Ep. 64 Handwriting Research Tour (yes, skip the pencil grips) episode artwork

EPISODE · May 6, 2026 · 46 MIN

Ep. 64 Handwriting Research Tour (yes, skip the pencil grips)

from Ideas at Play: An Occupational Therapy (OT) Podcast · host Michele Alaniz & Lacy Wright

Send us a Text or VoicemailIf you've ever debated pencil grips or the perfect grasp pattern in an IEP meeting, this episode is for you. We take a tour of the handwriting literature — pulling from OT, education, ergonomics, and hand therapy — to find out what actually moves the needle in handwriting intervention. Learn with us as we dig into why force matters more than grip position, what the research says about weighted and adapted pencils, and why grasp patterns are way less important than we were trained to believe. Plus, we land on the nine key ingredients that the literature says actually make a difference — rooted in motor learning theory and ready to use in your next session.  **Get the additional handwriting resources at this linkWe share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the original articles too.Schneider, M. K., Myers, C. T., Morgan-Daniel, J., & Shechtman, O. (2023). A scoping review of grasp and handwriting performance in school-age children. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 43(4), 430–445. https://doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2022.2151392 💡Want to hear more about Ideas at Work or get on our waitlist?  Send us an email to [email protected] informed, stay curious, and stay playful!✏️  Sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.📧  Email us a question or comment at [email protected]👉  Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play  

Send us a Text or Voicemail If you've ever debated pencil grips or the perfect grasp pattern in an IEP meeting, this episode is for you. We take a tour of the handwriting literature — pulling from OT, education, ergonomics, and hand therapy — to find out what actually moves the needle in handwriting intervention. Learn with us as we dig into why force matters more than grip position, what the research says about weighted and adapted pencils, and why grasp patterns are way less important than ...

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Ep. 64 Handwriting Research Tour (yes, skip the pencil grips)

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This episode was published on May 6, 2026.

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Send us a Text or VoicemailIf you've ever debated pencil grips or the perfect grasp pattern in an IEP meeting, this episode is for you. We take a tour of the handwriting literature — pulling from OT, education, ergonomics, and hand therapy — to find...

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