Handwriting?

[LumiereLennie]

Posting here for traffic!

Anyone know of any engaging ways to encourage better handwriting in KS1? DS, 6yo, has poor handwriting, to the point where his end of year report states that ‘To gain the expected level in Year 2, his handwriting will have to improve quite dramatically’.

Now, I don’t really give a stuff about ticking boxes, but I’m pretty sure the only reason it’s so scruffy is that he rushes it. He loves writing stories and says that he has lots of ideas so that his writing ‘gets in a hurry’ - but even writing his name on things, it’s inconsistent in size and formation as he goes at 100mph.

My concern is that my handwriting was also a state through primary school and I ended up in bottom groups even though my reading and writing was strong - I’m an English teacher now. I don’t want him in lower ability groups that he will get bored with just because of his handwriting.

We’re still reading every day (and always have, to be fair) and was thinking he could do ten minutes of handwriting practice/formation/whatever a day over the summer, but I don’t know where to start with this - I teach at secondary so handwriting isn’t really my thing! Does anyone know of an books/software/websites/anything else(?!) that I could use with him over summer to help him develop a little more control?

Thanks!

Why is handwriting not your thing if you teach secondary? I teach primary and we slog our guts off getting handwriting to be neat. Is this then ignored at secondary?

I’m afraid so - as long as we can make it out, that’s fine. We focus holistically on presentation, so if it’s clear that there is laziness or doodling, we’ll target that. If handwriting is really bad, we make a referral for them to use a laptop for assessments.

We often have challenges in Y7 where children with immaculate handwriting struggle to complete tasks in time, creating unfinished work that is lacking in depth - it’s a tough situation as the primary English curriculum doesn’t seem to match up with the KS3/4 curriculum in this sense, so I can understand your frustration.

We don’t have any facility for teaching handwriting in the three/four hours a week simply due to the content we have to get through, and for GSCE there are no marks available for handwriting. If a child has SEN that is linked to handwriting then they may be removed for additional support, but this isn’t done by English staff in my school.

1. check his grip
2. get a triangular pencil (you can get some with indents for fingers) or a Stabilo curved pen (Stabilo Easy I think they are called)
3. dot to dots or mazes help and are less boring, hamma beads good too for general motor skills
4. holiday diary focussing on neatness not content on alternate days
5. try the Primary board here on MN.

Thanks @teentimestwo - great tips. On it!

Make sure he’s holding the pen or pencil correctly and from there it’s simply just the boring cycle of practice, practice and more practicing!

Is it worth checking if he’s dyspraxic?
Moving to typing on a laptop could help if he is.

Even if he is dyspraxic (like my DD1) I wouldn't personally be looking at typing in place of handwriting when he is only 6. Give handwriting a chance to develop and improve. Even if you type, doing maths that way is pretty impractical.

Both my DDs have poor motor skills (bottom 1%). Both have learned to write legibly. It is much less trouble to hand write than type at school. (That said, learning to toucvh type alongside would be no bad thing).

And the school shouldn't put him in a lower ability group just because of his handwriting!

Thanks both. I’ve just had a look at typically dyspraxic traits and it is pretty much a list of opposites of DS, so I suspect that’s not it. Good call though - would never have thought to look.

Does he form letters correctly? They can be practiced by a stick in sand or flour, or a wet paintbrush on paving slabs.

You have to have:

• hand strength (eg opening clothes pegs, search 'hand gym' I think)
• fine motor skills (mazes etc)
• letter formation (starting in the right place etc)

Pop into WHSmiths, they will have KS1 handwriting practice books I would think.

When he can be bothered, he mostly forms them fine - his hand strength is pretty reasonable, I think - he can open jam jars and bottles etc, and has a good grip with tug o’ war-type games. He’s Lego mad and is very good with twiddly little bits on complex builds, and can do all his tiny buttons up on school shirts.

I think it must just be the rushing thing - I’ll have a look at the handwriting books and see what they have to offer - then just to figure out how to slow him down!

Thanks all!