Summertime and Handwriting Improvement

I can’t read my third grader’s handwriting!  And he doesn’t listen to anything I suggest!

I often hear these words from despairing parents.

I believe that every child deserves to possess the pride of legible handwriting, and that with few exceptions, a general education child is capable of achieving this.

Handwriting has become an afterthought in many educational settings in recent decades.  It’s not that teachers don’t want to teach these skills. The achievement and testing requirements in other academic areas have taken over the time needed for explicit teaching of the skill of handwriting.  And, quite frankly, there are few teacher preparation programs or universities that teach how to teach handwriting. Gone are the days when the nuns drilled penmanship into their young students, or that it seemed to matter.

Some kids pick it up, and are great imitators. The creative/artistic ones (“right brain”) truly seem to care to take the time for how their handwriting looks.  These often are those precocious Kindergartners who start to excitedly dabble with cursive before they’ve even mastered print. Paradoxically, the left-brain types (math, logic, and science) may have less interest in forming letters.

This article will address these questions:

• How might a change in childs’ play affect handwriting?
• What is the result of a lack of handwriting Instruction?
• Why is explicit handwriting instruction important?
• Why does neat handwriting matter?
• When is the best time to work on handwriting?
• Who is best equipped to help a student improve handwriting?
• At what age can students work on handwriting?
• What commitment level is needed?
• Where do I go for developmentally appropriate handwriting instruction?
• What next?

How might a change in a child’s play affect handwriting? The paucity of sit-still activities such as reading a book, drawing, modeling dough, and coloring books are to blame.  Most kids want the gadgets and screens, and parents cave.  The kids of the past actually sat patiently with crayons and experimented with staying in the lines, varying pressure to achieve different results, and strengthening their fingers by pushing a crayon or play doh.  There also are those who deride “coloring in the lines” as a form of repression in “modern child development.”

 

Actual improvement from the beginning to the end of kindergarten, using the HWT method.

What is the result of a lack of Handwriting Instruction?  More often than not, children pass through pre-school and kindergarten programs with little direct instruction about handwriting.  Picture your 3 year old grasping a crayon in their fist and swishing across the paper using their whole arm.  It’s rare that anyone teaches a child they must progress from that.  Many go from developmentally appropriate fisted crayon grips to awkward pencil grips.  The fine motor skills involving the fingers and hand are not fine-tuned.  They hunch over their desks or sit askew.  Young students learn to recognize their alphabet letters, they trace dotted patterns, but no one explains letter formation beyond that.  Lower case look-alikes swim before their eyes, and b, d, p and q, 6 and 9, 2 and 5, become a confusing mishmash. Reversals are common, and frequently not held “against” a child well into 3rd grade (with parents erroneously wanting to blame dyslexia for these common reversal confusions). A child muddles along, getting away with the least legible handwriting possible, as long as they complete assignments.  There are rarely major grades given for handwriting, and it won’t hold most kids back “academically.” Bad habits get worse.  In some cases, schools and parents give up too soon, and bring in modifications such as “adaptive technology,” “keyboards,” or “short answer options” to excuse students from having to write by hand.

Why is explicit handwriting instruction important? The fact is, all children should be taught handwriting.  They need to be taught to do things we have come to take for granted: hold a pencil properly; sit up straight; hold their paper properly; form letters according to a sequence and plan; make letters of a uniform size; and place them neatly on lines.  They need to strengthen fine motor skills and manipulation of various writing and coloring tools, and spatial awareness.

Why does neat handwriting matter?  Whether or not we want to admit it, we are eventually judged by our handwriting.  Imagine a teacher or a test scorer with a stack of essays to grade.  To which essay will he/she be most favorably disposed?  The neat, clear and easily readable one?  Or the one that looks like scrawls and scribbles, difficult to read, and requiring extra time to decipher?  What about an employer looking at an application?  While it can be said that many things in this day are done on computers, there will always be a need for handwriting that is legible enough for others to read.  It creates a favorable impression.  Neat, clear, careful, confident, and fastidious handwriting leaves the impression of a person who possesses these characteristics.  Rushed, careless, messy, and illegible can likewise leave a negative impression of character.

When is the best time to work on handwriting?  Anytime is a good time to address handwriting skills!  Summer and extended school vacations are ideal times to work on handwriting skills.  During the school year students are worried about completing work quickly, and do not feel they have the luxury to slow down and improve handwriting.  It takes quite a bit of brain power to think about writing complete sentences, or a story, AND how you are supposed to form letters neatly and economically.  The summer provides an opportunity to go back to basics and rewire that muscle memory for fluent writing, with specific focus on handwriting.  That said, waiting until bad habits become hard wired into the muscle memory must be a consideration.  The younger the child (PK-4th grade), usually the easier it is to remediate.

