, in just 5 minutes, twice a day.
In our two part conversation, Jan and I talk about why handwriting is important, and why it isn’t part of the normal curriculum. As you listen to the show, you’ll see how important things like positive reinforcement are for kids- “You’re fine, but your letters are in trouble” and how even parents can help their children succeed.
Part 2 discusses details of the Handwriting Without Tears Program in some more detail, and how the multisensory aspects of the program really help kids understand how the letters are formed and why, eventually building up to making writing an effortless, automatic task.
Handwriting without tears workbooks can be purchased from their website by clicking here.
As always, we’d love to hear your feedback! Our voicemail number is (206) 666-2343; our email is ldpodcast@gmail.com.
I’ll be attending Podcasters Across Borders the weekend of June 22-24, and I’ll be speaking at BlogPhiladelphia, July 12 & 13th. I am also one of thelead organizers of PodCamp Philadelphia. If you are interested in knowing more about any of these events, drop me a line, and I’ll send you everything you need to know!
C
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Show # 30- Why Handwriting Matters
November 13, 2006 by admin
Filed under Occupational therapy, blog, children, handwriting
Why Handwriting Matters and What To Do To Help
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The picture to the right might seem like a typical picture of a cute kid working at school. Having children who struggle with poor handwriting, I see a child who has a bad pencil grip, writing up near her shoulders-definitely not a recipe for legible handwriting.
Why should we care about handwriting? When I was in school, “penmanship” was formally taught, but little time is spent in today’s classrooms on penmanship, although we are spending more and more time on writing. Weird, huh? We expect kids to have the mechanics of handwriting down, without giving them much instruction in it, despite the fact that the ease of the act of handwriting has a big impact on the actual composition process.
Kids who have a hard time physically writing, or who are constantly criticized for the legibility of their writing start to avoid writing, and write as little as possible when called upon to do so- they become the great literary minimalists. They use short, concrete sentences, which while fine in early elementary school, becomes more frowned upon as the years advance. Eventually, a child with handwriting issues begins to have serious problems in english and other subjects where alot of writing is required. Teachers ask them to redo work because they simply can’t read what the child is trying to express, and the child feels punished in the process, not a way to encourage them to do more writing!
Sure, many kids begin to learn to type early on, but our classrooms and standardized testing still require an awful lot of writing- worksheets, spelling tests, standardized tests- all require a child to handwrite essays and more, and keyboards are simply not allowed unless a child has a special education plan in place that includes this as an accommodation. the simple truth is why can’t avoid the handwriting issue when we look at improving a child’s writing ability and ability to communicate and think through the written word.
In today’s show, I interview Michelle Jones, a pediatric occupational therapist who sees alot of kids with handwriting issues. The handwriting is often the tip of the iceberg, a tip off of larger problems with fine motor coordination- and something that can easily be addressed through therapy and at home. If you have a child with less than perfect handwriting- this is the show for you!
Look for our page on handwriting helpers by clicking here
As always, we love to hear from our listeners! Please email us by clicking here, or call our voicemail line at (206) 666-2343, or leave comments on our blog by clicking here.