Skilled for Printing™

Level 1: Pre-Printing and Introduction to Uppercase Formation

Our program has been designed to lay a strong foundation for the systems that contribute to legible and functional printing. We follow a multisensory and developmental approach to printing with weekly sessions tailored to create the “just right fit” for our young learners.

Level 1 includes:

• Fine motor based activities to strengthen and fine tune hand skills
• Eye hand coordination based activities to build motor control
• Building towards efficient pencil grasp skills
• Building towards safe and coordinated scissor skills
• Engaging in upper body and core strengthen relate movement breaks to encourage upright posture for tabletop writing skills
• Focus on Pre-printing shapes to support legibility for printing
• Introduction to Uppercase Letter Formation (principles of Handwriting Without Tears are used)
• Weekly home based activities to promote retention in learning

*No referral necessary. Insurance coverage may apply. If your child has funding through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), our services may also be covered. Please visit our FAQs page for more details.

*Participants should not demonstrate unsafe, at-risk, or aggressive behaviours. Participants require a readiness to manage in a group with a 1:3 or 1:4 support ratio.

Level 2: Lowercase Letter Formation and Writing with a Goal

As a continuation to Skilled for Printing Level 1, this group builds on printing habits by working on the fundamentals of printing with lowercase letter formation, letter size and word spacing, page organization, functional pencil grasp and posture, strategies for attention/focus and so much more. 

Level 2 includes:

• Advanced fine motor activities to build strength and precision for hand skills
• Advanced eye hand coordination activities to fine tune motor control
• Building and maintaining functional pencil grasp
• Engaging in upper body and core strength related movement breaks to encourage upright posture for tabletop writing skills
• Weekly lowercase letter groups for precision in letter formations
• Short, goal focused writing assignments to help transition letter formation into functional writing
• Weekly home based activities to promote retention in learning

*No referral necessary. Insurance coverage may apply. If you or your child has funding through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), our services may also be covered.

*Participants should not demonstrate unsafe, at-risk, or aggressive behaviours. Participants require a readiness to manage in a group with a 1:3 or 1:4 support ratio.

Level 3: Functional Cursive Formation and Introduction to Typing

From an Occupational Therapy (OT) perspective, the goal of cursive writing is to be functional and clear. Sometimes when kids struggle with printing, learning cursive is a good option for a start fresh with a new skill.  Some kids find cursive easier to learn because all the letters start at the bottom (as opposed to print where different letters have different starting points).  Cursive may also be a good opportunity to help build self esteem with a new skill and add creativity to daily writing routine. 

Level 3 includes:

• Advanced fine motor activities to build strength and precision for hand skills
• Advanced eye hand coordination activities to fine tune motor control
• Building and maintaining functional pencil grasp
• Engaging in upper body and core strengthen relate movement breaks to encourage upright posture for tabletop writing skills
• Weekly lowercase letter groups to build functional cursive letter formations based on principles from Learning Without Tears® and Mary Benow’s Loops and Groups. 
• Short, goal focused writing assignments to help transition cursive letter formation into letter connections and then into functional writing
• Introduction to typing skills using foundational techniques for typing efficiency (i.e. muscle memory and moving from hunt peck to touch typing). 
• Weekly home based activities to promote retention in learning

*No referral necessary. Insurance coverage may apply. If you or your child has funding through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), our services may also be covered.

*Participants should not demonstrate unsafe, at-risk, or aggressive behaviours. Participants require a readiness to manage in a group with a 1:3 or 1:4 support ratio.

Level 4: Functional Touch Typing and Goal Oriented Writing

This group has been designed to focus on building a solid foundation for functional touch typing (i.e. working towards using all 10 fingers for typing while keeping your eyes on the screen). 

Level 4 includes:

• Advanced fine motor activities to fine tune hand skills required for typing (i.e. individuation of digits, strength, etc.)
• Advanced eye hand coordination activities to fine tune motor control
• Muscle memory building techniques to build efficiency in typing so that learners can eventually focus on content
• Weekly typing speed and accuracy tests to help keep track of process, build on self esteem and increase motivation to practice at home
• Functional, goal oriented writing activities to help fine tune and retain printing or cursive skills
• Weekly home based activities to promote retention in learning

*No referral necessary. Insurance coverage may apply. If you or your child has funding through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), our services may also be covered.

*Participants should not demonstrate unsafe, at-risk, or aggressive behaviours. Participants require a readiness to manage in a group with a 1:3 or 1:4 support ratio.