Handwriting – It Says What?

"My oldest daughter has the worst handwriting. She is old enough to know better, but seldom takes the time to slow down and write legibly" one mother said. How often do you write in a day? Probably more than you think. Can people read what you write? In other words, how is your handwriting? How about your children? You see, when a child has poor handwriting in school, his or her grades can suffer – merely by the fact that their teacher can’t read what they’ve written. So, how can you help?

You can probably remember that cursive writing used to be a bigger deal than it is now. You might remember being told in junior high that you would have to write in cursive once you reached high school. In high school, they probably told you that you would have to write cursive in college. Well, none of these held true. Now, it doesn’t matter whether your child writes in print or cursive, as long as you can read what it says.

If your child isn’t writing well, you need to find out why. Are they just too lazy, or are they having difficultly with the letters? Once you know the why, you can begin to fix the problem.

Here's what to do to help your kids have good handwriting: Have your child practice writing for 15 minutes a day. This can be done during regular homework time. Start with letters that are more difficult and work your way through the alphabet. Make sure they know how to hold their pen or pencil correctly. This will help their hand relax and not tire as quickly. Pens or pencils should be held with the thumb and forefinger pinching the pen, and the middle finger can go underneath as a rest.

Once they do this, make sure your child is writing each word correctly. You can find notebooks with the alphabet written inside the cover, and these can be a guide to good handwriting. Most will show the correct way to write each letter. Give your child the tools they need to be successful in school.

(Editor's note: If your child becomes a doctor, I guess it won't matter, right? Can you read a doctor's prescription?)