SOME TIPS FOR HANDWRITING

by Nan Jay Barchowsky

 SOME TIPS FOR HANDWRITING
by Nan Jay Barchowsky

This is an introduction to handwriting instruction. Often one sees photos intended to show good
I advocate the italic alphabet, but most of the tips pencil hold with the fingers in proper position on
and suggestions apply to other methods of writing. the pencil, but the fingers are tense. The image is
exaggerated, but note the convex curve to the index
Pencil Hold—NOT GRIP! finger.
Tight grips are what we see too often. Young
hands need to develop the strength to hold markers
with relaxed hands. It can be a problem, because
we teach children so young. A relaxed hold is
critical for legibility at age-appropriate speed. You
probably know the preferred tripod hold.

Make sure writing tools fit young hands. A full

length pencil has poor balance in small hands. Cut
crayons and chalk in half, pencils too.

Try this to emphasize the index finger, the digit

that should be the principal driver of a pencil.
Pretend to hold a pencil correctly, but without the
pencil. Then pretend to write on a table. The hand
will be more apt to be relaxed.
Draw and Scribble Children will have cool ideas for drawing with
patterns; listen to them.
Most all children love to make marks—often
where you wish they would not! Without intruding
There is one more trace and copy page for practice
on a child’s creativity, gently suggest that he or she
of directional strokes, left-to-right and top-to-
start at the top and move left-to-right.
bottom. It is probably best for lowercase and
uppercase italic. Conventional cursive lowercase
Tear up paper bags for sheets to write on. Let the
letters often move up from the baseline, and
child do the tearing; it’s one small exercise that
uppercase strokes start from various positions.
will focus on the index finger as it does its job with
thumb support. There may be some long, narrow
The almost complete consistent, directional
sheets to draw or write on. Then the child can
movement is one reason to consider teaching and
use those pinch-type clothespins to hang up their
learning italic.
creations. It’s great finger strengthening to pinch
clothespins.

Patterns for Letters

Three patterns build the rhythmic movement
needed for fluent writing. (See the next page.) The
patterns support any handwriting method, except
the print-like script that is so rigid and drawn.
Consistent letter size, shape, slant and spacing
depend on rhythmic downstrokes.

Following the page with patterns are two pages

with suggestions for playing with them. The first
puts hair on a puppy. For the next one trace the
scales on the fish.
Patterns for the four s’s, consistent letter size, shape, slant and spacing.

3333 Say and down and down and down and down and
Let the pen drift off the paper slightly and repeat.

5555 Say and down around and down around and down
around and down around and

Let the pen drift off the paper slightly and repeat.

4444 Say and down bounce up and down bounce up and

down bounce up and down bounce up and

Let the pen drift off the paper slightly and repeat.

The first pattern applies to all writing.

The second applies particularly to counterclockwise letters like this:
uyadgqcoel t vw
555555555
The third applies to letters written in clockwise movement like this:
4444444
n m r hkbp
3
3
3
55
555
555
55
5
 dow
one
n tw
wn
e do

o do
n on

wn
dow

two

across three across

Pre-Writing and Warmup Letters that Need Extra Care
You will find several pre-writing activities on o needs to start at its top and move
my blog, [Link]/blog. They are counterclockwise. Fun practice might be to draw
fun, and they continue to be productive as children a leopard. Each spot is opractice. If ostarts at
learn and practice writing. Before each handwriting the baseline and /or moves wrong way around, it
lesson it is wise to have a short warmup time. becomes illegible when it joins.
Handwriting is a physical activity. Just as athletes
and musicians warmup before the play, children The word, rate has four lowercase letters that are
should warmup before writing. most troublesome.

Stand, arms and legs apart. Swing the left arm over a
because its top must be well defined,
to the right knee; then the right arm to the left and the last downstroke must meet the baseline.
knee. Repeat. (Some children have trouble crossing Otherwise it can look like this: — ou or cu?
the midline, and this helps.)
t
because we often forget to cross it. Use the
Press all fingers down on a table or desk. Relax crossbar to join to a letter following:
and repeat. You or children may think of other
warmups that put focus on the index finger. (I like
tie tug tree.
, ,
to call it the “writing finger.”)
e
because we write it more often than any
other and it can lose its counter. That’s the area
All that in a couple of minutes. Then write one of
inside of the line that defines its top.
the warmup patterns. Try writing two or three with
the eyes closed to really feel the movement. Then
it’s time to write.
r
Lastly, or . Written rapidly, loses its
r
defining shape. For , a lesson is on the next page.
 r
touch touch
wiggle
touch

r
touch

444444
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rrr
run
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 Nan Jay Barchowsky
P.O. Box 117
Aberdeen, MD 21007
nan@[Link]
410-272-0836