OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY HOME ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS Part 3: Pre-writing Skills

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY HOME ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS
Part 3: Pre-writing Skills

GENERAL PROGRAMME GUIDELINES:
• Do a combination of these activities.
• Be aware of signs of fatigue – sweating, heavy breathing, poor attention.
• If one activity is to hard try another.
• Make sure the session is fun.
• Provide lots of praise.
• Feel free to use other similar activities.
• Always provide direct adult supervision.
• If you have any questions with this programme contact Jessica Brown, OT.

PRE-WRITING SKILL ACTIVITIES
The following activities are intended to build pre-writing skills. These involve fine motor
control, hand eye coordination and perceptual skills but are geared more to develop the grasp,
concepts and patterns used in writing.

• Trace designs with a pencil/marker.
• Copy designs with a pencil/marker.
• Working left to right on a large piece of paper, create a flowing design (waves, zigzags) and
have the child trace along the path.
• Do rainbow writing. Draw a word, letter, shape or picture. Have the child trace it with one
colour, then another, then another, etc. This is a great way to help a child remember a shape,
letter, word or name.
• Finger paint on paper or in tub.
• Form shapes, letters and numbers, using a stick in the sand, mud etc. Also try using pavement
chalk.
• Use a paintbrush with plain water to paint a design on the ground or wall of the house (make
sure this is done in a safe area).
• Use your fingers to make shapes, letters and numbers on a surface covered with shaving foam,
finger paint, sand mud etc.
• Use a wand with a streamer or ribbon at the end to form shapes etc in the air.
• Colouring is great; choose the level that is suitable for your child.
• Dot-to-dot, mazes etc.
• Use beans, rice, seeds etc to draw and fill in a picture, using glue.
• Magna doodle or Etch-A-Sketch are good for pre-writing fun.
• Practice using stencils. There are the kind you trace the outside of and easier ones that you
trace along the inside of.
• Paint, colour, and draw on paper taped to the wall or on an easel. Good for arm
strength.
• Paint a design on a piece of wood or rock.

Have fun!