handwriting tips - practical pageshandwriting tips for a young child, learning to write is a...

Nadene’s Handwriting Tips Booklet

©Nadene of http://practicalpages.wordpress.com 06/2015

1

Handwriting Tips

written by Nadene Esterhuizen

http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/



2

Handwriting Tips

For a young child, learning to write is a combination of many complex skills. Some

children master these with ease, but others may require more focused or gradual

approach in order for them to build up strength, fine motor control and spatial

awareness required to learn to write.

This booklet is written to help and encourage parents and teachers who want to

help develop a child’s abilities; from early pre-writing games, spatial awareness and

practical tips such as the child’s posture and pencil grip for maximum control and

minimum stress while learning to write.

You will find my handwriting charts, lined handwriting pages, step-by-step

instructions, handwriting tips booklet, as well as copywork pages on my blog at

http://practicalpages.wordpress.com.

I hope that these tips help you!

Blessings,





3

Table of Contents

Beginner Pre-writing Skills .............................................................................................. 5

Gross motor before fine motor ........................................................................................ 5

Activities that strengthen core (abdominals), shoulder, arm and hand muscles ............... 5

3D before 2D.............................................................................................................. 5

Arrow Chart for spatial awareness and directionality ..................................................... 6

How to use the arrow chart ......................................................................................... 6

Play other fun arrow games ..................................................................................... 7

Arrow ChartWriting Skills .............................................................................................. 8

Large before small ...................................................................................................... 9

Posture ...................................................................................................................... 9

Correct height of the table and chair — .................................................................... 9

Correct seated position — ...................................................................................... 10

Problems to note – ................................................................................................ 10

Finger fitness ........................................................................................................ 10

Good writing equipment ............................................................................................... 11

White board markers on laminated alphabet chart for daily lessons ............................. 11

Young children use short, fat pencils .......................................................................... 11

Pencil grips .............................................................................................................. 11

Write on smooth paper ............................................................................................. 11

Older children’s pencils ............................................................................................. 12

Laminated Handwriting Charts ...................................................................................... 12

Letter and lines placement ........................................................................................ 13

Notice the different letter shapes ............................................................................... 13

Start and form each letter ......................................................................................... 13

Talk through every shape and movement of each letter .............................................. 14

Practice makes perfect .............................................................................................. 14

Cursive Handwriting ..................................................................................................... 15

Why teach cursive handwriting? ................................................................................ 15

Which style should I use? .......................................................................................... 15

When does my child begin cursive? ........................................................................... 15

When does my child write in cursive? ......................................................................... 16

In Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 16

Print Chart lower case .................................................................................................. 17

Print Chart upper case .................................................................................................. 18

Print Handwriting Chart ................................................................................................ 19




4

Cursive Handwriting Chart ............................................................................................ 20




5

Beginner Pre-writing Skills

Gross motor before fine motor Children must develop their gross motor (larger trunk and limb) muscles before they

can control their fine motor (finger) muscles. Shoulder and arm strength will directly

affect the hand and finger strength. Good muscle tone will give strength and

support for the hand and fine muscles. Any child who lacks good muscle tone will

tire easily, often slump or lean on an arm while writing, or they may wriggle and

move a lot or try to avoid doing fine motor work.

Activities that strengthen core (abdominals), shoulder, arm and hand

muscles

o Play on the jungle gym, especially hanging from monkey rings or ladders

o Doing wheel barrows on their hands – with mom or dad holding their feet. Do

this fun activity and go down the passage each night to go to brush teeth!

o Climbing or hanging from ropes, rails, ladders and trees

o Playing on large exercise balls (with mom) lunging forward while lying over

the ball on tummies to touch the ground with hands. Use balls or bean bags

in front on the ground to throw into a basket.

o Roll a sibling up in a blanket on the carpet.

o Excellent core strengthener – do the plank position – lie face down on the

floor and then lift the body off the floor while resting on elbows and toes.

