Trisha Kamp | MCSD – Occupational Therapy Assistant

Tricia Kamp, District Occupational Therapy Assistant, created monthly-themed fine motor kits that help strengthen writing skills.

Because of COVID-19, children rarely use paper and pencil – they are instead working almost exclusively with digital devices. This has diminished the use of small manipulatives which are necessary to help strengthen muscles in the hands used in writing. Without these opportunities, children have an increasingly difficult time coloring and with handwriting. [source: Brittni Barnes, OTR/L (Progressive Pediatric Therapy]

With this $500 grant, Trisha has built Fine Motor Task Card Boxes that will be distributed and used in classrooms across the district. Further, she is working with teachers or paraeducators to use these kits regularly.