Handwriting SUCCESS FOR ALL - Brief Article

Instructor, Jan, 2001 by Kama Einhorn

Easy strategies and activities to help children of all learning styles practice and perfect their handwriting

Row upon row of wobbly, cursive lowercase w's were spread across Matty's paper, like pointy waves in an ocean of blue lines. The rips and smears of repeated erasing were all too visible. As I looked over his work, I made notes on his progress: "Matty responds well to an active, bands-on approach. He is a tactile learner who seems to enjoy experiencing new things in the classroom."

What Matty clearly did not enjoy was practicing the new cursive letter forms. Laboring to fill his page with "perfect" letters left him restless, frustrated, and unsuccessful. He needed a different approach.

Most Popular Articles in Reference: The importance of understanding organizational culture; Credit card attitudes and behaviors of college students; What factors attract foreign direct investment?; Libraries Need Relationship Marketing - mutual interest marketing concept, ...; How to set performance goals: employee reviews are more than annual critiques; More »

How can we simultaneously teach children to copy from a model, while at the same time honoring their individual learning styles? Visual learners, for instance, may respond well to copying from a model, but tactile learners respond well to incorporating their sense of touch, exploring letters through texture and shape. Auditory learners need to hear descriptions of letter formation. Physical learners can better remember letter forms if they experience letters using gross motor movements. Attention to all styles of learning is, as in every area of the curriculum, a necessary part of handwriting instruction.

Easy Ways to Handwriting--Practice Success

When you begin handwriting practice, you'll want to teach to children's strengths, keep children creatively engaged, and not overwhelm reluctant writers. The teaching of handwriting varies depending on the grade level, but a step-by-step initial lesson might proceed as follows:

1) Preview the letter you'll be teaching by writing it on the board.

2) Demonstrate its formation on the board as you verbally describe it.

3) Have students "air trace" the letter with their fingers in the air.

4) Have students pick up their pencils and try the letter once on their paper. Monitor, checking to see if they have understood the basic strokes. If not, take the student's hand in yours and guide him or her through the strokes one by one.

5) Invite students to complete one row of the letter and then circle their "best" in the row.

Regardless of the children's grade level, there are certain helpful guidelines to follow whenever you teach handwriting skills. Adapt your lessons to incorporate the following suggestions, which will give learners of all styles a better grasp of the art of handwriting.

Combine modalities. Visual learners will respond to copying from a model, but auditory learners will benefit from "talking through" a letter's formation, tactile learners from tracing it in sand, and physical learners from having the letter traced on their back or palm by a partner.

Bring it together. Children learn letter formation by actively exploring letter names, the sounds the letters stand for, each letter's arrangement of curves and lines, and the movements used in its formation. (See Further Resources, Bear et al.) As you introduce letters, refer to their names and sounds. Use physical descriptions such as, "b has a bat that goes down, and a round ball at the bottom."

Put practice rows in their place. Practicing rows of letters certainly serves its purpose, but so does experiencing the sheer fun of letters. Balance rote letter practice with engaging and meaningful activities that integrate all the senses (see Activities, pages 38-39).

Guide self-assessment. Help children learn to critique their own handwriting ("My t is not tall enough") by either comparing it with a model or having an assessment checklist to read against. (See Assessment Strategies, page 38.)

Provide media other than pencil and paper. Writing on or with easily erasable materials such as sand, rice, clay, or finger paint takes away the need to erase, and therefore frees up reluctant writers. It also reaches children who learn kinesthetically. Writing on a chalkboard allows children to use gross motor movements and see letters at eye level; and practicing on dry erase boards takes away the need to erase mistakes on paper.

Write for a purpose. After children finish their practice rows, have them use writing for a real-life purpose. If they've just learned W have them address an envelope to a friend whose name begins with W.

Introduce letters according to similarity of formation. Most handwriting programs order the letters so that children can organize their visual perceptions; for instance, l, b, h, and k all begin with the same first downward stroke. Pointing out similarities and differences between letters is helpful.

Make time for independent practice. Explicitly teaching a letter's formation to the whole group takes a short time; children can then work independently or practice at the writing center as you focus on other areas of the curriculum. You might also send worksheets home with students for extra practice in trouble areas.

Assessment Strategies

Do you know anyone whose writing looks like the samples in the handwriting books? Of course not! When guiding children's letter-formation practice, consistency and legibility are the goals. Do children make the same letters the same way each time? Are all the tall letters tall, and all the small letters small? And most important, can you or another child read what the child has written?

Featured Download

Speak Like a CEO

Handwriting SUCCESS FOR ALL - Brief Article

Instructor, Jan, 2001 by Kama Einhorn

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Business

Most Popular Articles in Reference

Most Popular Publications in Reference