This resource is designed for secondary school pupils who are struggling with their handwriting. 6 for 6 is a simple title for a simple concept. Practice this programme for 6 days a week for 6 weeks to see improvement!
Each day there are 6 exercises to follow. There is a different programme for each week and it gets harder as the weeks go by.
This is a targeted physical intervention to improve handwriting using the same principles as Storycises - learning, practising, and consolidating foundation motor skills! We have provided a more age-appropriate delivery for older children which demands a commitment from them in order to see improvements. Above all, the young person must want to improve their handwriting.
This booklet is designed for students who present with any or all of the following:
- Those who have messy/illegible writing
- Those who have disorganised work on a page
- Those that complain of muscle fatigue/aching in their hands
- Those who are always slower than their peers to finish written work
- Those who present with joints that are a little more bendy or flexible than peers
- Those who struggle to sit still and tend to fidget
- Those who will often sit at a desk propping on their elbows/slumping on the table/ hooking their feet around the chair legs, to help with stability whilst writing.
Too often children and young people who struggle with handwriting will be asked to do programmes to help which simply makes them practicing writing – the very thing they dislike doing. The 6 for 6 programme allows them to practice skills they require to improve their writing skills by using gross motor movements.
We often find by the end of the 6 weeks there are also additional improvements such as better general fitness, increased strength, better stamina, less fatigue and improved co-ordination.
6 for 6
The 6 for 6 book is a targeted physical intervention to improve handwriting using the same principles as Storycises, but in a way which is age appropriate for secondary school children.
It contains details on how to use the programme, clear explanations of the targeted skills, and reasons why this is important. It has detailed descriptions and photographs of all exercises. There is a photocopiable before and after informal assessment tool included which can help to map progress.
The 6 for 6 book is designed for teaching staff and parents to use with their young people to guide, scaffold and support handwriting improvement.