Keep the body flat and straight. Hold 10 seconds and build up each time to

hold 30 seconds.

o Arm wrestle with dad!

o Play tug-of-wars

o Do push-ups while resting on knees.

3D before 2D Children need to feel and see the letter shapes in real life, in concrete form before

they can relate to written forms and shapes.

Make letters out of play dough – rolling sausages helps develop finger

muscles!

Use a hula hoop, stick and skipping rope to make letters shapes on the

ground.

Use their bodies lying on the ground to make letter shapes.

Build letters out of Lego blocks or dominoes.

Create letters out of sticks and leaves found while on nature walks.

Use baker’s clay and bake then decorate letters.

Use magnetic letters to match picture cards –

o Use index cards and find and paste pictures from magazines for each

letter of the alphabet e.g.:




6

o ‘a’ for apple, ant, avocado

o ‘b’ for ball, baby, bell, butterfly etc.

o Put a dot on the top right hand corner the back of each card and

draw the outline of the magnetic letter on the back of the card.

o Now the child can match the letter to the pictures and check to see if

the magnet letter fits in the outline on the back. Siblings enjoy helping

find pictures to stick on each card!

Arrow Chart for spatial awareness and directionality Young children and remedial students need to learn and reinforce their spatial

awareness and directionality in order to learn and recognize letter and number

shapes and positions in space. This understanding helps a child observe whether

something is up or down, above or under, to the left, to the right, next to or far from,

near or far, touching or separate.

These spatial concepts are reinforced using fun gross motor and physical games.

If your child is unsure or confuses letters like b and d, p or q, n and u, f and t, then

these activities below are excellent!

How to use the arrow chart

1. Print out the arrow chart on card stock and laminate it.

2. Start on a row, working from left to right, the parent or teacher must point to

each block, one arrow at a time.

3. The child stands in a clear area and extends both arms to point up or down,

or across their whole body to the left or right.

4. Use the arrow chart randomly and turn it so that the rows cannot be

memorized.

5. The child must do the appropriate actions as quickly as possible.

6. If several children do this activity together, then it helps to tap on the chart

with a pointer and the children should all move immediately following the

tap.

7. As the child gains confidence, point the rows vertically, always starting from

the top to the bottom.




7

Play other fun arrow games

The parent or sibling must point to each arrow in a row while the child/children ~

Sit cross-legged on the floor with a doll/ teddy and put the doll or teddy

up/ down/ left or right on a pillow in front of them.

Use a small child’s chair; the child must stand on top for up, crawl under

for down, jump to the left or right of the chair.

Place a hula hoop on the ground and jump to stand in the correct

position.

Throw bean bags to the top/ bottom/ left or right of a hula hoop/ mat/

pillow on the floor

While on their tummy on an exercise ball, rolling forward till their hands

touch the ground, throw a bean bag/ ball in the appropriate positions.

Mom can call out the positions instead of using the arrow card.




8

Arrow Chart




9

Writing Skills

Large before small Young children need to be able to control large movements before they can

control fine movements.

o Draw shapes and letter really large ~

o in the air

o in sand with a finger on a tray

o with a stick in sand or mud

o on glass windows in shaving cream

o in rice on a tray

o with white board markers on a big white board etc.

o Divide a jotter page into thirds lengthways and divide into 3rds

across. Now use each block to draw the letter/ shape so it touches

top, sides and bottom of each block.

o Next use 17mm lined books, using 3 lines for each letter –draw a cat

in the margin with a head line, body line and a leg line for each

letter.

o Then use the ordinary feint and margin lined pages, still using 3

lines for each letter. Draw a cat in the margin as above.

o Finally, towards 3rd grade, you can use Irish lined paper for written work,

still using 3 lines for each letter. Draw a dot ● for the “head” and a dash ׀

for the “body” and blank for the “tail” in the margin before starting

copywork. This helps the child know where to start each new line,

leaving the head line open, and not writing into the previous tail line.

