Don't Let Bad Handwriting Habits Stop Your Students

In the digital age, handwriting is getting pushed to the side to make way for other technology-based skills. There is no doubt that technology skills are necessary for students who are growing up in an ever changing digital-saturated world, but being able to put pen to paper and scrawl legible words is still a needed skill.

So what can you do when students come to you with illegible or barely legible writing?  

Handwriting is a skill that needs to be tackled in two ways:

1) Fine Motor Skills

Many students do have a lot of dexterity in their thumbs these days, but the rest of the muscles in their hands don't get the same use. Crayons, glue, scissors, and colored pencils in younger years that helped develop fine motor skills over time have given way to tablets and smart phones. 

Bring back some of the fun of fine motor skills with detailed coloring books, sculpting with clay, board games that require pieces to be moved, knitting, or crocheting.  Tracing squiggly lines and curves in the "C" shape also help build basic fine motor and basic handwriting skills.

Utilizing basic pencil grips like these ones: Ergonomic Pencil Grips can also help students with finger placement.


2) Practice, Practice, Practice!

The most effective way to build handwriting skills is through good-old-fashioned practice!  Muscle memory is needed to produce legible writing, and the older a student is, the more practice may be necessary to break bad habits. 

Handwriting practice sheets help students practice the needed repetition to develop muscle memory of proper letter formation. 

These handwriting packets combine practice with mastery tests so students can progress through proper formation of each letter of the alphabet at their own pace.  If students need more time, they can have it. If students show mastery and are ready to move on to the next letter they can.  

There is no quick fix for handwriting, especially with older students.  But utilizing the organized, systematic approach the Handwriting RTI packets employ is the most effective way I've seen to see dramatically improve any student's handwriting.