Special Education

Appendix 7: Motor Skills Checklist

• Reduce the amount of copying required (e.g., from the chalkboard), provide a carbon or photocopy for the students to use at their desks, or use a buddy system for copying.
• Help the student to learn to visually transport information.
• Allow extra time for writing, but recognize the student’s difficulty in sustaining the motor activity of writing, even if more time is available.
• Notice whether spelling improves when you ask the student to spell out loud rather than in written form. If this is the case, it might be because the motor skills involved in writing are not fully automatic.
• Provide extra practice in handwriting; in the intermediate grades decide whether to encourage cursive or continue with manuscript form.
• Watch to see if the student grips the pencil too tightly, which is tiring; use soft, slide-on grippers.
• Encourage the early development of keyboarding skills for word-processing.
• Consult the physiotherapist or occupational therapist for activities that will improve strength and coordination in fine and gross motor skills.
• Encourage participation in physical activities to improve coordination.