Handwriting Success

The child friendly way to improve handwriting skills!

Good handwriting is one key to success in school. Children use it every day as part of their learning process. Strong handwriting foundation skills are needed for a child to accurately form letters, place and complete letters and words on a line, and complete legible work in a timely manner.

At Handwriting Success, we improve a child's foundation skills while providing  structured, step by step handwriting instruction. The children quickly become enthusiastic participants as they watch their handwriting skills improve while having fun!

Foundation Skills Include:

  • Established hand dominance
  • Pencil grip
  • Hand strength and dexterity
  • Use of non-dominant hand as a helper
  • Postural strength and control
  • Visual tracking skill
  • Visual perceptual skill
  • Eye hand coordination
  • Adequate attention
  • Motor sequencing and timing for fluid writing
  • Self esteem

Children with Difficulties May:

  • Express frustration with handwriting assignments
  • Produce illegible work
  • Not complete class work in the time allotted
  • Produce work that does not reflect their intelligence
  • Become behavioral challenges to avoid handwriting work
  • Get answers on written work wrong because of illegible writing
  • Labor over or avoid homework, causing undue stress in the family

Handwriting Success's Comprehensive Services Include:

Handwriting Success offers a variety of child friendly services to assist children in resolving handwriting and school productivity issues while having fun! Some of these services include:

  • Handwriting assessment
  • After school classes
  • Private instructions
  • Small group classes
  • Interactive metronome training
  • Occupational therapy evaluation
  • Workshops and consultations for teachers
  • Summer camp!

Strategy For Success

The Handwriting Without Tears approach to handwriting is most frequently used at Handwriting Success because it is a developmentally sequenced, straightforward approach that is quickly embraced by children.
A Typical Class:

  • "Warm -up activity"- a fine-motor or visual-motor game, activity or craft.  The activity is designed to provide that "just right challenge" for each student.
  • Handwriting instruction- individualized, each student works at their own skill level and pace in their own book.
  • "Break" game or activity"- usually focused on more gross motor or sensory motor foundation skills.
  • Handwriting instruction
  • Closing- clean-up, prize for a job well done!!!
Mara says:
"My son's cursive writing has improved both in speed and neatness!"

Classes Are Availible For

Students ranging from pre-kindergarten to adults. Pre-writing instruction is available for children as young as 4-1/2. Older students receive instruction in printing or cursive writing, according to their age and need. Whether seen privately or in a small group, instruction is individualized to each student's skill level and pace. In small group instruction children are grouped with peers.

About the Staff

Amy Carroll, OTR/L is the occupational therapist/owner of Handwriting Success, Inc.  She is the instructor for every private, small group, or camp class that is offered by Handwriting Success!  Amy has 19 years of experience working with children with occupational therapy needs and more specifically with handwriting challenges.  She  has worked in  both public and private schools.  In addition to providing handwriting instruction to students, Amy has provided workshops and consultation to school personnel, parents, and fellow occupational therapists.  She also provides private occupational therapy to children.  Amy holds a certificate for the "Comprehensive Program in Sensory Integration" and  is  a registered interactive metronome trainer (RIMT).

Instruction Assistants:  Though class sizes are limited to 8 students, any class with greater than 3 (and when indicated 2) students will have  the trainned assistance of  the Handwriting Success instruction assistants. The student to staff ratio is most often 2 students to each staff member. The instruction assistants are trained by Amy Carroll,OTR/L  in the Handwriting Success approach to handwriting. The assistants are present in each class to help support the students during group activities and handwriting instruction. 
Handwriting Success carefully chooses the staff.  Most of the assistants are currently college elementary education majors preparing for their internships in teaching!!  They have found their work with students at Handwriting Success to be a very rewarding experience!  It has been a true "win -win" to have these talented, enthusiastic people working with the students at Handwritng Success!!

Guest Teachers:  We at Handwriting Success have also been fortunate to have the experience of an elementary school teacher during our summer camp. The teacher has provided instruction to the students on that vital link to written expression. Many students that struggle (or have in the past) with the mechanics of writing also struggle with their ability to get thoughts on paper in a cohesive manner.  The educator and the occupational therapist co-teach classes to assist students in this area