Handwriting training
Inset, half day and twilight
Handwriting training that promises to give you clarity. Sparks your interest. Gives you strategies to return to your classroom and use immediately.
Give me at least 90 minutes of your time and I will give you the best handwriting training that you have ever come across.
Is handwriting becoming more of a concern in your school? Are kids starting not ready to write or you just can’t read their spidery style writing.
Did they once have good writing and now it has changed? Since starting secondary school writing quality has deteriorated. Now it is hardly legible and you have no idea how an examiner will be able to mark it.
Are you being asked to give specialist handwriting instruction and you just do not know where to start? Perhaps it has been mentioned in an EHCP, along with a lot of other areas to be covered, and you are seeking some training and advice.
Do you wish to learn the proper way to teach children how to handwrite/produce appropriate sized letters and ensure legibility?
Do you wonder if there is any way to help a child improve their writing speed? Without telling them to write faster because this causes them to write in a way that cannot be read.
Have you asked yourself is it possible to adjust the child’s writing habits? Or are those bad habits staying with them for life? Perhaps we should only be worrying about whether it is legible.
Then my handwriting training is the answer for you, your team/department and your school.
This is what others say about my training...
And this is what the people who have commissioned my services say...
Hi, I'm Sheilagh
BUT why learn from me?
- I’m a children’s occupational therapist with a passion for all things to do with handwriting.
- I want to make it easy for EVERYONE (both teachers and kids).
- I don’t believe handwriting should be boring or repetitive.
- I know of many different teaching methods to help improve legibility. Some, I’m guessing, you have probably never heard of.
- Over the last 20 years I’ve helped many, many children.
- I currently work in two schools where I have my own classes as well as working 1 to 1 with students. I am in the real world with you too.
- I’ve written two books on handwriting. One is a best seller. (‘The Early Handwriting Toolkit’)
- Oh and I’ve never met any child who I have not been able to transform their writing.
Nominated for the TES Bev Evans Resource Author of the Year 2017, and featured in
What makes my training different?
As an occupational therapist I approach handwriting from developmental perspective. My way is to explain what I am seeing, why I am seeing it and propose options on how it can be solved.
Handwriting is a complex skill. It requires more than just ‘good’ hand skills. It requires visual perceptual skills, fine motor control and core body strength. Without these skills we cannot begin to develop letter formation skills or improve handwriting speed.
There are so many different handwriting schemes out there. It can be mighty confusing to know which one is best.
My training offers you time to reflect on current practice. This is not about telling you how to teach but a chance to spark ideas and create conversations that may continue after I have left your school.
My aim to to take you from feeling discouraged or disillusioned to feeling resourceful. Where any action steps are taken with understanding, purpose and confidence. It is also my hope that by improving your students work, you’ll never have to second guess what has been written on the paper again. Your handwriting tutor online.
Finding the best handwriting training for your needs has just got easier
Receive training on 8 core handwriting topics and then choose what is most relevant for your needs.
So, what is included as the 8 core topics?
Informative & fun
Using the latest research and implementing strategies that work in a ‘real’ classroom.
In their words
Experience what it feels like to have a handwriting difficulty from a child’s perspective.
Analysis
Understanding the eight steps to knowing how to analyse handwriting.
Handwriting
Reviewing the skills needed to write and how this starts from birth.
Identify
Different handwriting styles and how continuous cursive may not always be the best.
Check
Common handwriting problems and how to resolve them.
Left handed writers
Ensure your classroom and teaching methods are set up to help the left handed writer.
Seating
The importance of sitting posture on legible handwriting.
Pick and choose your extra's from the list here:
- What to do when they press too heavily or faintly?
- How to improve handwriting speed
- How to help the reluctant writer
- What apps can improve handwriting?
- How to improve handwriting without practising forming a single letter
- Helping a child with dyslexia improve their writing
- Helping a child with dyspraxia improve their writing
- Helping a child with Autism improve their writing
- Helping a child with ADHD improve their writing
- Helping a child with learning difficulties improve their writing
- Handwriting clinic where you bring along your problem pieces of work
- Top 5 strategies to either easily years, junior years or teenagers
Full day
(6 hours)- Experience a handwriting difficulty from a child's perspective
- The skills we need to write
- Understanding cursive and other handwriting styles
- How to evaluate handwriting
- What are the common handwriting problems?
- How to encourage an efficient pencil grip
- How to help a left handed writer
- Improve handwriting through sitting posture
- Choose 10 subject areas from the pick and choose list above to be added to your training session.
