Occupational Therapy and Special Education Kits
Elk River, MN– August 24, 2011 – Occupational Therapy (OT) and Special Education (SPED) Editions are now available for the research-based handwriting solution ez Write. With these kits, districts can create a complete and fully aligned handwriting curriculum for all of their pre-school (age 3) up to 5th grade students, including those with special needs.
The ez Write OT and SPED Editions are fully customizable based on the needs of the particular student; yet so easy to use that even entry-level teachers will quickly be able to master the program. These kits include extra materials designed especially for OT and SPED teachers and students such as pencil grips, sensory activities, a travel bag and a sensory bin. The SPED/OT kits make it easier to include special needs students in the regular education classroom; a benefit to all.
“Research has shown that the more children have to focus on the process of handwriting the less capacity they have for higher-level processes such as idea generation, vocabulary and creativity. This is especially true for our special needs students,” said Ms. Tami Thoreson, an occupational therapist and teacher in the Elk River School District. “Since developing and using ez Write I have seen real growth in both the manual dexterity and academic abilities of my students.”
ez Write is a research-based, developmentally appropriate handwriting program that engages all learning styles. Easy to use and easy to implement, the program encourages “automaticity” or the ability of students to retrieve and produce letters automatically. It is based on research showing that handwriting competency can have dramatic effects on academic achievement and self-esteem. Introduced in the fall of 2010, ez Write has already been adopted by over 50 schools and learning centers, and is the core handwriting curriculum for nearly 8000 students.
Pilot program adopters of ez Write have seen dramatic and lasting results. After just 3 months of using ez Write one 1st grade class experienced an 80% increase in letters per minute (LPM) and 2nd graders using ez Write were tested at a higher LPM than 5th graders who had not been part of the program. Legibility also improved dramatically with ez Write.
Grade-level specific packages come complete with everything a teacher will need to implement a great handwriting curriculum in their classroom in a very short time. Now, with the addition of the OT and SPED additions, teachers can better customize the lessons to meet individual student needs. There is even a training DVD for teachers as well as teacher worksheets and training guides and worksheets for helpers. In addition, budget conscious schools will appreciate how affordable ez Write is to acquire and maintain.