course

Discover the Power of Handwriting Automaticity


This course will give you a clear and concise understanding of handwriting automaticity and why it's more crucial than ever, even in our digital age. You'll discover the powerful, research-backed connections between developed handwriting automaticity and improvements in reading fluency, spelling abilities and overall written communication skills, learning how the muscle memory of handwriting activates vital neural pathways in the brain that support literacy development. The course also explores how automated handwriting can significantly ease the cognitive load on students, freeing up mental space for higher-level tasks like grammar, punctuation and comprehension. You'll reflect on the practical implications of a lack of handwriting automaticity in the classroom, examining how it can manifest in student behaviours and learning difficulties, and considering your own confidence in assessing and addressing these challenges.
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Melissa Savonoff

1.5 Hours

Online Course


By completing this course, you will: 

Understand what handwriting automaticity is and why it matters
Explore connections between handwriting, reading and spelling
Identify signs of handwriting difficulties and explore practical strategies to support handwriting development

How Does This Course Relate to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers?

1.2 Understand how students learn.
3.1 Establish challenging learning goals.
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs.
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning.
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice.
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning.
7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities.

Course Outline

Presented by: Melissa Savonoff

Melissa is a dedicated Paediatric Occupational Therapist who runs her private practice, 'Hosanna' Triumphant Shout Occupational Therapy for Children, focusing on supporting children with learning difficulties and sensory processing disorders, alongside a broad range of other developmental and behavioral challenges. Passionate about empowering educators and parents, Melissa has spent time developing educational resources under Ricardo Reading Mouse®, including the "Ricardo's Alphabet Gameboard" app and the "ABC Songs with Ricardo Reading Mouse®" music album. Her expertise extends particularly to handwriting difficulties, a field in which she has organised conferences, created instructional video series like "Handwriting is Fun: Queensland Beginner Font" on YouTube, and continues to advocate for its crucial role in literacy development, maintaining ties with international handwriting associations.
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