practice fine-motor skills/letter formation using onscreen keyboard
Objective:
Child will practice forming letters and numbers on the touch screen.
Rationale:
Writing is very difficult for many children. The touch screen affords opportunities to practice forming letters and numbers without the fine-motor requirements of appropriate grip and muscle strength, and it provides immediate gratification.
Materials:
Sesamo online writing pages or TouchSmart onscreen keyboard.
Basic Instructions:
• Go to www.sesamo.com and choose “Handwriting” to find practice pages for letters and numbers. Adjust the width of the line as needed.
• Onscreen keyboard: Open the TouchSmart onscreen keyboard. Select the middle option, which looks like a line of small blocks. Practice drawing letters or numbers in the blocks. If the symbol is formed correctly, the software will recognize the letter and convert it to typed text.
Things to Consider:
A small tool in the shape of a writing utensil may be helpful (for example, a soft wooden blending pencil from a craft store).
Progress:
May include increased fine-motor and visual perception skills, willingness to use the computer, attention to task and motivation, increased efforts to form letters and/or complete tasks
