HandRIGHTing Ink - handrighting penmanship teaching learning

Classes

Parents
Classes,
in-school,
home school, pre-writing, elementary, middle school, college prep...

Summer Lessons
2011 program...

Interactive Metronome™ Program
ADHD and ADD,...

Home
Schooling
Course materials, Handwriting Without Tears™,
support ...

Teachers and Schools
In-service, school-based...

Adult Handwriting
Physician's program, employer seminars, classes...

Occupational Therapy
Certifications, professional resources...

About HandRIGHTing, Ink
PROGRAM STAFF PRESS

HandRIGHTing, Ink was established in April, 1999 to improve the handwriting skills of children and adults.

We specialize in teaching handwriting to children and adults of all ages. We provide seminars for teachers and parents, and are happy to provide school-based intervention. Please see the linked pages for more information, and do not hesitate to contact us if we can provide any further information.

PROGRAMS

We conduct group and individual classes at our studio in Ardmore, PA (suburban Philadelphia), and hold them in Ardmore, and Berwyn, PA. We conduct seminars and inservice training at various schools to help teachers learn more effective ways to assist their students. We provide specialized school-based intervention to children in some cooperating local, private schools. Corporate, Industry and Physician Handwriting Workshops can be customized to meet specific needs, in both group and individual settings.

Even in this computer age, handwriting is a critical life skill. Children with good natural motor/perceptual integration and well-developed basic sub-skills will develop handwriting skills independent of the instruction methods. However, a significant number of children have difficulty learning effective handwriting. Some of these children can be helped by fairly straightforward methods of classroom intervention by the teacher, and others require more in-depth assessment and individualized instruction.

Handwriting is a complex perceptual, cognitive and motor skill. It requires many underlying performance skills. These skills allow students to follow instructions for letter formation, manage the pencil and its movement, and to appropriately space letters on a line at an acceptable speed and without pain. We believe it is important to assess and develop the following performance components for each student:

Postural Stability and Control

Eye Hand Coordination

Pencil and Grip Skills

Movement and Position Awareness

Visual and Motor Perception

Self Esteem and Concept

Sensory Regulation for Focusing and Attention

Students with handwriting difficulties may be unable to keep up with class work and complete legible writing assignments. They may attempt to avoid writing and often experience difficulty in academic performance. Poor handwriting can negatively influence a child’s self esteem.

We teach the "Handwriting Without Tears™" method of handwriting, developed by occupational therapist Jan Olsen.

It is a simple, developmentally based curriculum.
The multi-sensory lessons teach to all learning styles - visual, auditory, manipulative, tactile, and kinesthetic.
The workbooks are appealing, without excessive figures and drawings which can distract from the subject matter.
Letters are taught without a slant or curlicues which can be too advanced for young writers.
The approach eliminates problems with reversals, letter formation, letter size inconsistencies, and spacing.
Most find the program enjoyable, even fun.

Staff

Sandy Purvis received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1974 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed 9 months of field work experience in physical disabilities, psychiatry, and pediatrics. Her professional experience includes:

Pediatric work at Nat Polinsky Rehab in Duluth, MN, where she evaluated and treated school-aged kids in areas of fine-motor and gross motor coordination, sensory integration, reflex integration, and activities of daily living. Her work with pre-schoolers included feeding skills as well.
Self-employment for 15 years in the Springfield, MO, area. Numerous contracts working with kids with a variety of problems and diagnoses. Development of programs for MO State Schools (Dept. of Mental Health), Adult Training Centers, and private boarding homes for the multi-handicapped. Provided Occupational Therapy services in the Rehabilitation and General Medical departments at St. John's Hospital, Springfield, Mo. Public school involvement with elementary-aged children who had learning disabilities and developmental disabilities, using functional and sensory integration approaches. Extensive traveling to contract locations, including a developmental pre-school where she spent two mornings a week for five years.
Owned and operated a residential care facility in suburban Springfield, MO for 3 years, for 11 geriatric women, considered a "model operation" by the Department of Aging.
Jefferson Health Systems serving Paoli and Bryn Mawr Hospitals in the outpatient hand clinics, general medical floors, pediatric departments and home health sections.
Large, private residential community for multi-handicapped children and adults Berwyn, PA. Extensive work with individuals, developing their functional skills. Equine therapy involvement, with the benefits it offers to children's postural control and sitting balance.
Provided Occupational Therapy services to elementary school students in a large, suburban PA public school system Many students were referred for handwriting needs. Used the Handwriting Without Tears™ curriculum successfully, employing sensory regulation strategies to maintain student attention.
Lectured schools and provided handwriting workshops to educational and corporate professionals on a national basis, including all-day workshops for Handwriting Without Tears™ founder, Jan Olsen.
August 5-6, 2005, Annual Wyoming Occupational Therapy Association; Cody, Wyoming, Presenter of the Pediatric/School Tract:

Handwriting Without Tears™ Workshop: 8 hours

Starting a Private Practice: 4 hours

Enhancing Learning through Mind-Body Integration:
4 hours

August, 2007, Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Cleveland, TN. Industry Handwriting Instruction. Presented 3 workshops to improve worker handwriting skills, 1 workshop per shift. Presented "Teach the Teachers" workshop to conduct in-house training sessions to workers.
September and October, 2007, Main Line Health, Bryn Mawr, PA. Presented to Bryn Mawr Hospital physicians and Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital physicians to improve handwriting skills.

All Handwriting Assistants have attended the Handwriting Without Tears Workshop given by Jan Olsen or have furthered their education by professionally trained staff.

The staff at HandRIGHTing, Ink. are uniquely qualified to assess and remediate adults' and children's handwriting needs. As an Occupational Therapist in the schools, Sandy Purvis has successfully helped many students become effective with both printing and cursive styles. Additionally, she is Sensory Integration Certified, has over 25 years of experience in occupational therapy. "OTR/L" is a professional credential meaning " Occupational Therapist, Registered and Licensed". Additionally, she is a Certified Interactive Metronome Provider.

Press

Camp HandRIGHTing Ink. helps children come to grips with legible script.
by Lini S. Kadaba - Philadelphia Inquirer - July 13, 1999

Metrokids Feature on Camp HandRIGHTing Ink.

Channel 17 (Philadelphia) : News on Kids done by Kids

Feature by Ivanhoe Broadcast News, aired on NBC affiliates "Smart Woman", in October 1999.
Click to see video clip.

Philadelphia Magazine's Best of Philly 2003 Award for Summer Camp - Pre-Med.

Feature article by News-Line for Occupational Therapists and COTA's, November, 2004.

Quoted by Hilary Bentman, reporter of The Intelligencer, a Doylestown, PA daily newspaper, in an article entitled, "Emphasis on Penmanship". Also, stated under "WORD ON THE STREET: Good handwriting is underrated. Take it seriously. It's a lifelong skill...It's a cheap, effective way to communicate." May 1, 2005. www.phillyburbs.com