When it comes to handwriting success, summer camps can make a big difference for children. “They are a great opportunity to work on handwriting in a fun and intensive manner,” explained Denise Jasso, OTR, a therapist with more than 20 years experience working with children of all abilities.

Denise, who is HWT Level 1 certified, is preparing to organize her first handwriting camp and is excited about the possibilities that this summer will bring. Handwriting camps can be fun and rewarding for all who are involved in the process. They provide an environment where children can engage in multisensory activities while working in small groups. “Handwriting camps give parents, especially homeschooling parents, the tools and confidence to work on handwriting,” she said.

Her camp, SuperWriters, will have two groups: printing and cursive. The SuperPrinters and SuperScripters sessions will run for two weeks, with each session lasting 1.5 hours. Denise plans to have 2 sessions of camps. The first session will run from August 3-14. The second session, geared for homeschoolers, will run September 14-21.

Here’s a look at a typical session:

1. Introduce the letter of the day in small groups using HWT songs
2. Get campers moving and ready to write with large muscle activities to wake up and cross the midline
3. Give direct handwriting instruction
4. Reinforce lessons with handwriting stations including fine motor activities, crafts, and handwriting activities
5. Practice with the workbook
6. Wrap up and provide parent review.

“Word is traveling fast,” said Denise. She placed an ad in her local paper and has sent flyers to fellow occupational therapists and homeschool groups regarding her upcoming camp.

“The Level 1 Certification has helped tremendously in boosting my confidence, giving me a plan and wonderful material to use and increasing my knowledge in handwriting instruction and remediation,” Denise said. She found the webinar “Handwriting Tutoring: Design a Handwriting Camp” particularly inspiring as she was developing her own camp.

To contact Denise for more information about SuperWriters, please email her at jdjasso@charter.net.