Together on the road to efficient writing!

Despite increasing digitalization, both in the classroom and at home, it remains important to teach children to write, for several reasons.

• Writing is an essential school skill and is still needed today to participate fluently in daily activities.
• Writing influences fine motor development, and vice versa.
• When writing, certain brain areas are activated that are not triggered when typing — these areas positively impact cognitive processes. 

Yet we see that 30 to 40 percent of children experience writing difficulties during their school career. They do not write legibly, their writing speed is too slow, they get cramps or pain when writing for a long time,...

These writing difficulties often arise when children are taught to write before they have achieved handwriting readiness. "Handwriting what?". Handwriting readiness means a child is ready to learn to write. To be ready, a number of conditions must be met, a number of basic skills must be acquired. And that is where sometimes things go wrong.

The third year of kindergarten is a crucial period to work on this handwriting readiness. This way we can prevent later writing difficulties. But not all children are equally motivated or may need more practice. That is why we are launching "Schrijfstarters", a group class for children in their final year of kindergarten!

Why register my child for "Schrijfstarters"?

• Under the supervision of experienced physiotherapists, children work in groups to develop the foundations for efficient writing.
• Working in groups is motivating. Children can have fun together and learn from each other.
• Working in a group provides better transfer of what has been learned than one-on-one sessions, because the set-up is similar to a real classroom.
• The group sessions start with an individual WRITIC assessment, a handwriting-related motor skills screening tool. Based on this test, personalized goals are set. In other words, we assess each child individually to identify their specific challenges.
• Every session addresses a specific objective, but is tailored to each child’s developmental level.
  
• Activities are playful and built around a specific theme, and is based on our previously introduced “car pencil grip” — a fun trick to help children remember what an efficient pencil grip looks like.
• Children are actively involved in setting goals and choosing activities, boosting intrinsic motivation. 
• There is close cooperation between therapists, parents and teachers .

The program

1. Schrijfstarters - lesson series

• Group sessions for children in the third year of kindergarten.
• "Schrijfstarters" consists of 10 sessions of 1 hour and a informative evening for the parents, with a total of 11 contact hours. 
• The first session includes a WRITIC assessment. The results are shared with the parents.
• All materials are provided by the therapists.
• "Schrijfstarters" starts every February and takes place on Fridays from 4-5 pm .
  The exact dates can be found on the registration form.
• Sessions are held at one of the locations of Kindercentrum De Groeitrap.
• In addition, your child will receive a take-home activity bundle with exercises and tips at the start.
• The price is €250, VAT included.
• A progress report can be obtained, including description of the test results, at an additional cost of €55

2. Schrijfstarters - the holiday course

• Intensive one-week group course for children in the third year of kindergarten.
• Sessions take place Monday to Friday mornings during the holiday period, each time from 9 AM to 12 PM, with a total of 15 contact hours.
  The exact dates can be found on the registration form.
• Sessions are held at one of the locations of Kindercentrum De Groeitrap.
• All materials are provided by the therapists.
• After the program, there is the option to purchase a supporting activity bundle with exercises and tips for home. 
• The price is €225, VAT included.
  
  I WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER MY CHILD