Handwriting

Handwriting requires many skills such as fine motor, visual motor, sensory, planning, attention to task, organization of thought, spelling, punctuation and grammar. Deficits in any one area may cause a student to struggle with handwriting and may result in writing that is not automatic, flowing or legible.

Producing written information (handwriting) at school can loosely be broken down into two components. One is the physical aspect of handwriting which includes: a stable grasp on the pencil, adequate fine motor control to start and stop a pencil at specific points, adequate body strength to hold the body stable for handwriting, and visual motor perceptual skills needed to sequence steps of letter formation and organize spacing of letters/words/numbers. The second component written information (handwriting) is the written language skills such as spelling, capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, editing, grammar and organization of ideas and content. This page addresses only the physical aspect of handwriting.

When attempting to improve handwriting, It is important to analyze the various components of writing to determine which components may be interfering. At that point, intervention can be targeted at the specific areas which interfere with successful handwriting.

View/Print: Handwriting Difficulty Checklist

It is a good idea to establish a daily warm-up routine to help students "get set" before writing tasks. Explain to your students that completing routines before beginning a tricky physical task is common and useful. It gets their mind and body ready to succeed. Think about the routine a basketball player does before shooting a free-throw or how an actor gets ready to take the stage. These routines can include stretches while seated or standing, clapping games / songs, chair push-ups, or finger exercises.

View/Print: One Minute Warm Up - Get Your Body Ready for Writing

Whether beginning letter formation or attempting to improve handwriting, start with the basics. Teach and practice specific pre-writing letter formation skills such as:

1) placing the pencil on the top line, moving it down and stopping on the bottom line: (I)

2) placing the pencil to start on the middle the line (n or o),

3) making tall vs short lines (n vs h),

4) making lines touch when needed to close the letter (O or 6)

5) "retracing": when the pencil changes direction and tracing back over the line (m or n)

View/Print: More ways to practice letters and numbers without holding a pencil

View/Print: HandwritingTips and the Building Blocks needed for Success

Want more suggestions? - computer search "multisensory writing" for more ideas.

Handwriting is a two handed activity. Time and attention should be spent on development of both hands. If you suspect your student is having difficulty with using their two hands together, please visit our page on: bilateral coordination.

Overall all good fine motor development contributes to successful handwriting. If you suspect that your student would benefit from enhanced fine motor development, please visit our pages on: Fine Motor Development and Pencil Grasp and Control.

Participation in a full day of school activities (including handwriting) requires endurance. If you suspect your student is having difficulty with strength or endurance, please visit our page on: Strengthen and Endurance

View/Print: Special Considerations for left - handed students (under construction)

Print your own handwriting practice sheets:

http://www.handwritingpractice.net/

http://www.studenthandouts.com/English/Free-Handwriting-Printable-Writing-Practice-Sheets.html

For a variety of printable lined paper, visit our page: Printable Paper Samples

Even more Handwriting Hints:

1) Have student write on every other line. This also enhances ease of editing.

2) When teaching students to edit, teach and require thorough erasing before re-writing. Practice erasing if necessary.

3) A student's feet should reach the floor when they sit in their chair, even it if means having them sit on the front edge of the chair rather than with their back against the back of the chair. They can also prop their feet on the chair foot rest if possible.

4) It is also OK to practice writing in any position. Writing on a clip board while laying on tummy especially helps to build up should muscles.

4) Writing on a vertical surface (such as a paper taped to the wall) is one of the best positions to work on any handwriting or illustration task. This position promotes shoulder, elbow and wrist stability; puts the paper at eye level which promotes good posture; allows the student to move around a bit receive vestibular information which can be organizing and calming; and promotes stable grasp development.

5) If your student is struggling with specific letter or number formation (after direct instruction and practice), consider taping a model of the difficult letters to his / her desk top as a quick visual reminder. If you notice during an assignment that they are reverting to poor letter formation, quietly walk by the student's desk and gently tap the model. By doing this, you are reminding them to use their neat writing without providing any auditory input. Students that struggle with written language can sometimes be distracted by a voice giving them information on letter formation at the same time they are attempting to "hold their train of thought" regarding the content of what they are writing.

6) For some students, using a large, stiff 3-ring binder as an incline surface can provide support and increase writing comfort.

7) Pencil grippers can be helpful. There is a large variety to choose from and are worth trying in some situations.

8) Muscle Memory: Muscle memory allows an action to be automatic and not require active thinking. If a student has to think about how to form a letter, his or her ability to spell or write an answer is hindered. Eventually, after instruction and practice, forming letters should require no thought. At that point energy and concentration can be applied to writing content, not to letter formation. To enhance muscle memory with letter and number formation, have students practice writing without looking at their hands: try writing inside a paper bag, write letters with a finger around the corner of the wall, close both eyes and write, or use fingers to "write" on the underside of a desk or table while staying upright in the chair. Each night before bed, have your student write the alphabet or numbers 0-9 one time with good formation. You could also choose just to have your student write just a select few letters. Save the samples to compare and celebrate progress.

9) Spacing between words: To address difficulties with spacing give direct instruction of what a space between words is and how to create that space. As a training device students can use their finger, a Skittle, a Popsicle stick or any other type of small item as a space holder between words. Try graph paper-one letter and space per box. This paper can be very helpful with spacing:

http://www.do2learn.com/activities/writingtools/stop-go_paper_large.pdf

http://www.do2learn.com/activities/writingtools/stop-go_paper_small.pdf

Some silly sentences that use all the letters of the alphabet - good for any type of practice:

The zoo quickly bought the jinx and mauve dog with pink fur ears.

The quick white fuzzy dog is fearful of jumping over the grey box.

A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy red dog.

A quick movement of the enemy will jeopardize six gunboats.

Jeff quietly took his ax, shovel and rake to work in my garden of zinnias and buttercups.

The five boxing wizards jump quickly.

A quart jar of oil mixed with zinc oxide makes a very bright paint.

Six big juicy steaks sizzled in a pan as five workmen left the quarry.

Watch all five questions asked by experts amaze the judge.

Just a note on Handwriting Speed

Many factors contribute to a student’s speed of writing. If a student has difficulty organizing ideas, extra time may be needed to "think things through" before writing. Struggling with spelling significantly slows down writing. Even copying information from one page to another or from the board is more difficult for a student that struggles with spelling and s/he may require additional time. Poor visual memory of letters can decrease handwriting speed. In order to write efficiently, students must be able to write letters automatically without needing to stop and think about letter formation.