Helping Your Child's 'Messy' Handwriting, Part I

�� Has your child been downgraded for "messy" or "careless" handwriting in school? Don't get upset - many educators are overly perfectionistic about letter formation in the early grades, fearing that the child's later writing will be illegible and that reading comprehension will suffer.

�� Well, those fears come true in extreme cases. But lots more damage is done by putting pressure on small children to write letters and words just as perfectly as adults who have been practicing for decades. Kids need proper, careful instruction. Adults can't expect kids to be able to mimic good handwriting by magic.

�� Some kids really do have visual perception problems and don't "see" the letters correctly without remedial help. But most kids don't write very well for one of three reasons: their fine-motor development isn't quite ready for perfect penmanship, they haven't been taught correctly, or they're pressing themselves and stressed-out. They need a coach, not a critic. It's very important not to let a small child get down on himself or herself over handwriting; that leads to frustration, giving up, and low self-esteem.

�� Instead, you should show enthusiasm and caring, use visual demonstrations, give lots of praise and feedback, create a positive learning environment, keep your instructions simple and easy to follow, lead short and frequent home practice sessions, and above all be patient and positive. Your goal is to move your child from imitating how you write the letter, to copying a model of the letter, to being able to write the letter independently from memory.

�� All you need is a chalkboard or dry-erase board, pencils and chalk, and manuscript paper.

�� You might want to purchase a handwriting instruction manual, but beware: styles and philosophies are all over the map. Some have a better "teaching order" than others, too. The best ones start with the easiest-to-form letters that are the same as capitals and lower-case, usually "c," "o" "v" and so forth.

�� Some methods dovetail with a reading instructional method: the handwriting letters that are introduced teach the capitals and the lower-case letters at the same time. The logic is that the kids will be encountering both capitals and lower-case letters as they begin to read. The letter order usually matches the phonograms that are being introduced in the reading curriculum - the sounds the letters make expressed in writing, like / b / for the sound a "b" makes. That gives kids practice with speaking, writing and reading the same letter in both handwriting practice and reading practice. And that's a good idea. But it's not absolutely necessary. The fact is, it's more fun to learn the capital letters first, and they're easier and build confidence more quickly. So there's a lot to think about. Don't worry: lots of ways work!

�� See the next "Show 'n' Tell for Parents" for some good tips for good handwriting instruction useful for both classrooms and home practice sessions.

Homework: Preschoolers through second-graders would benefit from "Fine Motor Skills & Handwriting Activities for Young Children" by Joanne M. Landy and Keith R. Burridge

-----------------------