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Handwriting consists of a mixture of various skillsets
Handwriting consists of a mixture of various skillsets
visual motor skills
fine motor skills
cognition
visual perceptual skills
eye-hand coordination
bilateral coordination
pencil grasp
muscle memory
posture
letter formation
In order to master handwriting, you have to develop visual motor perceptual skills, gross motor skills, and fine motor skills.
For optimal handwriting legibility and support, see the tips below:
Posture
Desk height or table height should be 2 inches above bent elbow
Feet should be flat on the floor
Hips and Knees at 90 degrees
Wrist stable
Trunk upright
Body symmetrical
Seating & Posture Supports
Use Therapy Ball seat with base
Slant board for appropriate hand positioning
Student can write prone on floor for increased shoulder stabilization
Bean bag chairs with clipboards
Body motion imitations
Student should be able to cross midline of body
Cross arms
Hand/finger Imitations
Should be able to rotate wrist
Open / shut fingers
Touch thumb to fingers
Grasp on pencil
Dynamic tripod grasp
Pencil pressure on paper is not too firm to break lead on tip of pencil
Open web space (able to make the OK sign with fingers)
For tactile, kinesthetic, auditory, visual learners:
>>>Trace, Act, Say, and See the letters<<<
In writing the alphabet
top-down approach (not bottom up)
letters should touch bottom line
go from left to right along the line.
*See below for proper stroke sequence (page 9)
In hand manipulation
The ability to manipulate coins from palm of hand to pincer grasp
Shifting - palm to tips of fingers
Translation - student “walks” his/her hand from lead end of pencil to eraser
Rotation - turning pencil from lead end to eraser
Typical Age Range of Development
Pre Writing strokes
2-3 yr old - vertical and horizontals lines
2-4 yr old - circles and intersecting lines
4-6 yr old - diagonal lines and ability to form shapes
Scribbling - 14 months
Imitating vertical line - 23-24 months (2yrs)
Imitating horizontal line - 27-28 months
Copying circle - 33-34 months
Copying cross - 39-40 months (3yrs)
Tracing line - 41-42 months
Age 3- begins to use helping hand
Age 4 - helper hand to hold paper for stability, dominant hand elevated (not touching surface of table)
Age 5 - mature grasp and dominant hand lie comfortably on table
Hand dominance established around 4-6 years
Handwriting Supports
Pencil grips (including weighted)
Slant boards
Name/letter/number stamps
Writing guides
Raised lined/highlighted paper
Spacing paper/graph paper
Spacing tool - ruler, pencil
For a list of Handwriting Rules, see the document below!
Handwriting rulesSee Below for a Handwriting Journal! This is best for grades 3 and up!
My Handwriting Journal!.pdfPage updated
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