A Teacher’s Guide to Improving Handwriting

While technology has entered the classroom and changed the way that children write, communicate, and complete educational activities, handwriting is still an essential skill inside and outside the classroom. Teachers can help students improve their handwriting skills with these tips from Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS).

Incorporate Pre-Writing Activities into Classroom Lessons

Handwriting improvement includes more than learning how to craft letters. Pre-writing activities can help students learn how to hold pencils properly, find a comfortable grip, and work on the fine motor skills required for handwriting.

Developing fine motor skills can involve playing with playdough, picking up objects with clothespins, and lacing or threading activities like creating jewelry with beads.

Some students may benefit from pencil grips and other writing aids. A therapist can identify this when helping a teacher with lessons in the classroom. Activities that help students strengthen their wrists and learn to perform small movements with their fingers can improve their pencil grasp. Such pre-writing activities include playing with Play-Doh, tweezers, and blocks.

Other students may benefit from puzzle-based pre-writing exercises. You can make these puzzles for students out of popsicle sticks and cardboard or purchase pre-made models.

Larger pieces help younger students handle them more easily, and they can learn to build words, practice fine motor control, and problem-solve.

Use Multi-Sensory Techniques to Reinforce Letter Shapes

Handwriting exercises can be more creative than just picking up a pencil. Multisensory experiences can help reinforce what students are learning and provide more variety in their day. The success of a multisensory exercise may depend on how the student learns best. If there are several options for students to try, they may find one that helps them learn better than another.

Students who are tactile learners may benefit from exercises involving different textures, such as tracing letters in sand with their fingers. This helps them learn letter shapes, and they can feel themselves making the correct letter formations.

Those who learn better with movement may find forming letter shapes in the air helpful. Auditory learners may find it helpful to sing the alphabet or incorporate other rhymes for better memorization.

Weave in Time for Handwriting Practice Daily

Daily practice is essential for creating good handwriting habits and improving handwriting. Adding handwriting exercises or time for students to do a little writing into lessons can help them improve over time. Students maintain the skills they learn and develop new ones as they gain a larger vocabulary and continue to write.

Handwriting can be part of many lessons and even as a break or cooldown while switching from one activity to another. Worksheets can help students practice handwriting and what they’ve just learned.

Journaling may be a good option for a quiet period during which students can practice their handwriting, reflect on the day’s lessons, and express feelings they have about the day in a healthy way.

Therapists who work alongside PTS in the classroom can also use handwriting practice time to work with small groups or students one-on-one to improve specific aspects of their handwriting so they continue to improve with their peers.

Pencil Power™

To help teachers maximize handwriting practice in the classroom, PTS offers Pencil Power™, a supplemental handwriting instruction program designed for K-2 students. Pencil Power™ is a six- or 12-week program with an optional board game component that can be used in small groups to allow students to practice essential pre-writing and writing skills while having fun. 

Teachers can use Pencil Power™ to help guide handwriting practice without a therapist in the classroom and benefit from PTS’s knowledge and resources.

Teachers and Therapists Can Work Together to Improve Student Handwriting

Therapists who work alongside PTS can help teachers improve their students’ handwriting through fine motor and sensory exercises. Therapists can also provide classroom-wide, small-group, and individual support to help students and teachers make the most of their time in the classroom. Contact PTS to learn more about improving handwriting in the classroom today.