Half day
(3 hours)- Experience a handwriting difficulty from a child's perspective
- The skills we need to write
- Understanding cursive and other handwriting styles
- How to evaluate handwriting
- What are the common handwriting problems?
- How to encourage an efficient pencil grip
- How to help a left handed writer
- Improve handwriting through sitting posture
- Choose 4 subject areas from the pick and choose list above to be added to your training session.
Twilight
(90 minutes)- Experience a handwriting difficulty from a child's perspective
- The skills we need to write
- Understanding cursive and other handwriting styles
- How to evaluate handwriting
- What are the common handwriting problems?
- How to encourage an efficient pencil grip
- How to help a left handed writer
- Improve handwriting through sitting posture
- Plan of action together. This is a facilitated session where we create your top 5 strategies specific to your setting.
What type of training should I have?
This is really difficult for myself to answer. I offer three types of training, a full day (6 hours), half day (3 hours) or a twilight (1 1/2 hours).
All are suitable for Senco’s, teachers, and teaching assistants.
Every training session comprises of the same 8 core topics. These are essential to your understanding and handwriting progression. See blue box below for more details.
There are then 12 extra topics that can be included in your training. Everything from handwriting speed to working with children who have specific medical or learning conditions. The option of having a handwriting clinic are very popular. This is a chance for your team to bring to me any child’s workbook and we review the handwriting issue creating a plan of how to help that child.
- Full day – Choose 10 topics from the pick and choose menu.
- Half day – Choose 4 topics from the pick and choose menu.
- Twilight – Top 5 strategies are provided based on the age of the children you work with. This will be early years, junior years or teenage years.
Whatever training you choose, every delegate gets their own workbook. They always prove to be a big hit.
One past delegate even described this in her feedback to me as “I really loved the activity book style handouts – brilliant!” – Dianne Robinson, Learning Support Assistant, Penn Wood Primary School.
Everyone gets a chance to try different shaped pens, pencils and feel what it is like to sit on a wobble cushion.
Frequently asked questions:
Yes. I like my training events to be action packed full of activities for people to take time to experience. For this reason I usually say around 30-35 people is the maximum number.
Yes. I have spoken for a number of years at the TES SEN Show. Please email me about any event you might wish me to be speaking at.
Yes of course I am happy to do this. I suggest you book a twilight session and we do the training over Skype.
Yes. I love helping everyone understand more about handwriting and welcome working with my colleagues. I also offer supervision on an individual basis as well.
I do full day and half day training on Thursdays. Twilight sessions can often be booked in on other days. It maybe best to speak to me first before booking to check our diaries can match up.
Full day training is £800. Half day training is £400. Twilight session is £150.
Payment is made via a BACS transfer, once an invoice has been raised.
Payment is requested in full.
Yes. Some schools have asked me to be there for a whole day but to repeat the twilight session content 3 times so that everyone has a chance to be spared from their class. Afterwards I then gave a summary session to the SLT discussing the issues raised by staff, helping them to create an action plan for the future.
This is for you if:
This is not for you if:
- you wish too improve your staffs knowledge of handwriting.
- you are looking to develop your schools handwriting policy & strategies.
- you are wanting to hear about handwriting from an occupational therapist.
- you work in a state or independent school.
- you work with children aged 5 to 16 years.
- your school is less than a 2 hour drive from Chichester, West Sussex.
- you are a national, regional or local training provider.
- you wish to have a full day or half a day training that is not on a Thursday. (At the beginning of term I may have some flexibility, do ask).
- cannot support a Powerpoint presentation and tables for delegates to complete handwriting activities.
Here's what happens when you click on the button to purchase...
- You’ll enter a secure checkout page where you will be asked to pay 50% using Paypal. If you do not have a Paypal account let me know and I can invoice your bursar.
- You will need to decide if you wish to book a full day (6hrs), half day (3 hrs) or twilight training (1 1/2 hrs).
- Travel costs will be added, it best to speak to me before you book so that you know what they will be.
- Once payment has been made, you will instantly receive a confirmation and a welcome email. The welcome email will contain a link to an online form to help me tailor the session to your schools needs.
- If we have not already spoken, then please use the online calendar link in the welcome email. Now you can book your training time. Full days and half days will need to take place on a Thursday until July 2020.
- The last 50% of payment and travel costs will be invoiced after the event.
A few more words from teachers, teaching assistants and OT students...
P.S. Still a little undecided?
The handwriting training events that I run combine practical based activities with the latest handwriting research. The time is often action-packed, full of practical examples, explanations, and advice on what to do next. Delegate feedback is always exceptional!
To book or speak to me first before booking, email me. Or you can call me on 01243 252310.