Effective Handwriting Tools for Kids
Pencil grips, pencil weights, adaptive pencils, paper and general handwriting tools and tips.
Line stamps can provide easy accommodations for students who struggle with fine motor skills. They are easy for teachers to use and they can promote academic independence by allowing students to modify their own papers.
Pencil Grips & Adaptive Pencils
This is my go-to pencil grip for students of all age who write with either hand. I have found that after using them consistently for several months, students demonstrate a more functional grasp, even without the grip. Use is straight forward, and you can see if the student is holding incorrectly from across the room.
This pencil grip encourages a more open thumb web space. I find that it is too big for some little hands, so I cut it in half making it a better size.
This pencil grip works well to get fingers in the right position on the pencil. It's pretty hard to hold it wrong which makes it easy for teachers and parents to use correctly.
Pencil weights help with improving pressure or decreasing shakiness. These are anchored in place by rubber stoppers so you can place the weight where you want it.
Sometimes, just making the pencil more interesting can motivate reluctant writers. These sensory grips can help with that.
These pencil toppers are closed at the top, so they don't accumulate saliva. For students who chew up pencils, this is a good option.
These pencil weights allow you to customize the weight and the position of the weights. They are also adjustable and anchored with a rubber stopper.
These pencils are a good option for kids who can't master the traditional tripod grasp or use other grips successfully. They look different but work well.
Crossover grips have a soft squishy feel that kids like. They work well for both left-handed and righted-handed students. They help keep fingers where they should be and promote general pencil control.
These are motivating and when positioned just above the tip of the pencil, they encourage correct finger placement.
These mechanical pencils are a thick triangle shape. My older students frequently choose these as a writing option.
Slant boards promote functional grasp on pencils and crayons and can help kids learn good hand position habits. This one has grippy material on the bottom so it stays put on the desk. Designed by an OT!
Paper & Line Stamps
If you haven't yet discovered LegiLiners, they are amazing. They are self-inking stamps that put lines or boxes on anything. There are other brands, but this brand has worked the best for me. And it's developed by an OT! It's a small business that makes great products worth supporting!
Kids write better with three lined paper that is the right size. I find that is 1/2-inch, three lined paper. I have teachers use these with all my students who have OT for handwriting.
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I use 1/2 inch, three lined paper and lines for most of my students. This kind of line highlights that letters are different heights. I also use the center dashes to help teach spacing between words. This is my preferred stamp for the name and date lines on paper. 3 ink refills are included.
This stamp is 3/4 inch which can be better with younger students who are just learning to write. This one comes with 3 ink refills.
For early writers, this 1-inch stamp has a bottom line with small gaps to promote even spaces between letters.
Wide rule lines are very helpful with older elementary students who struggle with writing organization. This stamp is great for adding lines to thinking maps, work sheets and any writing work that does not include lines. This is an easy way to modify work for students who need that extra support.
I frequently hand these out to teachers and individual students who need lines as an accommodation in the classroom. Giving them to students allows them independence and saves the teacher time. Sometimes multi-packs are more economical.
I think these are intended for use as a 10 frame for math, but I use them to keep data for alphabet letter writing.
Kids that can't write straight, generally can't draw a straight line either. The math work that is simple for some, can be a mess for others. Adding simple supports like a number line base, can help students focus on the math, instead of how where to put the numbers on the paper.
Kids that struggle with fine motor skills also struggle with drawing. This math stamp cube allows students to choose how they want to show their work without the added stress of additional fine motor/drawing. All 6 shapes are on one cube shaped stamp.
Prewriting & Writing Activities
Improve pencil control with these simple activities. The make a nice prewriting warm up activity.
Improve pencil control with these simple activities. The make a nice prewriting warm up activity.
