How and Why to Teach Handwriting in Your Homeschool

"The Lord answered me. He said: 'Write down what I will show to you. Make it very clear on the page where you write it. Then someone can easily read it, and he can tell the message to other people'." ~Habakkuk 2:2 (EASY)

Over the years, I have worked with so many children who struggle with writing letters.  By the time they would come to me (Jenny) for tutoring or intervention, they had already developed inefficient habits for forming letters and it would be at the point where it was greatly hindering their progression with getting their ideas down on paper. Not only could they not write quickly, but they would still have confusions with letter reversals, which would even impact their reading! I would have to break down their old habits and retrain their brains to learn a better way.  My hope for you, mama, reading this article, is to give you the knowledge and wisdom to train your kids to form letters properly -- right from the start!

Why Teach Proper Letter Formation?

Why do we teach the "right" way to make letters?  I have known plenty of people who have made it to adulthood holding their pencil with a weird grip or making letters in a roundabout way, and they do just fine in life, so does proper formation even matter?  Well, the whole point in teaching anything is to make someone's life better or easier, and so that is what we are aiming to accomplish with teaching handwriting. Because we read and write mostly lowercase letters, those are the ones I am focus on in my teaching and for this article.

• Directionality - One major reason to teach proper letter formation to a beginning reader/writer is because it teaches left-to-right/ top-to-bottom directionality, which is directly related to beginning reading behaviors. Readers move their eyes across text in this way, too, so teaching kids to move their eyes, arms, and fingers in these directions trains their reading muscles to know which way to go. For instance, "t" is made by going "down, cross." The letter "b" is made by going "down, around." We never make letters from the bottom up -- we want to train neural pathways and muscles to move the same way in all circumstances. When our eyes and arms move across pages, they start on the left and go to the right.  This is how words and sentences are made in the English language.
•  Automaticity - Handwriting also helps children develop automaticity, which is the ability to write letters and words quickly and without conscious thought. When children become fluent in writing, they can focus their attention on the content of what they are writing rather than the mechanics of how they are writing it. This frees their brain up to be more creative as well. Automaticity in handwriting can also transfer to other skills, such as reading and spelling.
• Confidence and Competence - Finally, teaching handwriting in your homeschool can help your kiddos develop confidence and competence in their writing abilities. When children feel comfortable writing by hand, they are more likely to enjoy writing and to express themselves creatively. This process provides children with a sense of ownership over their written work and will boost their self-confidence.

Tips for Teaching Handwriting

1. Tell your child why this is important. Having good handwriting helps writing become easier and quicker -- they won't have to work so hard!  It also helps others read what they are trying to communicate.
2. Teach grip (or trace with dominant pointer finger).  Help your child use the correct grip when writing. The tripod grip, in which the pencil is held between the thumb and first two fingers, is the most effective grip for handwriting and will keep your child's hand from getting too tired. If your child is struggling with the tripod grip, you can have them trace letters with their dominant pointer finger to help develop muscle memory until they are able to hold a writing utensil.
3. Start with no lines. When beginning handwriting instruction, start with paper or a whiteboard that has no lines. This will allow your child to focus on forming the letters without worrying about staying within the lines or becoming visually confused with all the marks on the paper. As your child becomes more comfortable with letter formation, you can gradually transition to paper with lines (although it is not necessary!).
4. Use big movements and move to smaller movements over time. Begin by having your child practice making large movements with their whole arm (or body!) to form letters. As they become more proficient, they can start to make smaller movements with their wrist and fingers. These large movements especially help solidify the formation of tricky letters that kids often reverse like d's/b's, and p's/q's.
5. Say how letters are made. As your child is forming letters, say how the letter is made and keep it short and sweet. For example, for the letter "a," say "around, down." and then say it this way every time they make this letter. This will help your child, especially if they are an auditory learner, remember correct formation.
6. Keep it fun, relaxed, and quick! Handwriting instruction should be enjoyable and stress-free for your child. Keep practice sessions short and fun. Use a variety of materials, such as colored pencils and markers, to keep things interesting and motivation high. Celebrate your child's progress and accomplishments along the way! 🎉🎉

We hope this helps you, and we are happy to answer questions or help you teach this skill in your homeschool! Just contact us with any questions or concerns.

Did you know we offer a fun and engaging class to help your children improve their handwriting skills? Whether your child is just beginning to learn how to write or needs some extra practice to improve their existing skills, our online class is tailored to meet their needs.

As a member of our community, your child will have access to the 6-week class, which includes access to a library of pre-recorded video lessons to work at their own pace, extension activities for beginning readers to keep them engaged, a log-in to our community forum where they can show off their work, and a virtual gameboard where they can track their progress and stay motivated. Our handwriting course is also available as a stand-alone purchase. To see if this class is right for your child, you can check out the intro video here. 

Try our Foundations of Handwriting Class today and watch your child's writing skills soar!