Handwriting for 7th grader?

[nchser]

My 12yo son has used Handwriting workbooks for the past 5 years of homeschooling, but I noticed last night as I was putting away school books and looking at some work from previous years, that there isn't any significant change in his handwriting from when he was 7. His typical handwriting is chicken scratchy, so unless he wants to be a doctor when he grows up, I think we really need to work on it!

 

When he has writing assignments, he prefers to use the computer, which is not surprising. Other work ranges from sloppy to careful, but still not terribly neat, even when he is working hard at it.

 

What would you all recommend? I don't know if another handwriting program would be beneficial, or if I should just do more copywork.... I just don't know how to approach this. My 2 older daughters did not need handwriting past 5th grade or so.

 

Any ideas would be welcome.

TIA!

[mombygrace]

bumping for ideas too. I have a dd with similar issues

[Terabith]

I think at 12, I would let it go. Focus on typing skills. How often do most adults have to have other people read their handwriting? If you're going to do any handwriting instruction, I'd focus on manuscript. Filling out forms is the only thing that really comes to mind.

[Quiver0f10]

My 12 yo has terrible handwriting so we are going to use HWT's books meant for older kids. print version and cursive version

[*Kate*]

My 12 yo ds is the same way. I try to get him to be neat with his writing. Sometimes he is and sometimes he isn't. Let's face it though - some people have awesome handwriting and other's don't (especially males). So I try not to worry about it too much. There are more important things to be working on. If something is especially messy (to the point I have trouble reading it) then I make him do it over. That is often enough to make him try harder to be neat the first time around.

[Sunshine State Sue]

My 12 yo ds is the same way. I try to get him to be neat with his writing. Sometimes he is and sometimes he isn't. Let's face it though - some people have awesome handwriting and other's don't (especially males). So I try not to worry about it too much. There are more important things to be working on. If something is especially messy (to the point I have trouble reading it) then I make him do it over. That is often enough to make him try harder to be neat the first time around.

:iagree:

We worked through a handwriting book as well.