My child struggles with handwriting
Handwriting struggles are one of the most common reasons parents visit an OT. It's not about neatness - it's about whether writing is effortful, painful, or frustrating. If your child avoids writing, gets tired quickly, or their work looks significantly messier than peers, that's worth looking into.
What an OT looks for in this area
- •Pencil grip - there are several functional grips; we look for grips that cause fatigue or pain
- •Wrist stability and hand strength during writing tasks
- •Letter formation - are letters formed in the correct direction?
- •Pressure - too light (no muscle feedback) or too heavy (fatigue, holes in paper)
- •Crossing the midline - can the writing hand naturally work across the page?
- •Sitting posture at the desk - poor posture makes writing harder
Free home activity ideas
Playdough and putty
Squeezing, rolling, and pinching playdough builds hand strength. Make letters in playdough, roll snakes, pinch patterns.
Vertical surface writing
Taping paper to a wall or using a whiteboard encourages wrist extension - the natural position for good pencil control.
Salt tray or sand writing
Finger-trace letters in a tray of sand or salt. Multisensory input helps letter formation stick in muscle memory.
Tweezers and small objects
Using tweezers to pick up small objects (beads, pompoms) builds the pincer grip needed for pencil control.
Does this sound like your child?
Tick the statements that apply to your child right now:
Want a personalised home programme for your child?
These free activities are a starting point. For a programme built specifically for your child - reviewed by Carri and delivered with ongoing support - that's what the subscription is for.