I was recently asked the following question “My daughter is in year one and has really messy handwriting. She’s been trying so hard to write neatly, but she just can’t seem to do it. She can’t even write her own name clearly. Why is her handwriting so bad? Will it get better as she gets older?”
I think I have a pretty good idea of the frustration that this child might be feeling right about now. I have always had significant problems with handwriting. I still hate to have to write something by hand. Thank goodness for computers—although they didn’t exist when I was kid.
I still hold my pen with an unorthodox grip and have to take breaks when writing by hand. I should point out that my dysgraphia hasn’t stopped me from writing essays and numerous articles. The important point to stress with any child who is in the same situation is that difficulty with handwriting is not a reflection of their intelligence or creativity.
There are several factors that may cause or contribute to poor handwriting. One of them is fine motor skills. Another is short-term memory, which can make it difficult to quickly recall words as well as the shapes of letters. It’s also possible that your child may process thoughts faster than they can put them down on paper.
Another contributing factor could be their learning strengths or style. They may be a visual-spatial learner rather than an auditory-sequential learner. This means they may see the forest but have trouble noticing details about the trees.
The good news is there are many ways to help your child with writing issues. I suggest you start by meeting with their teacher. Find out how much time is being spent on handwriting and what methods and materials are being used. Ask what the teacher recommends you do at home to support your child’s handwriting development.
Your child may need more time to work on their handwriting than the school provides. You could look online or in education supply stores for resources you can use at home. If gripping the pencil is an issue, try pencils that are different sizes and weights. You may also want to try out differently shaped plastic pencil grips. See if these help make writing more comfortable for them.
There are other strategies you can try at home. These include:
Most importantly, be sensitive to your child’s self-esteem. Avoid words like lazy or messy. As someone with learning and attention issues, I found one of the most difficult situations I faced as a kid was being told by adults that I could do something if I really tried—and my telling the adults that I was trying. When more of the same doesn’t help, it may be time to look for a new strategy.
I think I have a pretty good idea of the frustration that this child might be feeling right about now. I have always had significant problems with handwriting. I still hate to have to write something by hand. Thank goodness for computers—although they didn’t exist when I was kid.
I still hold my pen with an unorthodox grip and have to take breaks when writing by hand. I should point out that my dysgraphia hasn’t stopped me from writing essays and numerous articles. The important point to stress with any child who is in the same situation is that difficulty with handwriting is not a reflection of their intelligence or creativity.
There are several factors that may cause or contribute to poor handwriting. One of them is fine motor skills. Another is short-term memory, which can make it difficult to quickly recall words as well as the shapes of letters. It’s also possible that your child may process thoughts faster than they can put them down on paper.
Another contributing factor could be their learning strengths or style. They may be a visual-spatial learner rather than an auditory-sequential learner. This means they may see the forest but have trouble noticing details about the trees.
The good news is there are many ways to help your child with writing issues. I suggest you start by meeting with their teacher. Find out how much time is being spent on handwriting and what methods and materials are being used. Ask what the teacher recommends you do at home to support your child’s handwriting development.
Your child may need more time to work on their handwriting than the school provides. You could look online or in education supply stores for resources you can use at home. If gripping the pencil is an issue, try pencils that are different sizes and weights. You may also want to try out differently shaped plastic pencil grips. See if these help make writing more comfortable for them.
There are other strategies you can try at home. These include:
- Making sure they write while sitting at a table rather than while lying on their bed
- Encouraging them to dictate ideas to you and then copy down what you’ve written
- Using finger paint, shaving cream, sand and other materials to help them see and feel the shapes of letters and numbers
- Giving them plenty of time to write and taking breaks along the way
Most importantly, be sensitive to your child’s self-esteem. Avoid words like lazy or messy. As someone with learning and attention issues, I found one of the most difficult situations I faced as a kid was being told by adults that I could do something if I really tried—and my telling the adults that I was trying. When more of the same doesn’t help, it may be time to look for a new strategy.
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