Handwriting is critical to a child’s success in school. Even in the age of rapidly growing technology take over, it is essential to know how to write legibly. Getting your thoughts down on paper is holistic. The brain performs differently when writing by hand. Handwriting requires foundational skills, including eye/hand coordination, finger and upper body movement, directional awareness, to name a few. Children who are able to produce legibly written work, are more motivated and actually have an increase in neural activation in the brain. Those who struggle with handwriting, suffer the consequences of low grades, due to illegible writing, because teachers heavily depend on written production. Inferior outcomes could lead to behavior issues and decreased self-esteem.
Taking 15 minutes a day to dedicate to handwriting practice, could easily lead to developing a solid handwriting base. Handwriting does not have to be “boring”. Children are motivated by play. Thus through play, children can achieve success naturally. Using movement patterns, as well as using sensory mediums creates a fun environment for natural learning.
A child needs a strong fine motor base to support handwriting abilities. In this post, let’s explore some fun ways to improve fine motor skills, for improved handwriting quality.
Fine Motor Activities (for ages 3 and up)
- Use playdough: to build letters. Once built, trace the letters with your finger.
- Snap Beads: Have a race to see how many beads a child can snap within a given time frame. Make a fun math game by calling out a math fact and snapping the number of beads equal to the math solution. Complete a snap bead color pattern.
- Modeling clay: Use modeling clay to form pieces into balls, using thumb and index finger.
- Marble drop race: hold 10 marbles in one hand, see who can drop all 10 marbles in a container the fastest, translating 1 marble at a time, from palm to fingertips. Go the opposite direction and complete fingertip to palm translation, eventually holding all marbles into palm simultaneously.
- Clothespins: Clip clothespins onto a sturdy surface (ie. clothes hanger, card stock, cardboard). Turn this into a game and see who can clip the pins on the fastest. You could also use this as a way to learn the letters of the alphabet. Simply take the clothespins and write a letter of the alphabet on each pin. Have your child clip the pins on in alphabet sequence.
Handwriting is required in most every subject. Early intervention is critical. Knowing what to look for and ensuring implementation of appropriate strategies, can significantly decrease chances of delays in this area. The ultimate payoff is a child with handwriting abilities that leads to a higher success rate in school.
If you have additional tips and tricks, please share. Your input would be much appreciated. Check out my store for some awesome printables to use for improved fine motor and handwriting skills.
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