Use of weighted pencils to improve handwriting legibility

ABSTRACT

Several therapeutic strategies and approaches are used to facilitate handwriting skills in children with illegible writing. One strategy is weighted pencils; however, there is little empirical evidence of the strategy’s efficacy. In case scenarios of three children who were unable to form letters, weighted pencils improved their handwriting, and a protocol using weighted pencils was developed. All three children with special needs demonstrated marked improvement in their ability to write. These scenarios inform the reader through professional reasoning and suggest criteria for the successful use of weighted pencils with young children. Recommendations for the further expansion of the protocol and research are suggested.

KEYWORDS:

• Illegible handwriting
• intervention
• occupational therapy
• weighted pencils
• written output

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my husband, Paul, for his support, and the faculty in the doctoral program at A. T. Still University for their guidance during the development of this article.