How to Help Your Child Improve Their Handwriting

Start With a Positive Attitude

虽然你可能理解legib的重要性le handwriting, your child may not. Your child or teen may see their adult lives as being so distant that they do not need to worry about things like handwriting—at least not for now.

Older children and teens may think that there is nothing they can do to improve their handwriting. Some people reason that because signatures and handwriting are unique to each person, they should be developed by the time elementary school is completed.

With a little practice and observation, anyone can develop neat handwriting. Rather than nag or argue with your child about their penmanship, let them know that they can make their unique handwriting better. Remind them that it is important for someone to be able to read what they're writing.

If you feel you could improve your own handwriting, you can also follow the tips listed below. Setting a good example will model to your child that it is possible to improve their handwriting—and how to do it.

Check Their Grip

Look at how they hold their pen or pencil. Sometimes children slip through school without developing a good writing grip. If your child is still in the earlier grades (k-2), they may still be working on their grip.

A quick way to teach proper grasp is to have your child pick up the pen or pencil near the writing end with a thumb and index finger pinch, then flip the pen or pencil over so it is resting on the edge of the hand.

If your child struggles with grip, try different pencil or pen grips that are sold in school supply departments, educational stores, and online. Some are round cushions that make the pencil or pen thicker and easier to grasp. Some are triangular shaped tubes that make it easier to maintain a tripod grasp. Experiment with different pen and pencil shapes, and different grips to see if they help improve your child's handwriting.

Check to See How Letters Line Up

Take a piece of your child's handwriting, and look to see how the heights of the various letters line up, either with the lines on the paper or with other letters.

Point these areas out to your child so they will notice how their letters are sized. Also be sure to point out letters that are well proportioned to boost their confidence and prevent them from feeling defensive.

Make Sure All Loops Are Closed

Another sloppy handwriting pitfall—not closing circles and loops. This leads to handwriting where the reader can't tell a c from an o. Whether cursive or manuscript, leaving circles open creates illegible writing.

Show your child the open loops in their writing. Hopefully, awareness alone will encourage them to start closing these circles. Offer positive feedback when you notice closed loops.

Look at Dotted Is and Crossed Ts

The last feature to watch out for are how they are dotting Is and crossing Ts. Despite the cliche, doing this properly probably won't make your child overly fussy about all other details in life.

Point out to your child any Is that are dotted more than half of a nearby letters distance away. Ts should be crossed across the top from the left side to the right side. Capital Ts should be crossed at the very top. Lower case t's should be crossed about 1/4 of the distance from the top of the letter.

Consider At-Home Practice

Some older children and teens will begin to improve their handwriting once the 4 pitfalls listed above or pointed out to them. Other children need additional practice to develop the skills and habit of paying attention while writing.

Try to find ways to make the practice fun.

• Copy favorite quotes, jokes, or sayings.
• Introduce older kids to calligraphy
• Make pretend historical documents, look to illuminated manuscriptsand older copied scrolls for inspiration.
• Use fun colored, scented, or textured pens and markers

Additional Tips

If you are concerned that your child is having an unusually difficult time with handwriting, check to see if dysgraphia may be a cause.

If your child is past the grade levels where handwriting instruction is given, you can gently point out any slips in their handwriting when you review their homework.

Be sure that their homework corner is arranged to allow for comfortable writing. Your child should be able to sit in their chair with both feet on the floor. Their work surface area should be large enough to allow them to comfortably position their paper and move their dominant side arm while writing.

If your child is still learning handwriting in their school grade or they are working with an occupational therapist, use the above tips combined with the occupational therapist's recommendations for your child.