Handwriting can be hard and teaching it might seem very daunting, specially in an age that is more typing than writing. Heck, there are even online high schools available to some older kids. People wanting to teach handwriting and English can earn a teaching certificate online, which they can use to pursue a career as an English teacher. For those of us not official teachers we need to know that writing is important still and speaks a lot about who we are. Are we sloppy or detail focused, are we a free spirit or do we not care if people can read us? Lets put our best foot forward and if your handwriting needs improvement as an adult this is a great time to practice and maybe even learn a few things.
Toddlers – Pre k: Writing is all lines and circles and so you can help young ones early on by helping them form these lines and circles clearly.
- Show them how to line up animal crackers along the side of the table, nice and straight and let them copy you.
- On a piece of paper draw different length thick lines and then show your little one how to take yarn cut to those lengths and paste them to the page night and straight. This can be done with circles as well. You can print circles on your computer or trace cups and bowls for different sizes.
- Have your little one use glue sticks to make a circle and then straight lines out like a sun, then let them glitter their creation to hang someplace important.
- Sit behind your child and using your finger like crayon pretend to draw lines on their backs and have them tell you what you drew, let them do the same to you!
- Go outside and fine a straight line, the inside a side walk or walkway would work well, walk the line like a tight rope, smooth and calm. The you can hop a straight line.
- Use side walk chalk and yarn to make a circle. Have your child hold one end of the string still while you use the chalk tide to the string to go in a circle. You can then switch places letting the child go around and around again making it darker. Then you can both walk around it together.
- On a chalk board or wipe board, with your child watching at a desk or table draw your first letter. Remember that letters go from top to bottom and left to right with few exceptions like the letter S that starts on the right and goes left. Have your child copy you with a block crayon or Kinder Crayon. Focus on the action of the letter, top to bottom and left to right more so than how the letter looks at first.
- Put a few cups of salt on a low sided baking sheet. Shake to flatten it out and make the letter your with your finger focusing on. Top to bottom, left to right. Have your child copy you using their finger and following the lines you made. Then shake the letter away and have your child draw it and you copy it correcting any issues but NOT pointing them out. Do not focus on the errors, just show the right way. Do remind them though if they are not going from top down, left and right.
- Go outside! Take card board cut into a large rectangle. The inside of cereal boxes work well! Draw the letter and then have your child paint with glue over your letter. Then let them dump dirt on the letter and set. This will make something like a sand paper letter that they can trace throughout the week helping them to remember through texture. When you have made a few of these have your child close their eyes as you put one in front of them and then let them explore it with their fingers and guess what one it is. You can after they guess but before they open their eyes guide their finger on the correct path of the letter the way one would right it.
- Take yarn outside with you and make the letter in the grass. Make it as large as you can! Have your child follow you as you walk down the letter. When you have to move to a different part of the letter RUN. Walk the letter part slowly thought. This is a great time to practice deep breathing when going from calm to busy.
- Practice letters as you had lines and circles on the backs of one another and guess what letters are being written.
- On a chalk board after you write the letters out give your child a paint brush and some water. Have them paint over the letters like one would write them, top down, left right, with the water. My son really loves to do this one.
When you feel your child is mastering the letter let them start on paper practice and then move to cursive. A great free resource pages can be found online and worksheets printed based on ability. Start large and work down to smaller size letters. While this is often the first way letters are practiced in school I do not find it to be the best way. It is one dimensional and rather dull though it is necessary to learn to write on paper of course.
Learning to go from big to small is helpful for everyone. Learning to move your whole arm and not just the wrist can make your writing more smooth and beautiful, it can also lesson cramps. Practicing on a chalk board or wipe board is great for adults and children so do give them a turn too! You can practice side by side with your child, trying out different fonts and finding a style that you can be proud of should someone dare see you actually write!
I hope this helps at least in some small way. Your thoughts are most welcome in the comments.
