As an adult, when it is time to write, it’s simple - pick up the pencil and start writing. You may only think about writing neatly in some scenarios, like writing a friend a birthday card, or need to look up spelling from time to time. It’s simple, because we have had so much practice!
For children, they have to think about so much more! How do I pick up my pencil? Is my hand strong enough to hold the pencil? Do I know what the letter looks like? What lines do I need to make to form the letter? Where do they go on the paper? How big should a space be between my words? And more!
To set your child up for success, you can practice skills that support handwriting, before your child can even pick up a pencil! Here are Just 3 ways to support your child’s handwriting!
Strengthen your child’s hand: It requires significant finger and hand strength to hold a pencil or crayon while writing and coloring. Help build up your child’s hand strength by playing with play dough or putty. Add an extra challenge by hiding beads or small items in the playdoh for them to find or use the playdoh to form the letters in their name!
Develop your child’s tripod grasp: To efficiently hold a pencil, a child must use a tripod grasp. This is when the pencil is held between your thumb and index finger, with support from your middle finger. You can promote use of this grasp by using small tongs during play! Using just three fingers on the tongs, practice picking up small toys, game pieces, pom-pom balls, or cotton balls. Add an extra challenge by having your child sort the item by size, color, or category!
Learn pre-writing strokes: Pre-writing strokes are the lines that form letters - including vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines, and curves. For example, to make an “E” your child must be able to form a vertical line and three horizontal lines. One way to practice prewriting strokes is to put salt, beans, or shaving cream on a plate - then have your child draw each line using their index finger. Add an extra challenge by having your child try to copy the line, shape, or design you make on their own plate.
