Handwriting is one of the foundational skills that children learn in school. A child’s writing ability has a large impact on their development along with their functional performance at school, in the community, and at home. Children who display difficulty with handwriting can benefit from a variety of tools to assist in strengthening their wrists, hands, and fingers.

There are a variety of tools that teachers, parents, caregivers, and other adults can help children use to enhance their writing abilities. These tools also help improve a child’s fine motor skills, ability to write, and learn additional skills as they grow. While some handwriting tools are more complex and may require training and supervision from an occupational therapist or other healthcare professionals, there are handwriting tools that teachers and parents can implement at home.

Slant Boards

Slant boards are commonly used to raise the height of the paper off the table so that children can more easily see what they are writing and better manipulating their writing utensils. Slant boards often benefit children who have a loss of motion, strength, stability, or coordination of the upper arm and shoulder. These impairments may cause a child to demonstrate difficulty assuming a standard seated position while writing. The angle of the slant board allows a child to view what is in front of them and more easily use their other hand to stabilize the paper throughout their task.

Slant boards can come in a variety of sizes to accommodate children of various ages and abilities. Some slant boards may also have one large or several small clips at the top to assist children in stabilizing the paper if this is also an area of difficulty. This tool is easily adjustable to allow parents and teachers to raise or lower the positioning of the paper as a child grows or develops changing needs.

Pencil Grips

Pencil grips are common tools used to increase comfort for anyone as they write. These small writing aids can also play a vital role in the handwriting process for some children. Pencil grips come in various sizes, shapes, and textures to accommodate children with low strength and muscle tone. These tools can assist children who experience hand fatigue when writing or poor coordination, which prevents them from holding writing utensils for an extended time. A secondary benefit of pencil grips is the way they provide a guide for how to hold a writing utensil properly.

Pencil grips can be soft foam, firm rubber, or a cushioned gel material to allow for a variety of options and preferences. Many large grips can be modified to fit eating utensils, toothbrushes, various writing utensils, and more to help with a variety of fine motor skill development.

Weighted Tools

While regular pencil grips can help children who have minor coordination issues, weighted tools are often more effective when more significant coordination issues need to be addressed. Even a small amount of additional weight can help kids steady their hands and fingers and improve stability. This can help reduce fast or choppy motions and increase fine motor control.

Weighted grips, weighted writing utensils, weighted gloves, and arm weights are just some of the options that parents and teachers can use to help children who lack the stability of the arms, hands, and fingers. Weighted tools can also help both children and adults with a variety of diagnoses and impairments – such as tremors or cerebral palsy – with options that can be also be used for toothbrushes, eating utensils, and other small household devices.

Sensory Trays

Writing-specific tools aren’t the only way to deal with handwriting troubles. Sensory trays provide a more sensory way to build and strengthen essential handwriting skills. These tools involve using sand, clay, rice, shaving cream, or other materials to practice handwriting in a more creative and relaxing setting. As they explore their sense of touch, children can draw or shape these materials into the letters and numbers they’ll make on paper later. These activities reinforce writing lessons while building other fine motor skills that can improve a child’s performance in handwriting trials at school.

Further Help

No single handwriting intervention tools are often the first step in improving a student’s handwriting. Parents and teachers who are still concerned about children struggling with handwriting should also look into rehabilitative services such as occupational therapy. These professionals can work with children to build fine motor coordination, strength, and handwriting skills. Therapy intervention can also provide parents, teachers, and children with additional tools, training, and strategies to improve their child’s handwriting and functional abilities. These simple interventions along with more complex techniques can be used to improve a child’s functional ability to write and develop despite the presence of physical or cognitive impairments.