Work on Handwriting much? NOW 13 legibility time saving tools!

June 16, 2021
Polly Benson

Hey guys, I’m back! I can’t wait to tell you what’s been going on!

As you know, I am a school based Occupational Therapist and was working with students that struggled daily with handwriting. They would come to me and work so hard to make legible letters, only to return to the classroom writing in workbooks that had no handwriting lines. The teacher may give the student adaptive lined paper, but then those papers were tucked in the workbook (messy) or stuffed in a desk only to be found weeks later (late). When I treated students in the classroom, I would draw lines for my kiddos, but they were uneven and have you ever tried to make a center dashed line with even spacing? Ugh!!! I knew I needed a ROLLING STAMP, but it didn’t exist.

It took a few years and I came up with a pizza cutter prototype and soon after LegiLiners were born! The teacher feedback was amazing! “GAME CHANGER!” and “TIME SAVER!” and “Why didn’t I think of that?” So simple, and the students love them. “Draw lines on my paper too, Mrs. Benson.” No more embarrassing moments for kids that need adaptive paper when no one else is using it.

Starting with one RED stamp, we have now grown to 13 different patterns. I am a TEACHER and I wanted to make sure the final product was affordable. I have been in the same boat as you with limited funds and products that are all used up before the school year is over.

So, here is what has been going on…

THE PANDEMIC. Did you know that? LOL Of course! Everyone is blaming ALL things on the pandemic. Returning to school in the fall of 2020 was brutal. We had to learn online teaching and how to treat student virtually. In Occupational therapy, the student needed to have a learning coach to not only assist with activities, but to HELP KEEP THEM ON THE SCREEN! Eeek!! We had to wear masks and use plastic dividers and clean and disinfect everything between all students. After a few months, I was stumped on finding new ideas. Kids were losing interest in the same toys and manipulatives and losing handwriting progress. Have you seen this happen with your students?

THE SOLUTION. I made a simple worksheet that I could adapt for most of my students that had a wide range of abilities. WORKSHEETS?!? I admit that the kids do a lot of worksheets and workbook pages throughout a day. But, it was easy to send the copy to the family electronically and I had a copy on my side of the screen that I could adapt for every one of my students and their age and skill.

THE CHALLENGE: how to make worksheets motivating and engaging? I realized we could use worksheets for many fine motor skills they were working on: coloring, writing, cutting, gluing, creativity, games, pinch strength, visual motor skills, perceptual skills, and sensory motor, but “FUN” motivates and engages students. How? With themes, household objects and current events! Engagement increased and legibility started to improve. There were many options out there, but LegiLiner worksheets are FREE. Yes, FREE! And they pair perfectly with all the stamps to work on handwriting for students of many ages and skill levels! I never want to charge for worksheets because teachers often have to pay for supplies out of their own pockets and remember, I have been in the same boat!

SO, NOW ITS SUMMER and the fears, challenges and obstacles of last year are behind us. I want you to know you have a friend here that desires to give you affordable stamps, giveaways and regular discounts while providing easy, engaging FREE ways to work on handwriting with students. I am happy to see that you have responded so well to the Worksheet Wednesdays to help address the issues you are experiencing. I hope I have made it a little bit easier for you to work on handwriting with your students.

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