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The development of handwriting involves the acquisition of both legibility and fluency, which are analogs of reading accuracy and reading fluency. Handwriting is more complex than reading, though, because it involves recognizing letter shapes, names, and sounds, as well as integrating spelling and motor planning in order to produce formations that can be read by others.
Regina Cicci, in addressing the writing problems of students with dyslexia, listed seven possible underlying difficulties that could lead to poor handwriting: (a) incorrect pencil grasp, (b) excessive tension in pencil grasp, (c) incorrect position of paper, (d) inappropriate size and spacing of letters and words, (e) poor visual memory for letter formations, (f) slow rate, and (g) poor fine-motor coordination or dysgraphia. Not all children with dyslexia have handwriting difficulties and not all children with handwriting difficulties are dyslexic.
General Principles in the Multisensory Teaching of Handwriting
Alphabet wall cards provide easy reference for children.
Good Posture
Proper Pencil Grasp: An awkward pencil grip can indicate finger agnosia. The use of an auxiliary plastic pencil grip can aid in changing the fatiguing grip to a normal, less tiring one. Children may need to experiment with pencil grips to determine which one works for them. Many become frustrated with these implements once the novelty has worn off. The pencil should point toward the shoulder of the writing arm for both left-and right-handed students.
Writing Implement: While the child is writing, he or she is receiving feedback in the form of pressure and the pull of the pencil against the paper. A No. 2 or softer pencil should be used. Pencils with soft lead require less pressure from the child, thereby reducing fatigue.
Paper: Handwriting instruction begins with activities that involve gross motor movements so that children may feel the movement in the shoulder and arm and improve their kinesthetic memory. Tracing at the chalkboard is the first step. Paper patterns also should be large and gradually become smaller as children become proficient with letter forms. Initially, letter forms should be taught using a chalkboard or dry erase board, then using unlined paper, then wide-lined paper (1” between rows), next primary-grade lined paper, and finally regular lined notebook paper.
It is neither necessary nor desirable to keep the alphabet in sequence while teaching handwriting.
There are many forms of print writing, but the one most often recommended for dyslexic children is one that utilizes a continuous stroke whenever possible.
Group printed letters by similar strokes such as the h group. The print letter form introduces the idea of continuous stroke. Its basic arm movement is also used in such letters as b, m, n, r, and p. Be prepared to spend considerable time on the letter b because of the confusions between b and d. The a group consists of letters that start with the same movement as the letter a. It includes a, c, d, g, o, q, and s. These letters begin at the 2 o’clock position just below the mid-line. Other groups such as the letters, i, j, k, l, and t begin with straight downstrokes, whereas the letters, v, w, and x start with slight slants. The letters e, u, y, and z do not belong to a particular group. Lowercase letters are taught first in cursive handwriting.
Can Handwriting be improved?
Handwriting is not one of the areas investigated by the National Reading Panel (2000), but both clinicians and researchers who carry out training studies suggest that instruction in this area is worthwhile. Handwriting instruction can improve both legibility and automaticity.
Cox (1992) claims that handwriting retraining for dyslexic students who are not identified early is more difficult and time-consuming than reading remediation. However, King(1985) states that true dysgraphia is extremely rare, despite the fact that the diagnosis is frequently made. King and Cox both urge that students with dyslexia learn to type, in addition to, but not in lieu of, developing handwriting skills.
Suggestions for Handwriting Instruction
The following suggestions are taken from a variety of sources and programs and tend to represent best practice.
Begin early. It is difficult to change a child’s awkward pencil grip once it has become a habit. Begin encouraging the three-finger grip in kindergarten.
Look for fat pencils or soft pencil grips to accommodate individual needs. Some children do well with thin-tip colored markers for handwriting practice because they flow much more easily than pencils.
Make handwriting instruction multisensory. Trace, copy, and use words to describe strokes. Write letters from memory and say the sound as the letter is formed.
Teach letters by similarities in formation.
Build sequences of mastered letters into words. With cursive writing, learning the connecting strokes is just as important as the formations.
Combine practice in spelling with practice in handwriting. Dictate words in which both formations and letter sounds have been taught.
Just as reading practice involves accuracy first and then fluency, practice letters until they are consistently legible and then practice them for speed.
Words can be a scaffold for remembering patterns. Be consistent in your terminology. Adapting a school-wide program ensures consistent terms from year to year.
Handwriting usually takes several years to become automatic. For example, if cursive is begun in Grade 3, it will need to be reviewed and made automatic in Grade 4.
Some children may become legible writers but may continue to be slow.
Cicci suggest compensatory modifications such as using parents as scribes and proofreaders, accepting taped or oral reports, and reducing length of written assignments.
Use of the computer has become a significant help to children who struggle with handwriting.
Handwriting Interventions
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