Presented by Paula Heinricher, OTR/L, Learning Without Tears National Presenter; and Valerie Zaryczny, OTR/L, Learning Without Tears National Presenter
Hosted by Zoë Maurer, Sr. Marketing Coordinator, Learning Without Tears

Sponsored by Learning Without Tears

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Students are producing more written work than ever before. We know that handwriting affects students’ reading, writing, language use, and critical thinking, and learning good habits in the early grades will result in children developing the ability to communicate as they write their thoughts on paper.

In this edWebinar, learn why teaching handwriting is not only key to ELA success, but all academic learning. Ensuring your students have effective, direct instruction for developing handwriting skills can be challenging in today’s environment. Learn about an integrated print and digital solution that combines teacher-directed lessons with independent learning and practice. Discover how just 10 minutes of explicit handwriting instruction a day can impact all other learning areas, and gain easy teaching tips and strategies you can implement right away, with real examples of weaving handwriting instruction into your lesson plan, regardless of whether you are teaching in-class, remotely, or using a hybrid approach.

Watch Paula Heinricher, OTR/L, and Valerie Zaryczny, OTR/L, who are both national workshop presenters for Learning Without Tears, discuss and develop a solid understanding of effective ways to teach letter and number formation using digital teaching technology. Paula and Valerie have worked in both school and home-based settings and are eager to share these innovative, research-based strategies for handwriting instruction with you.

This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to early education teachers, elementary curriculum directors, and district leaders.

About the Presenters

Paula Heinricher, OTR/L received her Master of Occupational Therapy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, and is certified in Sensory Integration Therapy. As an OT, she has worked in the schools (preK though middle school levels), early intervention, and out-patient settings. She has extensive experience using the Learning Without Tears curricula with children of all ability levels. Paula began working for Learning Without Tears in 2005 and is currently a National Presenter and Content Support Specialist. She also tutors children who have fine motor, sensory motor, and handwriting concerns.

Valerie Zaryczny, OTR/L received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University and a Master of Science degree in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. She has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist since 2004 with children of all ages in multiple settings including schools, daycares, clinics and homes. Valerie is passionate about helping young children of all abilities develop the skills necessary to be successful in the preschool and elementary school settings. She absolutely loves sharing her passion for enabling children to become successful with handwriting and keyboarding skills, which she has done as a National Workshop Presenter for Learning Without Tears since 2011. Valerie is also a lead occupational therapist for a regional therapy company in South Carolina.

About the Host

Zoë Maurer is the senior marketing coordinator at Learning Without Tears. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences with a minor in business marketing from the University of Connecticut. Prior to joining Learning Without Tears in 2017, Zoë was a senior account manager at a digital marketing agency specializing in the education market.

Join the Crayons, Pencils, and Keyboards: Inspiring Learning in Your Elementary School Classroom community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

Learning Without Tears™ provides educators and families with kindergarten readiness, handwriting, and keyboarding materials, products, and training.