Today is the first day of school in New York City and while most kids have gotten all of their supplies, there are still things that kids might need. I know that some schools are very specific when it comes to school supplies but for some of my kids, particularly those with fine motor and grasping delays, benefit from alternative tools in order to be successful in the classroom. Today I share some of my favorite school supplies that I not only recommend to my families, but ones that I am always sure to have on hand at my office. My biggest goal with providing the appropriate tools is that kids will feel more successful which leads to improved confidence and self-esteem.
Short Triangular Pencils-I am a big fan of triangle pencils for my younger writers for so many reasons but mainly because they are great for encouraging a tripod-like grasp. This particular set of pencils I share are a bit chunkier and shorter so it makes it more naturally encourages that tripod grasp. While I am not a huge pusher of a tripod grasp before a child is ready, I do know that that grasping pattern means increased endurance and decreased fatigue while writing. The triangular shape also provides a more stable and guided grip on the pencil which helps with improved pencil control during graphomotor tasks. When a child has better control of the pencil, you will notice that their writing is easier to read. Most importantly, when a child who has been having a hard time with handwriting starts to be successful, their confidence and self-esteem explode making them work even harder to do their best.
Fat Crayons-similar to the triangle pencils, triangle crayons are great for encouraging a tripod-like grasp for little hands. These Crayola crayons are my favorite and I recommend them to all the preschoolers on my caseload. One thing I suggest to people is to break the crayons into three small pieces because kids can’t use a fisted grasp when holding them and they begin to naturally hold it correctly. An added bonus is that triangle shaped crayons can’t roll of of a table surface. As with the triangular pencils, the triangular crayons encourages that tripod grasp which leads to improved control and can mean increased endurance for coloring and drawing activities.
Adaptive Scissors-so many of the children I work with have a hard time learning how to manipulate a pair of scissors. Kids who have decreased grasp strength and delayed fine motor and manipulation skills can become easily frustrated with regular scissors and will often just give up on the task. Also, many of my kids who have motor planning challenges find cutting with regular scissors quite difficult. Using adaptive scissors, such as the self-opening ones I linked, can take away some of the work of manually opening and closing the scissors and allow children to be more successful in cutting activities. While I tend to use the self-opening scissors, there are a lot of other choices that I will link below that might be better for your child. What I like about the linked scissors, is that once the children seem to get the hang of cutting, you can flip the tab on the scissors and they can be regular scissors. Using adaptive scissors encourages independence for kids which leads to increased confidence and self-esteem. Depending on your child’s needs and struggles, things like padded handles, loop handles or ergonomic designs can decrease the amount of hand strain and fatigue kids experience and allows for a more comfortable cutting experiences.
Slant Board-I am all about having young children work on a vertical surface whenever it is possible because it can only help them. For example, I encourage parents of young children to get an easel when their children are younger so they can work on improving shoulder stability, wrist control and work at a surface that they can look straight at instead of looking down. As children get older and they need to be at desks for longer periods of time and the handwriting expectations increase, I encourage the use of a slant board. This is especially helpful for children who have fine motor, grasping and manipulation skill delays and/or have decreased grasp and upper extremity strength. Some of the benefits of a slant board for classroom performance is that the inclined surface naturally encourages a more appropriate grasp on the pencil and allows for increased pencil control. For children who have visual motor challenges, having their work on an inclined surface means that it is easier to focus on because it is more on their level and by placing reading and writing materials closer to eye level can boost visual attention and focus on the task.
Clear Storage Pouches-so many of the kids I work with have organizational and other executive functioning challenges which means that keeping things in their backpacks organized and accessible really tricky. I have found that if you put your school supplies in clear pouches that are clearly labeled (pictures for younger children, words for older children) it makes it easier for kids to find what they need and keep them organized. I also find that by the clear bags make it easier for kids to be independent which boosts their confidence and self-esteem. Kids with executive functioning and attentional challenges can become frustrated quicker and give up more easily when things aren’t “easy”. Another tip would be to make a set of supplies that kids keep in their backpacks or at school and an exact same set of everything to use at home so they don’t have to remember to put it back in their bags. This will also encourage independence in their organizational skills.
Pencil Grips-not all kids with an immature pencil grasp benefit from the use of pencil grips but many do. Over the years, I have tried out so many different pencil grips and the owl ones I linked are easily my favorite. I like them because they do a great job of putting your child in a tripod-like grasp and the kids like them because they are cute and colorful. When a child uses a tripod like grasp, they are likely to have increased endurance with less hand fatigue for writing activities. This is especially important for my older children who can’t avoid the increased amount of handwriting and graphomtor activities that are thrown their way during the school day. For kids who have decreased grasp strength, using a pencil grip helps develop the intrinsic muscles of the hands that help with fine motor, grasping and manipulation skills. If you feel like your child would benefit from a pencil grip, be sure to talk to your child’s occupational therapist or their teacher to find out what they would recommend. While I have found this owl one to be universally helpful, there might be something more appropriate for your child’s needs.
Bouncy Band for Chairs-we all know those kids who have a hard time sitting still at their desks. My general rule when it comes to kids with sensory challenges is that you have if they are seeking input in a way that is disruptive in the classroom, find a way to replace with something that is more appropriate. One tool that I have found works really well for a fidgety kid who has to sit and focus is the Bouncy Band for the chair. There is also one for the desk but I like the chair one better. This band attaches to the front of a chair and allows a child to get sensory input. This sensory input can help a child focus and attend to tasks for longer periods of time. In addition to offering sensory input, these bands can also improve balance and coordination, strengthen core muscles, and provides proprioceptive input that helps to calm the sensory system.
Finger Spacer for Handwriting-handwriting can be a really tricky thing for many of the kids I work with. Just learning how to write letters is something that can be hard so when they have to start writing words and kids have visual motor and visual perceptual challenges, sizing and spacing can just send them over the edge. While I use lots of verbal prompts with kids during handwriting activities, sometimes they need a bit more help. Finger spacers are a great tool to help build confidence and self-esteem in young writers. It provides a tactile and visual guide for consistent letter and work spacing which leads to improved clarity and neatness. For children who have difficulty with hand-eye coordination, this can help reduce the amount of frustration they might experience during handwriting activities.
Calm Strips-I am always looking for simple ways to help children who get anxious in school. Over the years, I have been working with more and more kids who present with anxiety when it comes to school work. A lot of these kids also don’t want other kids to know that they are feeling anxious and want tools that are discreet so that other children don’t see it. Calm Strips come in a variety of shapes, sizes and some even offer some mindfulness/breathing activities that can help them through moments of anxiety or stress. Calm strips can also help improve focus and attention, can be used to self-manage their anxiety and help in calming the nervous system and helps kids de-stress in the classroom. The sandpaper like texture sticker can be put on a child’s desk or can be attached to a keychain that can be attached to a child’s best belt loop on their pants.
Hugimals Weighted Animals-many of the kids I work with have sensory challenges that can impact their focus and attention. Some also present with anxiety during times that they might feel overwhelmed or challenged by tasks presented to them. Many teachers have reached out to me over the years about what kinds of tools that they can have on hand to support kids during these times. My g0-to is some kind of weighted blanket or weighted animal in order to provide calming deep pressure. Hugimals are my favorite ones out there because they are not only adorable, but because they are weighted with non-toxic glass beads that are sewn into a secure, removable weighted insert so they can be cleaned. Weighted animals are great because they over constant, gentle pressure that helps with improving focus and attention, decreases anxiety and helps with self-regulation.