SCHOOL BASED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION FOR PERFORMANCE CHALLENGES
Performance Area:
LETTER FORMATION AND SIZE
GENERAL INFORMATION:
• A student may present with a poor ability to form letters the correct manner
and size for many reasons:
He/She may not consistently follow the starting letters “at the top”
rule
Use excessive strokes to form letters
Reverse letters/digits
Omit parts of the letter/digit
Improperly connect strokes, or produce excessively large or small
print
• All of these performance challenges can lead to illegible and slow
handwriting.
• The acquisition of writing requires memory, eye hand coordination,
fine motor control, and intact visual perception.
RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES DURING WRITING INSTRUCTION:
Ongoing and consistent explicit instruction in handwriting techniques is
essential for all students; this is especially true for those students that are
slow to utilize correct handwriting techniques.
Offer repeated practice to help the student attain correct letter/digit
formation at an automatic level.
Reinforce that letter formation begins at the top:
• Except for d and e.
• Try to eliminate random starting points.
• Review the starting/ending points for each letter.
• Children that can automatically start at the correct place and make
the strokes the same way consistently can write quickly and neatly.
Students need to have the ability to copy the following strokes before he/
she is ready for forming letters: Vertical line, horizontal line, circle, cross,
left and right diagonal lines, square, and a triangle.
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Performance Area:
LETTER FORMATION AND SIZE
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES DURING WRITING INSTRUCTION:
Use the visual cues that various handwriting programs offer. For example
the top left corner is indicated by the smiley face. Or, start at the top
green line and stop at the bottom red line. Or, use Dirt-Grass-Sky lines.
Post letter strips on the student’s desk.
Be vigilant when students are practicing on tracing sheets; make sure
he/she is guided through the proper formation. Poor habits are difficult
to modify.
Begin with upper case letters. Research indicates these are the easiest
to learn because they are larger, all occupy the same height, and all
start at the top.
After upper case letters, teach lower case. They are more difficult
because they are not the same size, have subtle differences, occupy
three different vertical positions, and start in four different places.
When teaching lower case letters start with:
• The “c” letters: c, o, d, a, g
• Teach the “diver” letters together: p, r, n, m, h, b
When teaching lower case, reinforce that there are:
• Tall Letters: b, d, f, h, k, l, t
• Short Letters: a, c, e, i, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, x, z
• Go Under Letters: g, j, p, q, y
ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE AREA:
• Provide opportunities for reviewing spatial concepts such as on top,
under, below, bottom, and next to. Review the concepts of straight
versus curved, short versus tall, and left versus right.
• Use a multi-sensory approach such as writing in the air, forming strokes
and curves with eyes closed, and using tactile media (foam, sand,
sandpaper, play dough, craft sticks) for practicing letters.
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