Working on handwriting? What about pencil grasp? Today, I have a fun companion to make working on these skills more fun. This write the room activity has a pencil theme and it works perfectly with some other pencil themed activities recently released here on the site: Pencil Theme Deep Breathing Exercise and our Virtual I Spy pencil theme activity.
What is Write the Room?
Write the Room activities are just that: a handwriting exercise in copying and writing words that are posted around the room. Typically, students walk around the room and find matching images and words. They then copy those words onto paper.
There are several skills that kids strengthen with room writing handwriting activities:
- Visual attention
- Visual shift
- Visual memory
- Visual discrimination
- Visual scanning
- Copying from a distant point
These skills translate into handwriting when copying information from a far point, which can be difficult for kids to do.
With Write the Room activities, kids can strengthen these skills with a focus on handwriting.
Virtual Write the Room
More kids are in hybrid learning or virtual learning situations right now, so typical handwriting activities can be difficult to use for the activity’s benefits.
That’s where this virtual write the room activity comes in. Use the free Google slide deck or the Google Jamboard option as a virtual option.
While kids can’t walk around and write, or visually scan a room to copy the words, they can use the words scattered on the slide decks.
And, to make this a challenge, I’ve created a Draw the Room option as well. Kids can copy the simple forms to work on copying from a near or far point. Just move the screen further away for a distance copying task.
Copying forms is a great visual motor activity that is needed for the skill of handwriting and forming letters.
This virtual write the room activity is also available on Google Jamboard. Students can write write on the Jamboard whiteboard option using their finger or stylus to simulate handwriting and letter formation as well as drawing and copying skills. Using the Jamboard option is a great way to see how the student is forming letters when they write it directly on the screen.
Free Write the Room Activity
Want to add this handwriting activity to your therapy toolbox? Enter your email into the form below. You will receive an email with a PDF to access the Google slide deck AND a link to the Jamboard option.
NOTE: Please do not change the urls. Please make a COPY of these files onto your Google drive, when prompted.
For more handwriting activities, be sure to grab our Winter Fine Motor Kit. Loaded with tons of fine motor and handwriting activities, this printable packet has pages of winter themed write the room options, including all lowercase letters, all uppercase letters, and cursive handwriting.
Click here to get your copy of the Winter Fine Motor Kit.
JOIN THE PENCIL GRASP CHALLENGE!
Want to know how to fix a problem with pencil grasps? Need help knowing where to start when it comes to immature pencil grasps or a child hating to write because their hand hurts? The Pencil Grasp Challenge in open for you! In this free, 5 day email series, you’ll gain information, resources, specific activities designed to promote a functional, efficient pencil grasp.
The pencil grasp challenge is a free, 5 day mini course and challenge. During the course of five days, I’ll be teaching everything you need to know about the skills that make up a functional pencil grasp. You’ll learn what’s going on behind the inefficient and just plain terrible pencil grasps you see everyday in the classroom, clinic, or home. Along with loads of information, you’ll gain quick, daily activities that you can do today with a kiddo you know and love. These are easy activities that use items you probably already have in your home right now.
Are you in??
Besides learning and gaining a handful (pun intended) of fun ideas to make quick wins in pencil grasp work, you’ll gain:
- 5 days of information related to pencil grasp, so you know how to help kids fix an immature pencil grasp.
- Specific activities designed to build a functional pencil grasp.
- Free printable handouts that you can use to share with your team or with a parent/fellow teachers.
- You’ll get access to printable challenge sheets, and a few other fun surprises.
- And, possibly the best of all, you’ll get access to a secret challengers Facebook group, where you can share wins, chat about all things pencil grasp, and join a community of other therapists, parents and teachers working on pencil grasp issues.
Click here to join the Pencil Grasp Challenge.
Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.
