I was going into the controversial aspect more, but you said it all Linda.
---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 12:13:26 -0400
>From: Linda Macaulay <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: fine motor delays
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Heather,
>
>I am an elementary teacher with mild cp myself...Here's my two cents
>on your issue. Do whatever you can to make the handwriting practice
>a game. If it is "Dylan, we have to stop playing now and sit at the
>kitchen table to practice handwriting now" type of scenario, you
>won't get anything out of him. Perhaps you could get a whiteboard or
>chalkboard and practice that way? Or put pudding or shaving cream on
>a cookie sheet and have him "write" first with his finger and then
>with a straw or pretzel stick in the pudding (and eating the pudding
>and "pencil" after a successful practice is a great reward). Perhaps
>he would enjoy it more if he could use markers or crayons or a
>paintbrush. I'm not an OT, and I know some of what I suggest may not
>promote the exact hand/finger motions that "real" handwriting
>requires, but it might bring the fun back into it and then you could
>possibly get him to spend five minutes with a real pencil and paper.
>
>And, on another very controversial note (I've had several
>"conversations" with parents and other teachers over the years as a
>5th grade teacher about this)...Technology is infused in just about
>everything we do. While I don't think we should abandon handwriting
>altogether, I think learning to type is by far a more important skill
>to have for the 21st century. As long as your son can recognize and
>read cursive and print letters, write his name in cursive and print
>relatively legibly to fill out a job application, I wouldn't stress
>over the handwriting too much. Heck, I have a former student who is
>now in his freshman year of college with a reading/writing learning
>disability and once he had me and all my computer training in 5th
>grade he blossomed. His cursive is unreadable, his print still looks
>like a 6 year old wrote it, but he owns his own laptop and types
>everything, including his notes in classes. He is VERY successful in
>school now and doesn't require other "adaptations and accommodations"
>other than his laptop to be "like the other kids". He's studying web
>design and is now "consulting" with us to design my husband's
>business' website (and he's better and cheaper than some of the
>companies we've used in the past!)
>
>Linda
>On Mar 24, 2007, at 8:26 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>> Since most of you are adults I thought you could be really helpful
>> to me in my perspective.
>>
>> My son, Dylan, is almost 6 years old, is very happy, chats a LOT
>> and has mild CP. He is in kindergarten and finds handwriting to be
>> laborious and aversive.
>>
>> I try to work with him on handwriting at home (per the OT's
>> instructions) but he is very resistant -- it's not much fun and I
>> have yet to find a way to make it fun. (But I've really, really
>> tried!)
>>
>> For those of you who have had handwriting issues, how have you
>> worked around it? What was helpful to you in school and what can I
>> do, as a parent, that will be helpful to my son (especially in
>> terms of my attitude)?
>>
>> THANKS SO MUCH for your input,
>>
>> Heather (mom to Will, age 9, and Dylan & Brandon, both almost 6!!)
>>
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