How to write right
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The document provides tips and guidelines for improving handwriting skills in children. It discusses the stages of handwriting development in early childhood. It outlines various pre-requisite skills needed for handwriting such as ability to cross the midline, use two hands, understand directional terms, and develop finger strength. The document recommends activities to develop these skills and notes the importance of determining hand dominance. It also discusses proper pencil grasp, copying lines and shapes, and provides teacher tips for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.
How to write right
- 2. “Every Child Deserves a Great Teacher”
- 3. Agenda Purpose Stages of Development Pre-requisite Skills Teacher Tips
- 4. Purpose Assist students to acquire the prerequisite skills for writing, practice correct Pencil Grasp and letter formation Improve automaticity Two notions: lack of professional training in hand writing Lack of time
- 5. Stages of Development Ages 1 & 2- Random scribbles Closer to age 2, very distinct directional scribble by imitation of adult Ages 2& 3- copy vertical & horizontal lines; closer to 3, may copy circles Ages 3 & 4- Imitate & copy X or +; copy a square Age 5- Imitate & copy triangle
- 6. Pre-requisite Skill for Handwriting Ability to cross the midline Ability to use two hands Understand the directional terms Ability to recognize similarities and differences in forms Hand dominance Functional pencil grasp Ability to copy lines & shapes
- 7. Ability to Cross the Midline Brain- based developmental function; both hemispheres must work together for cross over the midline of the body. Activities: Tying shoes; Handwriting exercises Windshield Wipers; Scissor Cuts; Balancing; Lacing cards; Cross crawling; Mini- movements; turtle crawl
- 8. Ability to Use Two Hands Use of both hands- one hand leads and the other assists Activities: Tearing papers; cutting with scissors; Making letters with yarns etc; gluing objects; stapling holes; wringing out sponges; sewing and lacing; stringing beads; performing finger plays; Clapping; construction of blocks Handwriting exercises: Mickey Mouse Ears; Door Knob Turns; Finger Opposition; Butterflies
- 9. Finger Opposition: Hold fingers next to ears and have the students touch their thumb to each finger and back again. Complete 10 to 15 sets. o Butterflies: Hold arms straight in front of your body and make an X with thumbs, palms facing down to resemble a butterfly. Make small circles 10 times to the right and then 10 times to the left.
- 10. Understanding of Directional Terms Understanding of directional terms becomes important in handwriting for fostering left to right directionality in writing To begin at the left side of the page and progress to the right side of the page
- 11. The Ability to Recognize Similarities and Differences in Forms To develop the ability to recognize similarities and differences in form and line through visual discrimination and perception skills. Matching, differences between lines & forms, missing parts Activities: Game based on direction; Classroom Routines; Drawing; Read Aloud; Labeling the Room; Choral Read; Puzzles; Sorting; Straight Line/Curved Line Exploratio
- 12. Hand Dominance Natural-handedness should be determined before students begin to write. The dominant hand develops skills and precision to perform fine motor tasks while the non- dominant hand supports and assists with the task
- 13. Hand Dominance………… Activities for hand strength: Tearing paper to make art projects; Using plant sprayers to water classroom plants; Gathering small objects (buttons, beans, beads) and placing them in a small container. Students use tweezers; or tongs to place the items back into the container; Using eye droppers to transfer water from one container to another; Singing finger play songs and rhymes with your students, using their fingers to act out the rhyme; Finger painting with Jell-O on a paper plate; Stringing popcorn, buttons and beads to make necklaces.
- 14. How to Recognize Hand Dominance Hitting the ball with feet Cutting with scissors Drawing with stencils, templates or a ruler Using a sharpener Opening containers with lids Wearing a bracelet as a reminder
- 15. Left-Handed Students Approx. 10% are lefty. Group all lefty together; if possible lefty teacher provide instruction
- 17. Left-Handed Students Basically, left-handers draw circles and “O” anti-clockwise and draw horizontal lines from right to left in such letters as A, E, F, H, J, T and small “t”.
