On Wednesday evening March 9, 2011, POTS was proud to present an informative, hands-on Handwriting Without Tears workshop to parents and pres-school teachers. We introduced participants to a variety of multisensory materials and educated them on how best to approach teaching children how to write upper and lower case letters and numbers.

 Q: I am a preschool teacher. What activities are best for me to use with the entire class?

A: For 3 year olds, the best activities are those that teach body awareness and sense of body position in space through physical activity and hands on experiences. Mat Man is a great circle time activity that we demonstrated during the workshop to facilitate the development of a strong sense of one’s body parts and their relationship to each other. It also introduces children to the Big Line, Little Line, Big Curve and Little Curve that are the foundations of all capital letter formation. Simon Says is also a great way for 3 and 4 year olds to learn positions such as up, down, in front of, behind, etc. Building strong foundational skills at these young ages will facilitate successful writing later on.

Q: Why are the letters not taught in alphabetical order? 

A: The alphabet consists of 26 letters that are not all similar in appearance. For example, A is made up of two diagonal lines and a small line across while B is composed of a big line and two small curves. Developmentally, children do not learn diagonals and curves at the same time. Handwriting without Tears is a “kinesthetic” method teaches letters in a developmentally appropriate sequence and groups together letters that are formed similarly. A significant amount of time should be spent teaching the first letter in each letter group to establish a strong motor pattern. Once the child has a “feel” for the letter and the way it is formed, it will be much easier and faster for him/her to learn the subsequent letters in the group. For example, once C is well established, it is simple to learn letters such as O and Q. 

Q: I already use a lot of multisensory materials in my classroom- what makes Handwriting Without Tears a “multisensory” approach to writing? 

A: Using a variety of materials such as Play-Doh, foam, sand, etc. enables young children to explore their sense of touch. However, a writing program becomes multisensory writing when the approach to letter formation is targeted using a rich variety of sensory activities. The key is to ensure that each time the child forms a letter – in pudding or with a pencil- the approach is top-to-bottom and left-to-right and in the correct sequence. The goal is to facilitate purposeful letter formation by using multisensory materials to create a fun, effective way to learn.

For those of you who attended, we hope you enjoyed the workshop as much as we did, and we look forward to seeing you again at POTS.

 Blog written by: Aviva Goldwasser, MS, OTR/L & Dr. Chaye Lamm Warburg, DPS, OTR/L, Director of POTS

Children with a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) also termed Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) often need to learn appropriate “student behaviors.” Since many children with SID appear to the casual observer to be no different than other children, their unusual behavior is often surprising when it surfaces, and puzzling in its inconsistency. When observed over time, at varying times of day, and in a variety of settings, a picture of sensory integration dysfunction many begin to emerge more clearly.

It should be assumed that all children want to please the adults in their lives. For those children with SID, that can be a tall order to fill. All too often their sensory irregularities cause them to focus inwardly in order to satisfy their bodies’ needs at the expense of behaving in a socially acceptable manner pleasing to adults and engaging to other children. As parents and teachers our job is to provide all children with a physically and emotionally supportive environment that will value and accept them.  

•  Children are not usually “bored”. Figure out why a child is inattentive or resistant to participate.  It could be physical discomfort or lack of skill
• Be a detective. Look for and record antecedents to explosive behavior
• Take note of the content and manifestation of the behavior (i.e. a child covering his ears; pushing the child next to him)
• Look for socially acceptable replacements to sensory-based behaviors (i.e. chewing gum to replace disruptive noise making)
• Have a “safe spot” in the classroom where the child can go on his own when he feels overwhelmed.  Model this critical coping mechanism
• Give advance warning about transitions or changes in schedule
• Acknowledge that you recognize and understand what makes him uncomfortable. Simply stating it can help diffuse the surrounding tension
• Empower the child to help figure out a solution. For example, “I know you don’t like how crowded it is when the other class comes in for a story. Where would you like to sit so that you can enjoy the story too?”

If you feel that the child is on the verge of “losing it”, or has begun to meltdown already, try the following suggestions:

•  Remove him from the stressful situation and use a quiet, calm voice to discuss what is happening
• Have him give you a hug first, then ask if you can hug him back – a big total body hug
• Give slow back rubs or massages
• Give “grounding”  shoulder squishes by applying deep, even pressure downwards on the shoulders and along the arms pressing inwards
• Do not try to rationalize with a child during a meltdown

Blog written by: Aviva Goldwasser, OTR