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3657600952500right000-133350202565Children’s Occupational Therapy00Children’s Occupational TherapyTop Tips for Slow handwritingHandwriting can be slow for many different reasons – poor letter formation, difficulty copying from the board, or hands getting tired when writing. Some children may have hyper-mobile or ‘bendy’ finger joints. This means they can become tired or their hands may ache when writing large amounts of text.Try the following:First check if letter formation is a problem. If it is, please revisit the ‘Letter formation’ advice sheet.Working on fine motor activities can improve hand and finger strength, and this can have an effect on handwriting speed by reducing fatigue and muscle pain. Please refer to the ‘Fine motor skills’ advice sheet for more tips. Play some handwriting games to improve speed, for example, Ask your child to paint a piece of paper as quickly as possible, the page must be fully covered in paint. Ask your child to write a sentence you dictate with their eyes closed.Colouring a picture as quickly as possible Suggest an everyday object and ask your child to write down some alternative uses for the object, or to write anything they can find in a school/on a farm as quickly as possibleCopy a paragraph from a book, or pick an interesting topic. Ask your child to focus on their speed of handwriting (and don’t worry about spellings)Increase handwriting daily e.g. write a journal for 3-5 minutes daily, making up and writing songs, writing the shopping lists at home etc.For children who have difficulty copying from the board or who tire easily when writing, it may be useful to provide hand-outs to limit the amount of text they have to copy. They can then concentrate on any essential writing.Encourage your child to read their work out aloud, this helps with finding errors. Explore touch typing as an option. There are many online resources aimed specifically at children that teach touch typing. Remember to monitor the child playing the games, as they may fall into bad habits, such as typing with single fingers. Before the child moves onto the fun game, ensure they complete the practice section.If you have tried these and would like some further advice please contact us:right163830Children’s Occupational TherapyTelephone: 0191 387 6359Chester le Street Community Hospital Front Street Email: cdda-tr.childrensoccupationaltherapy@Chester-le-StreetWebsite: cddft.nhs.uk/childrens-occupational-therapy.aspxCo. DurhamDH3 3ATTelephone: 0191 387 6359Email: cdda-tr.childrensoccupationaltherapy@Website: cddft.nhs.uk/childrens-occupational-therapy.aspxPinterest site: functionalot00Children’s Occupational TherapyTelephone: 0191 387 6359Chester le Street Community Hospital Front Street Email: cdda-tr.childrensoccupationaltherapy@Chester-le-StreetWebsite: cddft.nhs.uk/childrens-occupational-therapy.aspxCo. DurhamDH3 3ATTelephone: 0191 387 6359Email: cdda-tr.childrensoccupationaltherapy@Website: cddft.nhs.uk/childrens-occupational-therapy.aspxPinterest site: functionalot ................
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