How much handwriting is "enough" for a K-er?

[Kidlit]

I'm really trying NOT to play the comparison game, and in reality (in this case at least ;)), I'm not. However, last night at our group music class, which we attend with all private or public-schooled, similar-aged students (I think all in attendance last night were kindergarteners), I noticed that dd's handwriting is decidedly messier and, well, just worse.

 

This led me to question if I'm having her practice enough. That's all. I'm really clueless about this, but she doesn't do a whole lot of intentional writing. She usually does 1-2 pages of HWOT 3 or 4 times a week, and she's been keeping a book log in which she writes the titles and authors of the books she reads.

 

Is this enough?

 

How do I encourage her to do her best? I think she's just a messy kid. . .:tongue_smilie:

[JenneinCA]

My five year old Kindergartener writes about 8-10 words (one longish sentence) a day, four days a week. His writing is actually quite readable and pretty, but he tires quickly.

 

He is doing WWE Level 1. We are in week 15, I think.

 

I think what you are doing is enough. My ds5 has much more readable writing than his older brother ds9. I don't know how to encourage your daughter to do her best. Maybe she is doing her best and it is still messy. My ds9 doesn't have nice writing but it is truly the best he can do. We continue to work on it, but I have to have reasonable expectations and beautiful isn't it.

[Caribbean Queen]

I would do handwriting 5 days a week, I would introduce a new letter, have her write it to the best of her ability 6 times. Then we'd review some previously learned letters and she'd write a few of those.

 

When my son was younger, he did not do well when I simply handed him a workbook to write letters in. He needed me to show him and tell him how to form letters. I used the first grade Handwriting Without Tears teacher's manual for teaching ideas. I got great results without bogging him down with lots of busywork. I think the teacher's manuals for HWT are great.

[jewel7123]

Are you saying you used the HWT TM's but didn't actually use HWT as your handwriting program? Thanks

 

 

I would do handwriting 5 days a week, I would introduce a new letter, have her write it to the best of her ability 6 times. Then we'd review some previously learned letters and she'd write a few of those.

 

When my son was younger, he did not do well when I simply handed him a workbook to write letters in. He needed me to show him and tell him how to form letters. I used the first grade Handwriting Without Tears teacher's manual for teaching ideas. I got great results without bogging him down with lots of busywork. I think the teacher's manuals for HWT are great.

[Amy Jo]

I don't even do handwriting in K, my kids can/could form the letters, but "practice" was spontaneous. My son who just turned 6 will start with 1 line a day, and possibly up to 2-3 if he doesn't get tired/sloppy. I'm using Penny Gardener's Italics: Beautiful Handwriting for Children and she recommends 5 minutes a day to start, and she thinks 7 is a good age to begin formal handwriting.

[Kidlit]

Thanks for all the responses! I think this is one area that I'm the most foggy on. I mean, it's easy to "see" reading progress, etc., but I don't have any experience as to how a beginner's handwriting really should look.

[m0mmaBuck]

DS7's handwriting is a mess, but it's still more legible than DSS17. We are using a penmanship program in addition to the writing in the SOTW AG, FLL and WWE. It has improved since pulling him home and I believe that is because I make him rewrite things rather than letting it go or just marking it 'wrong' and moving on.

[2_girls_mommy]

With my first Ker, we started really focusing on handwriting after she was reading well and starting to write more often on her own. I too noticed that she was forming her letters incorrectly. At that time (for her 2nd semester of K) I began adding a handwriting practice sheet daily. By then she could write more w/out getting a sore hand.

 

With my current Ker, she is not reading fluently and doesn't write on her own very much yet. I am holding off, and working on reading and math more w/her. I think that we will start daily handwriting practice in 1st. For now I am having her do a little copywork once or twice a week. This week she wrote, "Thank You" and her name so far :) She tires after only that much usually. She also has a pen pal, which motivates her to put a few words to paper to mail to her.

[Guest]

What about using other HWT activities: making letters with play dough, writing in pans and or salt or shaving cream? Drawing letters on the little HTW chalkboard, or "writing" them with a wet sponge? HWT also has wooden shapes -- just a few -- that you can fit together to make the letter shapes.

 

Other fine motor games: checkers, picking up cotton balls with tweezers, stringing cheerios, digging "surprises" out of playdough, mixing cookie dough with their hands, etc. These develop finger flexibility and stamina without the strain of having to focus at the same time on letter formation. There's a really cute series of books called Chicken Soup that you can find in bookstores -- activity books/mini-kits that are really fine motor skills development: making clothespin dolls, doing designs with different colors of masking tape, pipe cleaner animals, etc. My daughter really loved these; they develop the child's ability to sustain fine handwork in a way that's fun.

 

I know it is very, very difficult to resist comparisons. But it is not necessary to begin writing in kindergarten at all. I began HWT in first grade and you will find that your child is able to move much more rapidly with a later start, because their brains and fingers are more developed and stronger and they've had more exposure to letter shapes and books -- and for some kids like my daughter, they've had a bit more chance to develop their sense of directionality and handedness (these both came later for my child). The differences between grade levels etc. level out quite quickly.

Edited February 11, 2010 by Guest
forgot to add something

[Brooketopia]

My dd is a messy writer too. She HATES handwriting. We do the front and back of one ZB page in the K book each day. And then there's random times she has to write in other subjects. I also do copywork with her for Thank You notes after Christmas and birthday.

 

But then, she's always been a little behind in the fine motor hand skills, so I'm not worried. It will work out.

 

If anything, she'll be irritated beyond belief if any of her younger siblings have nicer writing than her and then she'll practice non-stop to get better at it than them. That's her nature, and I'm betting on it to help solve the "problem." :D

[Caribbean Queen]

Are you saying you used the HWT TM's but didn't actually use HWT as your handwriting program? Thanks

 

I used the HWT first grade teacher's manual to plan handwriting lessons. Instead of having my son write in the workbooks, I had him write on blank paper, then, when he became better at handwriting he used normally lined paper. So, I think I used HWT, but I tweaked it. I think the first grade teacher's manual is great.

[Jenn in Mo]

I think you are doing plenty! Children develop hand-eye coordination at different rates. My four year old was writing long before my 6 year old - it's just how she's wired. I wouldn't want to push too hard and cause frustration for several reasons, her confidence level being at the top of the list. If she simply cannot yet...then she can't and no amount of practice will change this at this young stage.

 

I realize practice with a pencil will improve muscle control, but I think there is plenty of time to do this. How about pencil games? Dot-to-dots, drawing pictures, and tracing can improve hand-eye coordination and work those hand muscles; amazingly, so do push-ups though I'm not sure how to make those fun. :tongue_smilie:

 

The handwriting issue caused frustration for one of my sons when it came to math. His brain is wired for mathematical thinking, but most math curricula focus on writing the numbers at the beginning. He was ready to move beyond 2+3=5 long before he was able to write it well. He has excellent handwriting now, but I wondered for a while there.

 

I've tried at least a dozen different handwriting programs and my favorite is still a spiral notebook and 5 minute lessons with mom every day. I believe that practice makes perfect, but I believe overkill makes passionate loathing. :D