My all-time favorite (functional) app to use within
therapy sessions.
Ready to Print is a pre-writing app that helps to
facilitate the development of many foundational skills needed for
pre-writing. Ready to Print has 13 activities to help children
develop the visual-motor, visual-perceptual, and fine motor skills necessary
for beginning pre-writing.
Although I don’t like to use the iPad frequently in my
sessions, I do think this app is fabulous and when paired with pencil-to-paper
practice I have seen the kids I work with develop an increased interest in
pre-writing through using this app as a precursor to our pencil-to-paper
activities.
Why I love this app:
- First and foremost the kiddos LOVE it. I have had a mom tell me her son seeks this app out on their iPad among all the other games (which makes this OT very happy!)
- It provides motivating activities for developing pre-writing skills. My kids try extra hard to be accurate when staying within pathway boundaries to earn stars!
- It is designed by an OT with a progression of skills that work towards correct handwriting pattern
- It is consistent with proper developmental patterns by progressing from larger hand movements to smaller, more refined movements
- It allows you to change the size settings to match varying skill levels for success
· The app also provides speed and accuracy
scores for touch, paths, ordered touch, shapes, connect the dots,
pinching and letter formation activities which is helpful when documenting
progress.
Below are a few of my favorite activities (there are many more). Ready to Print’s activities
can be played with fingers, or use of a stylus to work on pencil grasp.
This activity shows different objects, and when the
child touches each one in a specific order it changes into a new object. This
activity focuses on index finger isolation, visual scanning and visual tracking
skills. Directionality of printing strokes is also introduced including:
left to right, top to bottom,
diagonal and left to right circular start and
sequence. The size of the items may be changed to suit the child’s skill
level and it is a great tool for encouraging cause and effect (with the basic
touch activity).
Matching
In this activity, from 2 up to 6 shapes are present
with matching outlines. The child drags each shape to its matching outline.
This is working on visual scanning, visual perception, visual tracking
and visual motor (eye-hand coordination) skills. It uses basic age appropriate
shapes for pre-writing age.
Pathways
By far my favorite activity on the app, besides shape
tracing…and pinching…there are just too many good ones! In path following, the child draws a line
inside 1 of 25 paths from one visual target to another. The paths range in
difficulty based on developmental progression. It focuses on visual tracking, visual motor coordination
and fine motor skills. The strokes used will be present in letter formation
when the child begins forming letters. What I love the most is that these paths can
be changed in width based on each child’s skill level.
Connect the Dots
In this activity, the child draws shapes by connecting
on-screen visual target dots. The app gives visual prompts for the direction of
proper formation of the shapes which is important for beginning correct stroke
patterns for letter formation when printing. This activity focuses on visual
tracking, visual motor and fine motor skills.
I love this activity because after receiving visual prompts for
accuracy, it allows for free draw so the child can imitate or copy the shape
after practicing with cues.
Pinching
In this activity, pairs of pictures on the screen must
be brought together in a pinch by two fingers.
Specifically focusing on development of the pincer grasp (can also be
done with thumb/middle, thumb/ring, thumb/pinky), which is necessary for an
appropriate grasp on a writing utensil. Pinching works on fine motor
coordination and hand skill development important for an appropriate grasp on a
writing utensil. The distance between the pairs of pictures can be specified.
Letters
&
Numbers
This activity allows the child to start learning
correct formation of the 26 capital and lower-case letters, as well as numbers.
It also allows for guided practice by giving visual cues for proper start and sequence as well as free-draw. The size of the letters and numbers being traced can be
changed as skill improves.
The other activities are just as fun and functional!
Again, I use apps as a supplement at times and by no means does this replace
good old fashioned coloring and pre-writing with a few broken crayons (have to
work on that tripod!) However, that being said, this is a great app for when
pre-writing motivation is low and can peak interest in developing the skills
needed for pre-writing success!