Posture Correct posture is vital for control, stability and ease. Good posture prevents

muscle strain. It prevents bad writing habits. Eye sight problems, low muscle tone

and attention deficit disorders could contribute to poor posture.

When doing formal handwriting lessons, insist on the following:

Correct height of the table and chair —

o When seated the knees should bend 90˚ to the ground and the arms bend

90˚ to the table and feet are rest on the ground.

o If the feet cannot reach the ground, place a box or step under them for

stability.

o Provide a chair and table in proportionate size to each other and to the

child’s size.

o o

o │ o

o o




10

Correct seated position —

o Both feet flat on the ground, or resting on a strong box or step,

o Body facing square to the table

o Both lower arms on the table

o Both hands in use, one to hold the page steady and the other for writing.

o Use a correct sized exercise ball (where their knees should bend 90˚ to the

ground) or even a stability ball cushion which stimulates muscle tone while

sitting for children who have low muscle tone, are kinesthetic (movement-

based) learners.

Problems to note –

o Children with poor muscle tone will slump and rest their head against their

arms and even have to hold up their heads!

o If the child wriggles and squirms a lot, this could also be due to poor muscle

tone or fatigue and not due to ants in their pants!

o A child sitting at a slant preferring one eye may have eye weakness.

o Check that no hair style obscures one or both eyes.

o If in any doubt as to the reason for the child’s inability to maintain good

posture, please check with therapists to see what underlying causes may be

present. Poor eyesight in one or both eyes, muscle weakness or tension can

all be a cause for poor posture, which when treated, can relieve the child

and help the child cope with all the demands of writing.

Finger fitness

Occupational therapists advise these games and activities to strengthen finger

muscles:

o Tearing paper — tear strips into little blocks which then are glued to cover

a letter shape

o Playing with play dough — rolling, pinching, pulling

o Peg games — use colored plastic pegs and place pegs around

containers.

o Finger action songs like “5 little fish went swimming one day …”, “Tommy

Thumb, Tommy Thumb where are you?”, “Twinkle, twinkle little star …”

o Playing with rubber bands on peg boards, peg boards and little pins,

playing with an assortment of nuts and bolts screwing them closed and

opening them.

o Coloring in pictures

o Helping peeling peas, scraping carrots and potatoes, pulling corn husks

and hairs off — any hands helping in the kitchen!

o Pennies into piggy bank or slot cut in plastic lid. Coins can also be put into

slots cut in foam.




11

o Finger plays/string games such as Cat’s Cradle

o Screw/unscrew lids

o Squeeze sponges to wash off table, clean windows, shower, etc.

o Play dough/silly putty activities

o Pop bubble wrap

o Squirt bottles

o Use tongs/tweezers to pick up blocks/small objects

o Use a turkey baster or nasal aspirator to blow cork or ping-pong balls back

and forth. These can also be used to squirt water to move floating

object/toys.

o Draw and write in pudding mix / shaving cream/ finger paint on a plastic

cloth or tray. A yummy lesson (if done with chocolate pudding!) Feels

gooey – a sensory stimulus, and develops tactile awareness

o Shaving cream on a large window will offer half an hour of smearing and

fun. It just wipes off with a damp cloth if still wet.

Good writing equipment

White board markers on laminated alphabet chart for daily lessons

o White board markers make a lovely dark line without needing strength to

press the pencil along the paper.

o It slides easily on the smooth surface making lines flow better.

o Mistakes are quickly wiped away leaving no trail of blunders.

o Photocopy and file finished work on the chart if needed.

Young children use short, fat pencils o the wider pencil offers more grip.

o It is easier for fine finger muscles to grip a thick pencil.

o Use monster chalk and chubby crayons.

o The large shape forces the fingers into the correct grip.

o A short crayon is easier to manage than a long crayon.

o Use pencils or crayons that leave dark clear lines so that finger muscles

don’t tire with the effort of pressing hard.

Pencil grips o Use triangular pencils

o Place rubber pencil grips on normal pencils to encourage correct pencil

grip.

o The pencil rests on middle finger; thumb and pointing finger hold the

pencil. The hand must be relaxed and fingers naturally curved, not

clenched.

