Hand Dexterity Class or Individual Warm-ups

1. Translation

Using coins or small beads, have students pick up an item and use just finger movements to work it into the palm, repeat until they are holding all 3 of the objects. Then, one at a time, work each item back to fingertips without dropping the others. Then do the same with the other hand.

2. Wikki Stix

Use the small pieces of Wikki Stix provided to create a raised outline to a shape (on a piece of paper). Rest the wrist on the paper just below the shape (DO NOT LET YOUR WRIST MOVE), and use finger movements to color in the small shape completely going right to all edges and corners.

3. Pencil Control Design

Using standard lined paper, have students complete one line each day of a design or letter- listed below in order of difficulty. Begin with the earliest and only progress when precision and fluidity in the finger movements is evident (ie. it may take several days of focus on one design to build the skill to the point of being easy and precise):

1. Start with short lines from the upper line down to the baseline (like drawing grass from the sky down)

2. Circles formed in a counter-clockwise direction (this is the starting stroke for many letters such as a, d, g, etc.)

3. Practice over/under waves (narrow hills and valleys) as in the top of an “n” and the bottom of a “u”

4. Practice up/down zigzags (like a continuous “w’)

5. Continuous cursive i’s- the focus is on going up and then retracing to descend

6. Continuous cursive “m”s- going over a bump and down and then retracing the path to go up again

7. Continuous cursive “e”s (loops)

8. Continuous cursive “c”s

9. Follow with individual letter practice, working through the alphabet. This can be done in alphabetical order or grouped by their starting movements (a, c, d, g, o, q, s; b, f, h, I, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, t, u; v, w, x, y; e, z).

10. Once this is complete you can encourage students to review their own writing samples for letter formation and size, placement on the line and spacing.