How much do you worry about forming letters "correctly"

[Moxie]

My 6 year old writes several letters in a way that I consider backwards. The letters look fine but he starts them in wierd spots ("b" starts at the top, goes down and then forms the loop from the bottom). I've tried to correct him but this kid is stubborn in the extreme. Do I push this issue or let it go??

[janainaz]

Forming letters properly does matter because he will have a very difficult time when cursive is taught.

[Dinsfamily]

I agree with the PP. It is important to me and I would correct it. Now that I start my dc with cursive in Kindy, it isn't as much of an issue. The flowing nature of the letters seem to lend themselves to correct formation.

[Sharilynn29]

At this young age, I would try to break bad habits. My dd went to first at PS. Since they can't watchthe letter formation of all children, my dd came home with really bad habits. Almost every letter was written incorrectly. I had to sit with ber whenever she wrote and guide her through every letter and constantly correct bad formation. She's much better now, although not perfect.

 

I realized that my older ds makes his lowercase d with the line first like a backwords b. His writing is nice, so I ignored it. He was older when I noticed so I really didn't care. His cursive is great as well.

[ByGrace3]

Yeah, it matters to me. We spend a good bit of K working on letter formation using HWOT.

[alisoncooks]

My 6 year old writes several letters in a way that I consider backwards. The letters look fine but he starts them in wierd spots ("b" starts at the top, goes down and then forms the loop from the bottom). I've tried to correct him but this kid is stubborn in the extreme. Do I push this issue or let it go??

 

I think you and I may be teaching the same stubborn 6 year old.

My DD would consistently begin all "tall letters" from the bottom up, all circles would be formed from the wrong direction, etc. This is also a child who does not like writing at all and didn't show an interest in coloring/writing until her 5th year.

 

Lucky for me, :glare: DD is also somewhat of a competitive perfectionist, so after many times of showing her how much tidier MY letters were (because I formed them the correct way :p) she began to be open to changing her form. :D

 

We don't do a formal handwriting program, but each morning starts with handwriting (she writes while I gather school items). I use lined paper and have scheduled out 1 word/name/phrase to do every morning of the week. Last week was DD's first and last name, written just once in her neatest handwriting each morning. This week she is practicing her middle name, written 2x each morning.

 

I have told her that on Fridays, she would get to judge which day's work was the tidiest and put a sticker next to that line. It's working for her (I'm definitely seeing improvement).

[xixstar]

I would work on it -- with my high schooler I was told to not worry about it and she'd eventually form letters correctly, but that never happened. She also never really learned cursive and it feels very unnatural for her because she is used to forming letters backwards (bottom to top or ever left to right). It's not the end of the world, but I think she'd have an easier time writing if she had learned a better method.

[pitterpatter]

Yup, important.

[GoVanGogh]

I don't worry about it.

 

DH and I had a conversation several years ago because DH was worried our son, a lefty, was making his capital "M" incorrectly.

I pulled out our current handwriting book and DS was, in fact, making them correct.

I then pulled out another handwriting book (I used several, as I am right-handed and teaching penmanship to a lefty was a challenge...) and - according to that program - DS was writing them incorrectly.

 

DH and I then sat down and wrote out several examples - grocery list, addressed an envelope, etc. We found that we both made our capital "M" different, depending on the mood and formality of what we were writing.

 

I decided at that time that I really didn't care how DS wrote out his letters, so long as they were legible. He didn't have any problems learning cursive.

[Kathryn]

I work on it.

 

BUT, i usually do my b's exactly how you described. Probably because my handwriting is now a combination of print and cursive.

[Ellie]

My 6 year old writes several letters in a way that I consider backwards. The letters look fine but he starts them in wierd spots ("b" starts at the top, goes down and then forms the loop from the bottom). I've tried to correct him but this kid is stubborn in the extreme. Do I push this issue or let it go??

I'd correct it. And I wouldn't "try" to correct it; I'd do it. Instruct, model, analyze, correct every.single.time it's incorrect, repeat, repeat, repeat.

[ErinE]

I model the correct way. If I notice a continued pattern, I require extra writing after copywork. It's only three letters, but each one must be written correctly. For example, dd would start her O's at the bottom and make them squashed. I'd write out three perfect O's, noting I start at the top and make it look like a donut; I don't want a blob. Watching like a hawk, I would have dd write her O's, prompting the entire time. The writing was daily until her O's were perfect in copywork. I do this with any letter that isn't formed right or doesn't look correct.

[Mom-ninja.]

Yes, I correct it.