Write on smooth paper o The smoother that paper the clearer the line.

o It offers less resistance to the writing.

o Laminated charts are very smooth and easy


http://wp.me/PDMSJ-a2



12

Older children’s pencils

o Use a B pencil lead (instead of HB) which is soft and makes a clear, smooth line.

o Use a propelling/ mechanical pencil so that the lead stays sharp.

o Use an H pencil lead instead of HB as the line is lighter and less likely to smudge

once they master writing.

o Find the best quality pencil that doesn’t break easily.

o Use a good soft eraser

o Good smooth writing pens are worth trying out once the child has mastered their

handwriting and seldom rub out. Bic fine pens are good for light, neat

appearance, while other children enjoy gel pens because they write smoothly.

Laminated Handwriting Charts

o Print out and laminate the charts available at the end of this booklet. T(he full

range of charts are available on my website.)

o Talk as you demonstrate to your child how to form each letter.

o Ensure your child knows where to start and end each letter.

o Watch him closely and let him wipe out any mistakes immediately.

o Instil the correct the writing and don’t allow bad habits or confusion to set in.

Start with the lower case letters.

o Only introduce the upper case letters once the child can form lower case letters

without confusion or errors.

o First start with tracing over letters. Copywork lessons follow with references to the

chart when uncertain.




13

Letter and lines placement

1. Notice the cat in the margin –

his head is in the head line

his body is in the body line

his tail are in the tail line.

This "cat" is vital for letter placement. The cat helps the child not to miss lines and

start and end each letter in the right lines.

2. ALL letters sit on the body line. (Let your child underline the base body line a

solid blue line, like water on a pond or lake with a blue-coloured whiteboard

marker)

3. ALL tall letters start in the head line. (Draw the head line in red. Use a whiteboard

marker and let your child draw all the tall letters in a new colour.)

4. Some letters have “tail” shapes that "hang" down in the tail line. (Use another

colour whiteboard marker and let your child draw over the '"tails" of these

letters.)

Notice the different letter shapes

1. Many letters have circle shapes - (let your child draw over all the round, circle-

shaped letters)

2. Many letters have straight lines - (use a coloured marker to draw over the

straight, stick shapes)

3. A few letters have dots - (find them and dot them with the whiteboard marker)

4. Allow them to make any associations with the letter shapes. Ask your child

describe letters with shapes that look like objects - candy canes, crosses, snake

shapes, etc. This is important for them to remember the specific letters and their

differences.

Start and form each letter

o Use the print chart with arrows.

o Mom must first draw and explain, talking and asking the

child to ‘help’ describe each action.

o Do one letter at a time and then let your child repeat that

same letter.

1. Find the 1 next to an arrow on each letter shape. This is where the letter starts,

either on the body or head line or just under the body line. Draw the first shape,

describing where it touches lines, bends, curves, becomes straight until you get

to number 2. Now begin the 2nd part of the letter describing where the line/

dot/ crossing line/ straight line starts and finishes. Some letters have a 3rd action.




14

2. Let your child copy exactly what you have done. Talk about and describe

exactly what you did. The child must remember where to start, slide up without

lifting his pen, go straight, and start to curve and so on.

3. Once your child has successfully copied that letter, move on to the next. Do

only about a row a day when starting.

4. If they make any mistakes - lifting the marker instead of sliding it up or down a

line already drawn/ making it too big or too small, going over a line etc. - let

them wipe it out and try again. We are aiming for 1 good, clear letter formed

correctly!

5. Use humour - "Oh dear, that body looks too fat! He ate too many cookies! Let's

try draw him round, but not so wide!" or, "Wow! That 'c' is floating, let's try draw

him sitting on the line!"

6. Once your child can draw over all the letters with the correct actions and

sequence, he can use the lower case chart without arrows. Talk through the

letter formation and watch for correct style, size and starting points.

