Handwriting help for northern beaches children: Write Away groups
If your children have poor handwriting and hate to put pen to paper, they are not alone. Thousands of northern beaches kids struggle to write neatly, quickly and comfortably. Their difficulties affect them in the classroom, at homework time and during exams. Occupational Therapists at Kids First have developed an innovative new way to help small groups of children improve their handwriting. Called ‘Write Away’ the program is proving popular with primary schoolers.
HANDWRITING FACTS
Studies show that handwriting is a foundation skill that can influence student’s reading, writing, language use, and critical thinking (Saperstein Associates 2012).
When children practice printing by hand, their neural activity is far more enhanced and “adult-like” (Bounds 2010).
Research has found children consistently do better when writing with a pen. They write more and they write faster (Berninger 2009).
In Australia, we place great emphasis on the importance of our children’s reading and writing. Yet, when it comes to your child’s literacy, handwriting is often forgotten.
International studies have highlighted the relationship between handwriting and composition skills.
The research shows that children who are consumed with trying to make their handwriting neat are often unable to apply ‘thinking capacity’ to higher order tasks like planning and creative writing.
This research supports what primary school teachers see every day: good handwriting habits foster academic success.
WRITE AWAY HANDWRITING GROUPS FOR KIDS
These days, classroom teachers aren’t able to spend as much time as they’d like to helping kids with handwriting.
It’s not their fault…that’s just the way the curriculum is.
Luckily for kids in Sydney’s northern beaches, Kids First has a team of experienced Occupational Therapists who have helped hundreds of children to improve their handwriting.
Many children need explicit instruction to achieve legible and fluent handwriting, and that’s where Kids First can help.
We can show your primary schooler how to develop speed, clarity and legibility so that their written work reflects their true meaning and academic ability.
WHAT IS WRITE AWAY?
Write Away is a fun, small group program led by Kids First’s experienced paediatric Occupational Therapists.
In a Write Away group of no more than four children, your kids will improve their fine motor skills and learn to write more neatly.
But before you assume that Write Away is full of boring pencil grip practice…STOP!
Kids First’s dynamic OTs know how to engage kids in their learning.
At Write Away, your child will enjoy games, physical challenges and activities that are so much fun, they won’t even realise they’re learning.
HOW OLD DOES MY CHILD NEED TO BE TO JOIN WRITE AWAY?
Write Away is best suited to children in Years 1 to 6.
At Kids First, your child will be grouped with other children who have similar needs and abilities.
ARE REBATES AVAILABLE?
If your private health fund covers Occupational Therapy, rebates may be available. Please check with your fund. Kids First also offers the convenient HICAPS service which allows you to claim on-the-spot rebates.
HOW DO I BOOK A PLACE FOR MY CHILD IN WRITE AWAY?
To make sure that Write Away is the right clinical option for your child, you’ll need to bring your child to Kids First for a 45 minute screening assessment with an Occupational Therapist.
Enrollments for Write Away are open now
For more information and to book your child’s Write Away screening, call Kids First Children’s Services on (02) 9938 5419
