Handwriting Blog

Here at 2Weeks2Learn we KNEW you lot would all love a guide on handwriting because on our social channels every time we asked, ‘what guide should we do next?’ There was always a large proportion of you that said ‘HANDWRITING!’ So we obliged. But just why is having good handwriting so important to schools and do our kids ACTUALLY still need decent penmanship or it is just a throwback to the days of letter writing? Let's talk about some important stuff to do with handwriting shall we?

Firstly our Handwriting guide is about so much more than just learning to write beautifully. We know that quite often parents will be told by teachers during feedback sessions (like parents’ evening), that their child could do with improving their handwriting. It’s a common request. But why? Don’t they teach them this in school? Well, yes they do. They will often have handwriting sessions or will work on letter formation as part of a literacy lesson but there is only so much time in a school day and a lot to get through. Also the tricky thing about handwriting is that your child might be quite happy to write 10 a’s on a line but when it comes to writing the word ‘banana’ later in the day, all consideration to handwriting go out the window as they try to sound out the letters and figure it all out. It’s a lot to manage and for some children it’s trickier than others. 

Fine Motor Skills

The key here is actually nothing to do with writing at all. It’s all about those fine motor skills. What are fine motor skills? This is your child’s ability to grip little things with their hands and manipulate them successfully. You know when they are a baby and you notice the first time they can manage to grab a raisin between their thumb and finger to eat it, THAT’S usually a first step into the world of fine motor skills. It’s that pincer grip and being able to do everything from pick up a cheerio to tying their shoe laces. 

It’s these skills we really need to work on if we want handwriting to improve and it’s this that we have the most fun with throughout our guide, coming up with all sorts of silly games your children will love from ages 4-11 that really help to improve those fine motor skills. 

Sitting ‘correctly’

Something else to consider is how your child sits to write. There is something called the S factors or the 7 S’s of handwriting. These are sitting, size, shape, spacing, slant, stringing and speed. So let’s start with sitting. For some children how they sit can make a huge difference to writing. They might need to have their feet firmly planted on the ground or on a stool to help them feel more stable. They might need to turn the paper to help with hand position. They might need to sit on a wobble cushion or a soft cushion. They might need a slanted surface to write on or be closer or further away from the paper. If we can encourage our child to be super comfortable, in whatever way suits them, then we are off to a good start. Sitting correctly, means correctly for the child. You can find out more about the other S’s and what teachers are expected to teach the children in school on the Handwriting Association website.

Do they need a pencil or pen grip? 

Our only advice here at 2W2L with regards to grips is only use them if they actually help your child. They aren’t necessary and we don’t suggest you start learning to write with them, but if your child is finding gripping the pencil or pen tricky then it could be worth a try. If they get on with it and it improves their writing then use it, if it doesn’t then discard it. There is no one correct way. The BEST way is the right way for YOUR child. We have grips and writing support tools on our Handwriting Shop list here. 

Why do they even need to be good at handwriting? 

In this day of tech, AI and smart phones why are we spending so much time still teaching good penmanship? Well, ultimately children still use a pen or pencil to write for most of their learning in school, and this in turn is used in exams. It is the exams which determine and assess the levels of our children for their futures (whether we like this system or not) and therefore they need to be able to make themselves understood when answering these exam papers. If their writing isn’t clear then they might miss marks or points. If they squiggle a 6 and it looks like a 0 they might miss out on a maths mark. If they use a brilliant, long adjective in their descriptive writing but it just looks like a squiggle the examiners won’t be able to score them marks for their great use of vocabulary. It isn’t about being beautiful it’s about it being clear and easy to read and reflecting the wonderful knowledge they have. Have you ever got frustrated looking at a doctor’s handwriting on a prescription as you try to decipher what they’ve written? Well, imagine being a teacher and looking at pages of that every day! So you can understand why they might ask for your help from home to encourage your child to make it as clear as they can. If you aren't sure what your child's handwriting is like, why not try our free CHECKLIST assessment to see.

Pen Licenses - what are they and how can I support my child to get one? 

Some schools still work to a system called a pen licence where a child will only be given a pen to write with once they hit certain handwriting assessment criteria. This creates an atmosphere of competition. This has both pros and cons. For some children this is highly motivating and can spur them on to work hard at improving their handwriting quickly. For other children though it might be really disheartening as they see others given pens whilst they try their hardest constantly but just don’t hit the criteria. Our advice over here at 2W2L if your child is frustrated at not getting their pen license is this: 

1. Have fun playing the games in our guide! 

2. Speak to the teacher, explain your child’s frustration and find out exactly what it is that they are wanting to see from them to gain their licence. 

3. If you aren’t happy that the school do the pen licence system ask to discuss the policy with the headteacher or the school governors. Find out why they use it and if they have data that supports it’s success for pupils and discuss any concerns you might have. 

4. Support your child with extra love and attention on the things they are good at. Remind them all people have different strengths and that’s OK. 

5. Download our FREE 2W2L certificate for your child once they’ve completed something they’re proud of.

Cursive or not? 

Why do some schools seem to encourage cursive and some don’t? Well, ultimately all schools eventually encourage cursive as it just means joined up writing but some schools do something called lead in and lead out lines on letters first to help children see how letters can join together in writing. It is best to ask your school what they teach and how, so you can encourage the same at home, so your child doesn’t get confused. We have cursive sheets to show you how in our FREE Handwriting Checklist HERE. 

Could it be Dyspraxia? Or dysgraphia? Or ADHD?

There are many reasons why a child might find handwriting particularly challenging. Dyspraxia is often suggested by professionals, but what is dyspraxia? According the the NHS website, dyspraxia is, 

‘A developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), which is a condition affecting physical co-ordination.’

You can find out more HERE. 

What about dysgraphia? According to Wikipedia it is a neurological disorder and learning disability that concerns impairments in written expression, which affects the ability to write, primarily handwriting, but also coherence.

You can find out more HERE on the International Dyslexia Association website. 

Likewise, ADHD or dyslexia or having particularly high intelligence can interfere with a child’s ability to write so if you have any concerns at all speak to your GP. Don’t forget to also communicate to your child’s teacher or the school SENCO about concerns as they can offer support and guidance. Lots of the games in our guide are dyspraxia, dyslexia and ADHD friendly, because we are all about PLAY!

Making those Christmas and birthday presents work for you!

Did you know there are loads of fantastic toys that automatically support your child’s fine motor skills and therefore their handwriting? If there is an occasion coming up, why not buy something for your child from our Handwriting list on our shop. We’ve included something for every child, and for all different ages, so hopefully there is something that will excite them and you can play together whilst you secretly smile at all the developmental work you are doing with them! 

If you have any further questions about handwriting or anything we’ve written about here then please don’t ever hesitate to contact us HERE. Happy playing!