Talk through every shape and movement of each letter

a – start just under the dotted body line making a curly ‘c’, go all the way

round and up to the dotted line, slide up to the top body line, slide down to

the body line

b – start at the top of the head line, slide straight down to the body line, slide

up to the top of the body line just before the dotted line and now draw a

round ball to touch the body line and come up to the first straight line.

Read the rest in my Teaching Handwriting Step-by-Step booklet available on my

website.

Practice makes perfect o Do writing as a daily part of learning.

o Formal handwriting is best done early in the morning before the child is tired.

o Practice the each letter until it is mastered without any reminders of where it

starts and how it is formed.

o Let the child chose their best letter in the row or on the page

o Praise the child for any small improvements and discuss how letters can be

more uniform or neater.

o Let the child circle the letter they think is perfect.




15

Cursive Handwriting

Why teach cursive handwriting?

o Well-formed, flowing joined handwriting is quicker than printing

o Flowing cursive is less stressful on hand muscles than printing

o Cursive leans forward and therefore ‘moves’ forward as the direction of

writing

o Cursive letter shapes, once learnt, are less likely to be confused as print (e.g.:

b/d) which is good for those children struggling with reversals and dyslexia

o It looks pretty and mature.

o Children will be able to read old, authentic documents, such as historical

declarations, great-grandparent’s letters.

Which style should I use? o Capital letters may vary greatly from style to style.

o Some parents choose a style that is classic.

o Other parents choose joined italic script because they don’t have to re-

teach letter formation (the printed letters are merely slanted and joined with

a linking line).

o Many homeschool parents use handwriting workbooks and progress into

cursive according to the program.

o As parents may choose between aesthetics versus technique, parents should

decide on the cursive style before teaching print. Those who wish to do

joined italics for cursive should begin with italic print.

When does my child begin cursive? The suggested age is that children learn cursive by 9 years of age. Cursive letters

are usually taught in 2nd grade and by the 3rd grade the child should be using

pencil for cursive handwriting. A pen ‘license’ is given only to those confident in all

letter formation.




16

When does my child write in cursive? Formal cursive writing should be done slowly, peacefully and patiently early in the

daily lessons. The child spends just a few minutes copying over the letters on the

chart. Once they are familiar with all the letters and form them correctly, the child

should do a short piece of copywork. This is a section from a reader, a scripture

verse or a famous quote. This is meaningful and inspiring handwriting done in

context.

o Many children need more time to write neat cursive and so cursive is only

used for prepared written work.

o All other writing can be done in print.

o Many adults still prefer to print!

o Printing should be used for any quick note taking, personal journals, science

and geography work.

o Spelling is best learnt in print.

In Conclusion Good, neat handwriting will be an asset to the child as they learn. Handwriting is a

reflection of the child’s personality and character and they will develop their own

style.

Different moods, different pens and different challenges will affect handwriting. A

tired or stressed child will battle to write neatly, whilst a relaxed and confident child

should write without difficulty. If you do not see any improvement in your child’s

handwriting after using these tips, I suggest that you visit an occupational therapist.

Most children respond well to the therapy and will not require long ongoing

sessions. They usually continue to improve with home-based therapy and, once

your child has matured in the area of weakness, they will not need to continue their

therapy.

You will find all my handwriting downloads including; lined handwriting pages,

practice charts, step-by-step instructions, more tips and ideas on my blog at

http://practicalpages.wordpress.com.

Blessings,

o Dr. Philippa Gordon, a popular paediatrician said, “I see that early intervention can

keep little problems from becoming big ones.”

(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/fashion/25Therapy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1)

o An interesting article about the benefits, trends and attitudes of parents seeking OT help

for their children’s handwriting problems -

http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/parents-turning-to-occupational-

therapy-to-help-children-learn-tasks-such/1076183





17

Print Chart lower case




18

Print Chart upper case




19

Print Handwriting Chart




20

Cursive Handwriting Chart


handwriting tips - practical pageshandwriting tips for a young child, learning to write is a...

Documents