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Small Movements, Big Impact: Fine Motor Strategies for Teachers
Monday, February 10, 2025 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST
Presented by Roxanne Thompson, OTR, National Presenter and Content Specialist, Learning Without Tears; and Paula Heinricher, OTR/L, National Presenter and Content Specialist, Learning Without Tears
Sponsored by Learning Without Tears
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Fine motor skills are essential for performing precise hand movements needed for daily activities and academic tasks, such as grip and writing. These foundational skills play a critical role in a child’s overall development and academic success. This edWebinar is designed to empower educators with a comprehensive understanding of fine motor developmental milestones and provide practical, effective strategies and engaging activities to support and enhance fine motor skill development and writing readiness to prepare children for school and beyond.
Learning outcomes include:
- Review key developmental milestones that contribute to writing readiness in young children
- Learn practical strategies to enhance fine motor skills:
- Gross Motor Before Fine Motor: Understand how foundational gross motor skills support fine motor development
- Build and Learn: Leverage play-based activities to strengthen hand muscles while learning letters
- Teach Grip: Learn effective techniques for teaching children correct grip
- Scribble, Color, Trace, and Write: Incorporate engaging activities that gradually develop pre-writing and writing skills
- Understand how to partner effectively with families to reinforce fine motor skill development through everyday activities at home
This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-3 teachers and school leaders.
About the Presenters
Roxanne Thompson received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University in 1998. She has practiced OT in public schools, early intervention, and currently a private pediatric outpatient clinic. She also provides handwriting tutoring services to children in preschool through middle school. Roxanne is a National Presenter and Content Specialist for Learning Without Tears. She completed her Level 1 certification in March 2007 and has been presenting for Learning Without Tears since 2009. Roxanne lives in Frisco with her husband and two children.
Paula Heinricher 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 schools (PreK through middle-school levels), early intervention, and outpatient 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.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Join the Building Foundational Literacy Skills 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’ mission in today’s changing learning landscape is to ensure that the path to student success remains simple and fun. We provide child-friendly, hands-on, innovative instruction for early learning, handwriting, keyboarding, and writing strategies, and our programs reach more than 31 million students in Pre-K through fifth grade.