- 18. For Struggling Students Activities Before Handwriting Using manipulatives: • Jigsaw puzzles • Snap beads Molding with: • Clay • Sand • Play-dough Playing with small toys: • Cars • Miniature gas stations • Transformers • Doll furniture “Daily experience activities: • Zipping • Buttoning • Sewing • Screwing lids on small jars • Screwing nuts and bolts Practicing art skills: • Coloring • Drawing • Sketching • Tearing paper • Folding paper • Cutting paper with scissors
- 19. “Hand Tools” for a Variety of Grasps Hand Tools • Sponges • Funnels • Straws • Squeeze bottles • Sieves • Strainers • Tongs/ Tweezers • Containers of different shapes/sizes • Sticks • Shovels • Pails
- 20. Having a Functional Pencil Grasp Start writing with using markers or felt tip pens Crayons too introduced at beginning Then only pencils- “Fat” pencils or “ golf pencils” with soft lead Pencil Grasp- How a student holds a writing instrument. Power Grasp- Hold with a closed fist- inefficient grasp Tripod Grasp- the most efficient grasp
- 21. Tripod Grasp A student holds the pencil with three fingers – the middle, the thumb and the index fingers. The pencil is resting on the knuckle of the middle finger while being pinched between your thumb and index finger. The ring and “pinky” finger are bent and rest on the table. It requires less energy to perform, which causes a student’s hand to become less fatigued. It allows for the greatest amount of movement and precision, which makes it easier for students to form symbols/letters that requires small precise movements.
- 22. The Ability to Copy Lines and Shapes/Basic Strokes Basic Strokes: Vertical lines Horizontal lines Diagonal lines Circles Partial circle strokes
- 23. Practicing Basic Strokes Drawing Painting Stirring Sand play Water play Finger painting Filling in the missing parts of pictures/letters Connecting dots Tracing Drawing lines to connect matching pictures on paper/chalkboard
- 24. Tips for the Pre-kindergarten Teacher Use concrete activities. Don’t give students pencils too soon. Don’t have students sitting at tables, using handwriting workbook pages. Offer students opportunities to explore line formation using the easel, blackboard space, blacktop and chalk, blacktop and water, etc. Provide wooden, plastic or foam cut outs of big and small straight and curved lines so students can manipulate and explore composing and decomposing letters and shapes and discuss attributes of letter and shape.
- 25. Tips for the Pre-kindergarten Teacher Use little writing tools- chalk broken into small pieces, small pieces of crayon, etc. Offer opportunities for students to work together so that they may talk together, imitate and copy from one another. Use manipulatives, music and movement to encourage pre-writing skills.
- 26. Tips for the Kindergarten Teacher Be certain that student tables are at the correct height. Use little writing tools- chalk broken into small pieces, small pieces of crayon, etc. Give students lots of space to draw freely on large surfaces chalkboard, large easel paper, newsprint, etc. Be explicit about finger placement when teaching students to hold both their writing hand and their ‘helping’ hand. Differentiate for the needs of individual students.
- 27. Tips for the Kindergarten Teacher Provide a center with wooden, plastic or foam cut-outs of big and small straight and curved lines so students can manipulate and explore composing and decomposing letters and shapes and discuss attributes of letter and shape. Frequently use songs and rhymes that address letter and number formation. Share with parents the correct formation of letters. Correct poor writing habits through explicit instruction of pencil grasp, paper placement, correct writing posture, etc. Begin with the writing and modeling of capital letters. Gradually begin to correct letter and number reversals, one letter or number at a time.
- 28. Vertical Surfaces Color forms, felt boards and flannel boards Chalkboard and accompanying small pieces of chalk Chalkboard and accompanying paint brush and water White board Magnetic boards, Making pictures with stickers
- 29. Materials to Have On Hand Helpful Materials • small individual chalkboards • large chalkboard • wide and thin tipped markers • crayons of varying widths • small pieces of chalk • easels and paint • finger paint • clay/play dough • unlined paper • lined paper • rubber bands • pencils in a variety of widths • stamps and stamp pads • pincers and cotton balls • newsprint for tearing • beads for stringing • laces and lace-up pictures • pegs and pegboards • variety of manipulatives • scissors • eye droppers • dice games • coins • buttons • plant sprayers • tweezers and tongs • finger play songs and puppets
- 30. Definition of Writing Writing is defined as inscribing characters or symbols on a surface Writing is one of the oldest known forms of communication In today’s age of Information and Technology, writing has become a lost art.