[MethodicalMadness]

Take it from a mom who is in the process of re-teaching cursive to a 10 year old- correct it now!

 

This is our first year of homeschooling after realizing how much my ds fell through the cracks in all areas, even at an expensive private school. He is now doing Simply Cursive: http://www.school4jesus.com/bookshop/homeschooling-ebooks/simply-cursive-style-1

 

He cannot read in cursive without serious struggle, and his writing is not legible. He writes most of his letters backwards. It is really frustrating that I did not catch it sooner.

[redriver55]

I'm planning to pick up some small chalkboards, like they suggest in HWOT (handwriting without tears). We practice d'nealian here, so I only use HWOT for the order of letters & instruction. As backwards as that may be.

My youngest loves to write, but needs to get in better practice of making letters the right way. Most of the time she does not start at the top. All in due time.

[boscopup]

I corrected my son at age 6.5. I'm so glad I did! His handwriting is much easier now.

 

It was hard work. I had to watch him like a hawk every time he wrote something. After several weeks, I was able to relax a bit and just remind him now and then.

[HomeschoolingHearts&Minds]

I would correct it. Your child will not know how to properly form letters and in what order without you modeling it (it's not like handwriting is innate knowledge, right?). And when it is a habit, it is much harder to change. Improper formation will affect legibility and fluency.

 

An aside: forming Bs that way may actually work to his advantage when he gets to cursive, depending on the font you are teaching.

 

However, I disagree with the need for hyper-vigilance (correcting every single time). My personal preference is to use copywork time to put our full focus on letter formation. I don't ignore it at other times, but I don't constantly correct. My 6-year-old likes to write and illustrate comic books on his own, for instance, and I do not stand over him correcting his every move. That's not fair to him and could easily kill his desire to do it (he's a wonderful story teller).

 

So, while he is doing copywork, I model each letter of each word for him and he copies it. I agree that correcting constantly might yield faster results, but I've found that he has become more mindful of how he's writing just after doing this a few minutes every day, and, yes, he is forming letters in the proper stroke order about 95% of the time and continues to improve---that's saying a lot considering that this child started out forming nearly every letter from end to start, bottom to top, and sometimes backwards.

 

Now we need to concentrate on size and space control. :D

[Hunter]

Handwriting is the first and foremost hill I'll die on. I start every tutoring student with handwriting remediation. I don't expect them to write ANYTHING other than what has been previously taught.

 

I've tried out a few things with both the cursive and manuscript first approaches, and a few different style hands, but always I require perfect formation. I sit with them letter by letter, and we don't do anything until a student is able to consistently form letters correctly.

 

I've been doing cursive first which is a much bigger initial investment of time. I'm not entirely convinced it's worth it to do cursive first, but I'm not ready to give it up yet. Life would be easier if I did though. :tongue_smilie:

 

With cursive first we are stuck much longer at copywork of words that have already been taught. If I am teaching this along intensive phonics at the same time it, doesn't slow us down all that much. If a student can already spell a bit, cursive first slows us WAY down, because they are hesitant to write any words they have not been specifically taught to write yet.

 

My preference for awhile now has been the handwriting instructions in WRTR 6th edition.

[Ellie]

My 6 year old writes several letters in a way that I consider backwards. The letters look fine but he starts them in wierd spots ("b" starts at the top, goes down and then forms the loop from the bottom). I've tried to correct him but this kid is stubborn in the extreme. Do I push this issue or let it go??

I should have read this more closely, lol.

 

The way your son writes "b" sounds like the way Spalding and others teach: b is a tall letter with a short part; it begins at the top (the tall part) and ends with a circle (the short part).

[alisoncooks]

Whew. I thought I was losing it. I was sure I learned it that way!

I took it to mean that OP's son makes the tall line, going top-down, but then makes the circle part starting at the bottom and just continuing around counter-clockwise (as opposed to what I teach my DD, which is draw the line down, then "hop" back up and around to form the circle, somewhat like making an "h").

 

Does Spalding teach it the first way?

[Holly]

I try to correct it when I see it. The problem I have is that DS writes some letters correct half the time...like when I'm watching him. If I get him to focus on what he's writing, it will be correct. Later on, I'll see him write it incorrectly (like when he's adding words to his drawings). :rolleyes:

[Hunter]

I try to correct it when I see it. The problem I have is that DS writes some letters correct half the time...like when I'm watching him. If I get him to focus on what he's writing, it will be correct. Later on, I'll see him write it incorrectly (like when he's adding words to his drawings). :rolleyes:

 

I try not to REQUIRE a large volume of output, until students are consistently writing correctly. Yes, there are versions of "correct" lol, but that they are being consistent about something that WORKS.

