Weighted pencils can be beneficial for students who do not press hard enough when writing or for students who have poor body awareness and need additional proprioceptive input to increase awareness of their hand.
If you've ever taken a look at a therapy catalog, then you are aware of how expensive simple items like a weighted pencil can be. Here's an easy and inexpensive way to make a weighted pencil or crayon on your own.
What you need:
- a pencil (or crayon)
- two rubber bands
- some hex nuts
Just wrap the rubber band around the pencil to prevent the hex nuts from falling off. Then place the hex nuts on the pencil to create the desired weight. Wrap another rubber band around the pencil at the end of the hex nuts. To find the correct size of hex nut, I recommend just taking a pencil to a home improvement store and to see which size fits best.
Now you have a weighted pencil!
You can also use this method to create weighted crayons or markers
That's an awesome idea! TY 4 sharing. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHey Abby! I am currently working on my BS Child Development and Masters OT.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to find your blog, it's so inspiring - I can hardly wait to graduate!
Hi Lynne. I am happy to hear you enjoy my blog. You will love being an OT!
ReplyDeleteI have also posted about the simplicity of making your own weighted pencil.
ReplyDeleteCheck it out here http://101otideas.blogspot.com/2010/03/assistive-tech-tuesday-weighted-pencil.html
I like that you tried it on a crayon too.
I would be really interested to know if you see a noted difference in your clients performance, or if you have any research about the impact of weighted utensils. Thanks so much!
Thanks for the link to your blog post. Creating weighted pencils is definitely something OTs have been doing for a long time! I enjoyed the article about the Handwriting Club that you found.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the question about research and effectiveness of weighted pencils/utensils. I've had teachers tell me that it has made a difference, but I've never collected pre/post data. Maybe that's something I should do...
Your question prompted me to look for research on this topic, and so far, I'm not finding anything. I'm planning to post about this lack of research. Hopefully I'll have it together by tomorrow, so please check back! Thanks for the blogging inspiration!
What do you do with kids that press too hard?
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I often try with students who press too hard when writing, is to have them use a mechanical pencil. With a mechanical pencil, the lead will break if the student presses too hard, which trains the student on the appropriate amount of pressure to use when writing.
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