Special needs · Visual-motor and visual-perceptual difficulties
Build the eye-hand skills that writing depends on
Pencil Spaces helps occupational therapists build visual-motor and visual-perceptual skills online, with tracing, mazes and puzzles on the board and a camera on the hands.
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Area
Cognition and learning
Who it helps
Students with visual-motor or visual-perceptual difficulties, occupational therapists, tutors and families
What lessons need
Eye-hand practice, clear visual tasks, a view of the hands, the right input device, short repeated practice
In Pencil Spaces
8 features available today
Part of
What do students with visual-motor difficulties need from an online lesson?
Visual-motor skills connect what the eyes see with what the hands do, as in copying shapes or letters. Visual-perceptual skills help make sense of what we see, such as telling similar letters apart. Both affect handwriting, reading and setting out math.
- Tracing and mazesPen & Touch · AvailableWith a finger or stylus, students trace paths, follow mazes and copy shapes right on the board.
- A clean board to draw onChild Mode · AvailableChild Mode leaves only select, move, undo, pen and eraser, so tracing and copying tasks fill the screen.
- Hands at work, in viewDocument Camera · AvailableA document camera or phone on the desk shows copying and cutting on paper, so the therapist can coach it live.
- Grids for copyingBoard Backgrounds · AvailableGrid and dot paper backgrounds give structure for copying shapes and letters.
- Puzzles that stay putLock Items · AvailableLock a puzzle or picture in place, so students mark on it instead of dragging it around.
- Zoom in on detailMove & Zoom · AvailableZoom in on small detail for matching or hidden-shape tasks, then jump back out.
- Spot the differenceImages & Video · AvailableAdd pictures for matching, hidden-object and spot-the-difference tasks.
- Progress you can compareDownload Boards · AvailableSave each week’s copying task as an image, so samples can be compared over time.
Why can online lessons be hard for students with visual-motor difficulties?
Online lessons are full of visual-motor tasks: copying from the screen, clicking small targets and drawing with a mouse. Students with these difficulties tire quickly and fall behind.
A therapist also needs to see how the student holds a pencil and moves their hand. A webcam pointed at the face can’t show that.
What does a lesson look like in Pencil Spaces?
The occupational therapist puts a maze and a row of shapes on the board. The student traces the maze with a stylus, then copies each shape on grid paper at the desk.
A document camera shows the paper, and the therapist coaches where each shape starts. They save the board to compare with next month’s.
How do therapists use Pencil Spaces with students with visual-motor difficulties?
Occupational therapists combine board tasks with paper-and-pencil work at the desk, watched through a document camera. Persistent Spaces keep every activity ready to repeat, so practice builds week on week.
Teacher Notes, a private board only the therapist sees, holds the plan and reminders. Families and aides can join the Space to learn the activities, and Lesson Summaries list what to practice.
Tips for teaching students with visual-motor difficulties online
- Set up the document camera so the paper and the hand are both in view.
- Use a stylus or finger rather than a mouse for drawing tasks.
- Check posture, paper position and grip on the document camera.
- Keep copying tasks short, and give breaks.
- Reduce copying from the screen in other lessons, too.
Good to know
Pencil Spaces doesn’t score visual-motor or visual-perceptual tests. Therapists use their own assessment tools and judgment.
Questions people ask
What are visual-motor skills?
Visual-motor skills, also called visual-motor integration, let the eyes and hands work together, as in copying shapes or letters. They underpin handwriting, drawing and many classroom tasks. Occupational therapists assess and build them.
Can occupational therapists work on visual-motor skills online?
Yes. In Pencil Spaces, students trace, follow mazes and copy shapes on the board with a finger or stylus. A document camera shows work on paper, so the therapist can coach grip and movement live.
Do students need a stylus?
It helps for drawing tasks, but it isn’t required. Pencil Spaces works with a finger on a touchscreen, a stylus, a Wacom pen or a mouse. Many students find a stylus or finger easier than a mouse.
How do you track progress?
Save each copying task as an image, so samples can be compared over weeks. The board also stays in the Space, so past work is always there to look back at.
Related needs
Related problems
- Writing math and diagrams with a mouse
- Hands-on ideas don’t work on a screen
- Can’t see how far they’ve come
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