 

One of the reasons I like to do a lot of continent blob drawing with new writers, is that it is science and social studies without a lot of written output.

 

If a student is doing their own thing outside of school time, I'd never hang over a shoulder and correct. :ack2: I just stand over whatever I have ASSIGNED, and am very careful WHAT I assign.

[IsabelC]

First child: months of research about the best font to teach, how to teach it and what resources to use, made him practice every letter individually thousands of times, ensuring that the pencil strokes are properly done in the correct order with the right amount of pressure, the relative size of each letter part is perfect and the gap in between words is measured, regularly freak out that he might end up with Handwriting As Bad As His Dad's, which could ruin his chance of happiness in life.

 

Second child: periodically remind her not to put random capitals in the middle of words, and suggest that it might be good if she chooses one font and sticks to that.

 

Third child: "She's writing! Cool!"

[Dinsfamily]

First child: months of research about the best font to teach, how to teach it and what resources to use, made him practice every letter individually thousands of times, ensuring that the pencil strokes are properly done in the correct order with the right amount of pressure, the relative size of each letter part is perfect and the gap in between words is measured, regularly freak out that he might end up with Handwriting As Bad As His Dad's, which could ruin his chance of happiness in life.

 

Second child: periodically remind her not to put random capitals in the middle of words, and suggest that it might be good if she chooses one font and sticks to that.

 

Third child: "She's writing! Cool!"

 

I was the opposite. I was much more strict with ds2 with grip and letter formation. Remediating #1 was such a pain! Thankfully, #3 is light years ahead of where his brothers were at that age without any help from me.

[Hunter]

First child: months of research about the best font to teach, how to teach it and what resources to use, made him practice every letter individually thousands of times, ensuring that the pencil strokes are properly done in the correct order with the right amount of pressure, the relative size of each letter part is perfect and the gap in between words is measured, regularly freak out that he might end up with Handwriting As Bad As His Dad's, which could ruin his chance of happiness in life.

 

Second child: periodically remind her not to put random capitals in the middle of words, and suggest that it might be good if she chooses one font and sticks to that.

 

Third child: "She's writing! Cool!"

 

Yup, I'm the opposite too. I learned the hard way with one of my sons not to follow the same plan with my tutoring students. He is chained to a computer, now, as an adult. I might as well have taped one hand behind his back, and have taped his fingers together on the other hand.

[Mama2Many4]

I definitely would work on it. Even if you don't teach cursive, they would still need to know how to form their letters correctly in order to right quickly and efficiently.

[mom2one]

Looks like I'm in the minority, but I wouldn't make a big deal about it as long as it's legible. My big thing is neatness...I will not tolerate sloppy work. But as far as the letters themselves, I'm not worried. The public schools here barely even do much handwriting and don't even teach cursive anymore. They start putting a huge emphasis on typing in second grade.

 

Out of curiosity, is your child a lefty? My DD (a lefty) makes a lot of letters in ways I find strange, but then when I talked to my mom (also a lefty) she said that she makes her letters in the same way.

[IsabelC]

The funny thing about my kids is that the one who got the most handwriting tuition is the one who detests writing and has the worst hand. (Although it's not necessarily that the teaching wrecked his writing, probably more that I took more trouble because he was such a reluctant writer.)

[LittleIzumi]

My kids insist on teaching themselves print without me well before we start formal school. I gave up :lol: but I take much more care in teaching cursive, which I actually get to TEACH :lol:. So far it's working just fine--dd's cursive is quite neat and pretty while I've never been able to drill correct manuscript technique into her, and the next dd is much more stubborn about her printing. Cursive is mine!

[kristinannie]

I don't worry about it.

 

DH and I had a conversation several years ago because DH was worried our son, a lefty, was making his capital "M" incorrectly.

I pulled out our current handwriting book and DS was, in fact, making them correct.

I then pulled out another handwriting book (I used several, as I am right-handed and teaching penmanship to a lefty was a challenge...) and - according to that program - DS was writing them incorrectly.

 

DH and I then sat down and wrote out several examples - grocery list, addressed an envelope, etc. We found that we both made our capital "M" different, depending on the mood and formality of what we were writing.

 

I decided at that time that I really didn't care how DS wrote out his letters, so long as they were legible. He didn't have any problems learning cursive.

 

 

This is good to know since this has been my approach to this problem!