Category Archives: How to Improve Handwriting Skills

Hand Dominance: How to Help Kids Who Switch Hands

Most people are inclined to use one hand over the other.  Repeated use of the preferred hand leads to hand dominance.  Your dominant hand is your skilled hand, the hand that is better at performing intricate tasks like drawing, handwriting, and using a fork or a spoon.  Try writing a note or spreading peanut butter on a piece of bread using your non-dominant hand. You will quickly see how one hand is more skilled than the other. This post explains how to help children who have difficulty establishing hand dominance.

How to Improve Handwriting Legibility: Letter Formation

Hello again! I hope you’ve enjoyed my Handwriting Series. If you’re joining me for this first time, welcome! In the series, I’ve covered why handwriting legibility is so important. I’ve broken down the components of handwriting legibility and provided tips regarding how to address issues with acquiring them. In this post, I will cover the most important component of handwriting legibility, letter formation. Letter formation is the ability to form letters of the alphabet correctly and following a standard (e.g. the method taught in school). Being able to form letters correctly, in a smooth, effortless manner is called handwriting fluency. Handwriting fluency is a vital part of academic success and plays a major role in literacy. Handwriting fluency begins with learning letter formation.

Handwriting Legibility: Why Is It Important?

On my blog, I strive to provide insight into the complex issue of handwriting difficulties, the varying factors that may contribute to its cause, and above all, the importance of providing intervention at the onset to prevent hard-to-break habits and further problems in school and life. 

How to Improve Handwriting Legibility: Pressure Grading (how much force to apply)

On my blog, I strive to provide insight into the complex issue of handwriting difficulties, the varying factors that may contribute to its cause, and above all, the importance of providing intervention at the onset to prevent hard-to-break habits and further problems in school and in life. In this post, I will discuss the skill of pressure grading or knowing how much force to apply when writing, coloring, or drawing.  I will also provide tips, strategies, and resources to help kids who struggle with acquiring this skill.

Letter Reversals, Should You Be Concerned?

What are letter reversals?  Letter reversals simply means writing letters backward. Letter Reversals are actually quite common in all children.  They typically resolve by the age of 7.  By third grade reversals may still be present, but only occasionally.   In typical development, it takes time for children to gain a solid picture in their minds of what each letter looks like.  Then they must come up with and carry out the motor plan required to mimic the visual image in their brain.  Believe it or not, there is still more to developing the skill of handwriting, but that is not the focus of this post.  Here I will focus on the topic of reversals.  

How to Improve Handwriting Legibility: Line Orientation

This post will focus on how to help kids learn how to print letters with correct line orientation or how to place letters correctly on the line.