- 31. Improve Your Handwriting Crampy, uneven letters are often the result of drawing the letters with the fingers rather than using the whole arm to write
- 32. If you use the right muscle groups, your writing will have a smooth, easy flow and not look tortured
- 33. A few people hold the pen between first and middle fingers, which feels really awkward.
- 34. This is the most common pen-holding position, with pen between first and middle fingers, held in place by the thumb
- 35. The two-fingers-on-top method for holding the pen while writing.
- 36. Commonly called the "hook" position, this is often seen in left- handers. It makes it harder, but not impossible, for them to use a fountain pen, because their hands tend to drag over the wet ink.
- 37. Note that with this position, usually used for calligraphy (or among really disciplined writers), causes the pen to rest atop the knuckle of the forefinger.
- 38. Improve Your Handwriting…… It will take time to re-train muscles and learn new habits. The first thing you must have (beg, buy, borrow or steal it) is patience and gentleness with yourself. The second requirement is determination. If you finger-write, that is the first, most important thing you must un-learn. Do not draw your letters! Do not write with your fingers! Write it in the butter, on the shaving mirror, stick notes in the cereal boxes. But learn it!
- 39. Improve Your Handwriting…. Hold the pen lightly; don’t squeeze it. Sit up straight, but not stiffly; don’t sit hunched over or slumped. The important thing is what makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. Use the “right muscle groups” to write. “Right muscle groups”- the shoulder-girdle and forearm muscles. “Right muscle groups” tire much less easily than fingers, Write big. Use arm and shoulder to shape letters; hold your forearm, wrist and fingers stationary and in writing position
- 40. Improve Your Handwriting…. Hold your arm out in front of you, elbow bent, and write in the air. Write in the air until it becomes as natural as breathing. As you become comfortable, reduce the size of the air- letters you make. You’ll feel your shoulder, arm, chest and some back muscles doing most of the work. At some point, you’ll want to try this with a pen. Hold it gently.
- 41. 12 Rules for Good Cursive Handwriting
- 42. Rule 1 Good writing is based on a pattern of ovals and parallel lines.
- 43. Rule 2 All small letters start at the top.
- 44. Rule 3 All the down strokes are parallel.
- 45. Rule 4 All similar letters are the same height.
- 46. Rule 5 All down strokes are equidistant
- 47. Rule 6 The space between words is the width of the small letter o.
- 48. Rule 7 Ascenders and descenders are no more than twice the height of small letters, preferably less.
- 49. Rule 8 Capital letters are no higher than the ascenders, preferably less.
- 50. Rule 9 Lines of writing are far enough apart for ascenders and descenders not to touch. Lines of writing are far enough apart for ascenders and descenders not to touch.
- 51. Rule 10 Letters which finish at the top join horizontally.
- 52. Rule 11 Letters which finish at the bottom join diagonally. a c d e h l
- 53. Rule 12 Letters which finish on a stroke moving left, are best left unjoined.
- 54. wishing you a very happy writing Thank You.
Editor's Notes
- #8: Mini-Movements: Roll out paper on the floor and tape it in place. Invite students to find a place alongside the paper where they can lay on their stomachs to paint. Using finger paint, students will make a variety of tiny movements with their fingers that matches the rhythm of music being played.
- #9: Finger Opposition: Hold fingers next to ears and have the students touch their thumb to each finger and back again. Complete 10 to 15 sets. o Butterflies: Hold arms straight in front of your body and make an X with thumbs, palms facing down to resemble a butterfly. Make small circles 10 times to the right and then 10 times to the left.