Nurturing Hands, Inspiring Minds, Fostering Fun

Irene Hannam

 

Where Primitive Reflex Activities Fit into Sensory Room

Where Primitive Reflex Activities Fit into a Sensory Room By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Primitive reflexes are automatic survival movements babies are born with—like the Moro (startle) reflex or ATNR (head-turn reflex). Most fade by 12–18 months as the brain matures, but sometimes they linger and interfere with posture, attention, reading, or handwriting. It’s important […]
  • September 15, 2025
 

Supporting Students with Autism

Supporting Students with Autism: When to Use Movement, Sensory, and Primitive Reflex Breaks (K–2 and 3–5) By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Students with autism benefit from purposeful movement throughout the school day. But not all movement is the same. Teachers often ask: When do I use a movement break? What about a sensory break? And […]
  • September 15, 2025
 

Handwriting Success Starts with the Eyes and Hands Working Together

Handwriting Success Starts with the Eyes and Hands Working Together  By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L  Introduction: Handwriting is more than just putting pencil to paper – it’s a complex skill that depends on our eyes and hands working together in harmony. In early elementary classrooms, students spend up to half of their classroom time on […]
  • July 20, 2025
 

Why Coloring, Tracing, Dot-to-Dot, and Mazes Are Secret Weapons

Why Coloring, Tracing, Dot-to-Dot, and Mazes Are Secret Weapons for Handwriting Success   By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L  Introduction: Visual Motor Skills and the Path to Writing Handwriting is more than putting pencil to paper. It’s a complex integration of visual-motor coordination, fine motor control, attention, and spatial awareness. Before a child writes their first […]
  • June 21, 2025
 

From Scribbles to Sentences: How Visual Motor Skills Shape Early Handwriting

From Scribbles to Sentences: How Visual Motor Skills Shape Early Handwriting By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Introduction – What Are Visual Motor Skills? Visual‑motor integration (VMI) is the brain’s ability to take in visual information, process it, and guide an appropriate motor response. For example, seeing a circle and drawing it with a crayon  (Carsone et al., 2021)  PMC. Well‑developed VMI […]
  • May 12, 2025
 

Primitive Reflex Integration: Bridging the Gap Between OT and Academic Achievement

Primitive Reflex Integration: Bridging the Gap Between OT and Academic Achievement By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Why Primitive Reflexes Matter in School Participation: Despite rigorous handwriting drills and sensory diets, some students continue to struggle. Emerging literature pinpoints a hidden contributor: retained primitive reflexes that disrupt postural control, oculomotor stability, and executive functions essential for […]
  • May 5, 2025
 

Helping Kids Succeed: How Integrating Primitive Reflexes Can Boost Academic Skills at School and Home

Helping Kids Succeed: How Integrating Primitive Reflexes Can Boost Academic Skills at School and Home By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Introduction — Why Primitive Reflexes Still Matter: Primitive reflexes are the automatic survival movements that help newborns breathe, feed, and interact with gravity. They should fade within the first 12–18 months as higher brain centers […]
  • April 30, 2025
 

Fostering Strong Foundations: A Developmental Approach to Learning Lowercase Letter Formations

Fostering Strong Foundations: A Developmental Approach to Learning Lowercase Letter Formations By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Early handwriting development lays the foundation for academic success and a child’s self-confidence and overall skill acquisition. From an Occupational Therapy (OT) perspective, teaching and supporting lowercase letter formation is a complex process that involves motor skills, cognitive skills, […]
  • March 17, 2025
A close-up of a hand holding a pencil
 

The Write Way: Why Reinstating Handwriting Instruction in Elementary Schools Is Essential

The Write Way: Why Reinstating Handwriting Instruction in Elementary Schools Is Essential By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Handwriting may feel like an afterthought in a world saturated by digital devices and touchscreens. Alarmingly, many schools no longer include explicit handwriting instruction—particularly in letter formation—within their curricula. This shift raises critical concerns for parents, educators, and […]
  • March 13, 2025
 

The Importance of a Multisensory Learning Approach

The Importance of a Multisensory Learning Approach in Teaching Letter and Number Formations By Irene Hannam, MS OTR/L Learning to form letters and numbers is a fundamental milestone in a child’s educational journey. Traditional instruction often relies on visual and auditory cues alone, but a wealth of research suggests that a multisensory approach can significantly enhance a […]
  • March 12, 2025
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