Education & Classroom
Five Ways to Avoid Handwriting Regression Over Summer
By Megan Huggins , MOT , OTR / L , CTP
As an occupational therapist , I work on handwriting skills with many students with autism . Handwriting is one of the most complex skills our children have to learn , combining fine motor skills , motor planning , visual perceptual and motor skills , and sensory awareness .
The progress my students make on handwriting legibility and spatial organization during the school year is hardearned ! But oftentimes , after a fun summer without written work to do , my students experience a regression in their handwriting skills .
While it is important to maintain these skills over the summer , our children also deserve downtime to focus on play and exploration . Worksheets and other rote handwriting activities aren ’ t fun for children or their parents . Additionally , trying to force your child to complete schoolwork over summer vacation is bound to lead to power struggles that spoil everyone ’ s fun .