Who is best equipped to help a student improve handwriting? Parents with time, great patience, and a good rapport with their children may be able to work with their student to improve handwriting. However just as a gifted musician or athlete can excel at their talent, few are able to impart the same skill to others as teachers.  Many of us have long forgotten how we form letters, as writing has become an automatic skill, difficult to break down to it’s fundamentals.  Sometimes children may not be as responsive to a parent as they are to a “stranger” or “teacher.”

A handwriting specialist can objectively work with a student to improve, remediate, or introduce handwriting basics.  Scientific testing and analysis can unearth issues that need to be addressed. Parental involvement and monitoring is important as a child practices skills taught.

At what age can students work on handwriting?  A kindergartner or even preschooler (4 years), can gain the fundamentals of letter formation quite easily as they begin to develop their muscle memory.  Ability to identify and name alphabet letters is a good starting point. One-on-one instruction usually gives fast results.  A child in grades 1-3 may need to correct poor habits, but quite often can remediate these.  More challenging are students in the upper grades: they in essence have to “learn it over again,” which many don’t care for or have the patience to do. It seems too “elementary” or ‘babyish” to many older students, and not worth the investment and practice they might willingly put into improving a sport or other activity.  I spend the time discussing with these students, and their parents, the level of motivation. and commitment to re-learning and practice time.  An older child who feels forced to improve handwriting often does not receive the instruction well, nor put forth best efforts.  Sometimes an older student needs an external incentive.

Print or Cursive?  When we consult, we will discuss the best course for your child.  In most cases print makes sense first; it will be most widely used throughout their life.  If a child wishes to learn and practice cursive after, that option is available.

What commitment level is needed?  Ironically, the older the child, the more commitment matters.  Parents and their students need to schedule daily practice times, and be committed to the improvement that comes with slow and sure patience. Some students benefit from incentives.  Every child has their “currency.”  This can be extra media time, a special outing, game or toy.  Some may need to be working towards a big prize at the end, when improvement is seen; others need more frequent or weekly incentives.  The rare child who is self-motivated to improve may find this alone to be a motivator, but everyone likes praise. The younger child with no fine motor disabilities can achieve goals in 6 weeks, on average.  Older students may vary depending on levels of interest and commitment, but 6-8 weeks on average is needed.  Most chose weekly instruction of 30 minutes; twice weekly can be arranged, however implicit is there will be more in-between practice work.

Where do I go for Handwriting Instruction?  Your child’s teacher or school may be at a loss to tell you were to go for explicit help in handwriting instruction.  Many parents turn to private Occupational Therapists, who often will run an expensive battery of tests assessing all gross and fine-motor issues, and produce a report of recommendations for OT sessions.  This may be fitting for a child with marked or already identified physical disabilities.

For the general education population, however, a handwriting specialist from the Handwriting Without Tears(TM) Program can provide the needed testing and instruction to help your student improve.  Testing will focus in solely on handwriting, but may also note other pertinent issues (while I cannot diagnose, as a certified educator, I usually can spot signs of other disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysnumeria, eye-hand coordination issues, or marked fine-motor weaknesses which may require the attention of an OT).  If other cognitive or behavioral issues are involved (Autism, Attention Deficit, behavioral, Opposition-Defiant Disorder, etc.), handwriting instruction will possibly be more challenging, or give reduced results.

What next? Mary Beth Yarbrough is a certified Handwriting Specialist for the Handwriting Without Tears Program.  She has limited availability for private handwriting intervention during the summer of 2017, in the Northern Virginia (Arlington-Alexandria-Falls Church) area.  As of Fall 2018, new students will be accepted in the Lake Frederick, VA location. The Testing Tool® Initial Assessment is performed in roughly 30 minutes.  A detailed report is provided to parents within a week, with recommendations and a plan for intervention and instruction. 

Fees vary but average $40 per 30-minute session, with discounts available for payment in full. 

Parents will order the suggested handbook materials, which run approximately $10-15 plus shipping.

When providing services in your home I require: a quiet and well-lit space, preferably closed off from the activities of your home with doors; a sturdy table and chairs which are comfortable for your child’s age/height, at which I may sit shoulder-to-shoulder with your child for instruction.  Experience has shown that students are generally more focused and perform better when not in their own home environment for instruction.  My dedicated educational space permits me to have at hand the proper tools and environment for teaching.  Alternatively, I may be able provide tutoring services at the Bowman Library for an additional travel fee; parents are responsible for reserving private rooms for tutoring sessions.

Please contact Ms. Yarbrough by email (mbathemba@comcast.net ) with information about your location, your child’s age, grade, handwriting and academic challenges, and teacher comments.  A free-of-charge phone consultation will be scheduled to discuss details.