The Handwriting Room can provide an informal evaluation of prewriting skills and letter awareness for preschoolers and a comprehensive evaluation of handwriting for students in Kindergarten through the 7th grade.

For students K-7, The Handwriting Room uses The Print Tool ™ assessment to evaluate memory, orientation, placement, size, start, sequence, control and spacing. It also measures a child's ability to meet benchmark skills and identify delays.

Students of age for cursive instruction will also have a simple cursive writing assessment to determine what level of instruction they have already received, determine current skill set, and help determine recommendations for class/tutoring options

Along with the evaluation, a follow-up visit will be scheduled to discuss the results. A remediation plan and full report will be presented, along with recommendations for classes, tutoring, etc.

While evaluation/remediation is an available service by The Handwriting Room which can be purchased without obligation of further services, all students who enroll in tutoring or small-group instruction will be required to have an evaluation/remediation plan developed to determine appropriate class placement and tutoring plan of action/ duration, as well as to have a baseline level to compare to after services have been received, to see a measure of improvement.

The Handwriting Room evaluation is not an occupational therapy assessment, as The Handwriting Room does not offer private occupatinoal therapy services. This evaluation is also not to be used to determine a child's needs for occupational therapy in a school setting. See FAQ for more details.

Group instruction is an excellent way to make more focused aattention on handwriting a fun activity, rather than a chore and a difficulty. While being able to offer step-by-step instruction and close supervision, students still get caught if developing a poor habit, and benefit from peer modeling, and social enjoyment through the group experience.

Group size is no more than 4 students. Sutdents will be grouped in classes according to age and skill. Some classes may be combined, when appropriate, due to enrollment numbers.

Group instruction utilizes music, group activities, close instruction and monitoring, and multi-sensory strategies. Students are rewarded for effort, more than product, but are held to doing their work correctly!

The evaluation and remediate plan is required to determine the student's areas of need for appropriate class placement.

One of the best ways you can ensure that your child doesn't struggle with handwriting in school is to give them not only adequate exposure, but correct instruction. Often preschool curriculums do not have a formalized instruction because it is generally believed that young children naturally develop the correct fine motor skills, or that if the written letter looks correct that is adequte.

However, many children do not naturally grow out of a bad grasp habit, and many children are exposed too early to letters that are too advanced for the natural progression of developmental fine motor skills. This is one reason why in our curriculum, preschool age children are taught to recognize lower-case letters, but not taught to form them yet. While it is true that many Kindergarten teachers expect preschool students to begin Kindergarten knowing how to write their name in "case form," meaning upper and lower case, taking the time to wait for the natural progression of development will reduce the risk of learning reversals and incorrect sequencing.

That said, taking the time to pursue learning right hand from left, top-middle-bottom, big line, little line, big curve, little curve, how to draw a person, and how to hold a small crayon make an infinite difference in a student's ability to pick up the pace when it's time to put the crayon to paper to create symobls that make words!

This class is a money and stress saver! Many children are not supervised closely enough as they learn these very early skills, and if bad habits persist, poor handwriting is often referred for therapy, or you may pursue longer seasons of tutoring, and bangingyour head against the wall, as it takes more work to break a bad habit to exchange for a new one, than it does to start it right from the begining!

This class is also an excellent choice, particularly in the summer, for children who did not go to preschool, but are heading into Kindergarten, for children who attended preschool but are struggling with their writing as their fine motor skills are lagging behind, or for either of these children during their kindergarten year, to solidify the foundation of their writing skills before they head into more advanced and quicker paced 1st grade. (Students currently in Kindergarten would also benefit from the Kindergarten & 1st Grade Small Group Class)

One on one instruction may be your preference to provide focused, tailored instruction for your child. It will provide most of the same multi-sensory techniques as the group instruction, but may also involve strategies more specific to your child's needs.

Evaluation and remediate is the first step in the private tutoring program. Length of program is to be determined by the child's caregive and the instructor. Frequency of tutoring suggested is once a week, but can be every other week, or twice a week, depending on your needs/desires.

Session length is 45 minutes, which accommodates for breaks as needed for the studen who needs motor movement, as well as sensory and music activities included in the curriculum for the younger students. If shorter sessions are required per special circumstances, rates may be adjusted.

One on one tutoring may be recommended if your child has difficulty in group session, needs more direct intervention for attention or severe delays, or is home-bound. If your child is prone to have behavioral disturbances, the parent may be requested to be present, or alternative locations may be discussed to reduce likelihood of outbursts. In most cases, private tutoring is preferred to be done at our Glenwood location.

Tutoring can be scheduled any time of the year, and is not based on group instruction schedules. Holidays will not be made up, and breaks for family vacations and school holidays can be planned ahead. Private tutoring availability may be limited during certain seasons of the year, or depending on current enrollment.

Homeschoolers can have an extra special experience with The Handwriting Room! Homeschool students can be involved with private tutoring, or group sessions just like any other student. However, for an additional fee, you can receive extra services from the Handwriting Room, making it your exclusive curriculum providor for your handwriting instruction. By using the Homeschool Plus Program, you will be equipped to provide the knowledge your students are receiving during their weekly session, throughout the week, with additional homework assignment, helpful tips, activity ideas, and curriculum consultation.

You can access the Homeschool Plus Program for single students, if scheduling is available. The same fee applies. So, if you have either enrolled in a group class that is not exclusively homeschool students, or if you're enrolled in private tutoring, for $15 a week more, you can receive all the extras to utilize during your homeschooling. However, this $15 fee can be utilized for a group of homeschool students - - that's $15 a week for the whole group - - if yuo coordinate a group of 4 homeschool students at a time.

By grouping together with fellow homeschool students / parents, you can share the extra cost with other families, get the benefit of extra assistance, and have a fun outing for the group of students. Students should be grouped as appropriately as possible for age and current knowledge, and parents will be asked to be present. Scheduleing for homeschool students / groups can be done during a weekday while other students are in school (currently only Thursdays).

Is your Assment the same as an occupational therapy assessment?

No. An occupational therapy assessment may include a handwriting assessment, but our assessment only evaluates the components involved in handwriting. That said, because the evaluator is an occupational therapist by background, this evalutation is helpful to identify if a student has needs that require a more thorough occupational therapy evaluation, if they present themselves during their handwriting assessment. Often fine motor skills delays, sensory processing issues, visual-motor coordination, show up big time in the task of handwriting, and aour instructor can definitely apply observations of these issues to the specific task of writing, and can adapt instruction methods and additional tools to accommodate for those deficits or special needs. The Handwriting Room assessment may not be used to prove a need for occupational therapy, but if the instructor feels that further assessment should be pursued, we will definitely offer the suggestion.

Is what you do the same as occupational therapy

Yes and No. The Handwriting Room does not provide occupational therapy, does not receive referrals for occupational therapy (required by law in the state of Kansas), does not receive payment from insurance or state funds for the provision of occupational therapy. A private or school-based occupational therapist may use the same curriculum as The Handwriting Room during therapy, and the Handwriting Room may borrow from some of the activities that develop fine motor skill, or apply the knowledge of sensory processing that occupational therapists use, but only as a supporting tool to the tutoring and instruction of handwriting. The Handwirint Room can be an excellent support service to those already receiving occupational therapy.