OT Corner: 10 Ideas to Increase Pencil Pressure

26th September, 2019

27 September 2019, Article, Handwriting, Newsletter, OT

[Source: Your Therapy Source]

pe4ncil pressure

Recently, I received a question about a student who is having difficulty applying pencil pressure when writing. The therapist was having some success using markers but was looking for other suggestions. Here are 10 ideas to increase pressure when writing:

Try using markers or gel pens to make marks instead of pencils.
Use a weighted pencil or hand/wrist weights to increase input to the hand. Check out Therapy Fun Zone for a DIY Weighted Pencil.
Write on carbon paper – the child has to press hard to make the marks go through the paper.
Poke holes through paper to provide an example of applying pressure – check out these free Picture Poke cards.

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