Handwriting
Designed with your child in mind
Handwriting Evidence to Practice
In my clinical work, I have a great interest in the area of handwriting as I have worked with many children who struggle in this area. Teaching children to form their letters correctly from the outset, when they are initially learning to handwrite, is extremely important.
Handwriting is a complex cognitive motor skill which requires explicit instruction and practice to master confidently.
I have received referrals for many students who can not correctly form their letters, and as they are so focused on trying to recall the form of the letters, this then impacts upon their overall literacy skills and can affect their ability to punctuate and add correct grammar or spelling.
As we know, research evidence supports the fact that handwriting greatly helps the development of reading and spelling abilities and when letter formation speed, accuracy and automaticity or fluency improves then so too, do the above mentioned literacy skills.
Exciting Update for Educators! š
Our ‘Handwriting Automaticity Matters’ online course is now live. Enhance your teaching toolkit with our latest insights. Explore now.
Events
I am regularly involved in parent, educator and therapist handwriting events! Go to the events page to find out more about current courses & upcoming events.
Handwriting Activities
Handwriting printed worksheet activities & games coming in the future – so please stay tuned! Subscribe in the box below to stay in the loop.
Letās Get School Ready!
Self-paced online short parent course. Simple strategies to prepare your child in the early years to learn to read, write & spell confidently when they start school!
Queensland Beginner Font Handwriting Tutorial Videos
Discover the Power of Handwriting for Literacy! Get your Free 2p Guide
Witness the power of handwriting for learning with our FREE Guide: āTop 5 Reasons Handwriting Nurtures Literacy.ā Download now and support your studentsā journey to confident reading, writing and spelling.
To provide support and guidance for children in my home state of Queensland, Australia, I have developed a short, engaging, animated 'Handwriting is Fun' video series.Ā It teaches the correct letter formation of all 26 letters of the English Alphabet using the Queensland Beginner Font, which is the handwriting script taught in our education system.
It is freely available on my Learning with Ricardo Reading MouseĀ® YouTube Channel.Ā Thus far, only the lowercase letters' series has been released, via 3 short handwriting tutorial videos: Letters a-g; Letters h-p and Letters q-z.
Great for lessons at home or school!
Pre-writing Games & Workbooks
Not quite ready to learn to handwrite...?
Ricardo Reading MouseĀ® pre-reading and pre-writing resources are designed to provide support for a child's skill development in this area.
Our current range includes games and workbooks designed to assist development of eye-hand co-ordination, fine motor skills, motor planning, listening skills, following instructions, turn taking and letter name, initial letter-sound associaiton and letter formation/shape recognition skills which in turn, help develop their ability to learn to read, write & spell confidently when they enter school!
Reading, writing and spelling requires the use of both eyes to track, simultaneously following letters and words across the page or board together with the arms, hands & wrists when writing and this is, of course a complex cognitive-motor skill.
We all value the importance that handwriting plays in the overall development of effective literacy abilities and being an OT, I can't emphasise enough how essential movement & play-based learning is, to a child's overall health, well-being and their readiness to make the school transition.
Use at home, playgroup, daycare or kindergarten.
Visual Skills Workbooks
Ricardoās Bingo
Ricardoās Snap Cards
Thank you to all the families who….
have been enjoying learning their ABC letter sounds, letter names and letter shapes with all of our Ricardo Reading MouseĀ® ABC resources and those reinforcing their learning of the short vowel 3-letter rhyming word families’ words using our uniquely designed word grid apps and book- and also those families using my ‘download & print’ pre-reading and pre-writing card games and workbooks.
It is always a joy to me, to hear good reports coming in from all around the world!Ā Please continue to send in your photos, testimonies and Ricardo Reading MouseĀ® colouring ins.
Sarah, Guangchou, China
Enjoying learning her ABCs with Ricardo Reading MouseĀ® ABC Picture Book.
Rachel & Maria, Brisbane, Australia
Tummy time reading at Logan City Council Library whilst enjoying Ricardo Reading MouseĀ® books, which are both available for loan at Logan City Council and Brisbane City Council Libraries! (children are reading whilst lying under My BurrowĀ® Sensory Learning Tool)
Stephen, Adelaide, Australia
Stephen learning his letter sounds and names with Ricardo's ABC Picture Book!