Encouraging Smaller Handwriting?

[MidwesternMom]

DS is in 3rd grade and has poor fine-motor skills with writing, stringing things, tying shoes, etc.

 

Despite daily handwriting practice (even in the summer) he hasn't yet gotten letter formation down pat and his letters are still too large.

 

His older sibling struggled forever and a day with spacing, but never had this size problem.

 

Anyone have suggestions for shrinking the size of his letters? He is currently using 2nd grade lined paper and our teacher supply store doesn't have anything with a midline on it that is narrower ruled. Without the midline, I am afraid he'll be more frustrated by trying to size his lower case letters and it will backfire.

 

Ideas?

[PeterPan]

For years I made my dd's paper. It's not that hard to do, and sometimes handwriting software comes with the lines and in different types. It might be he naturally changes with his next growth spurt. Sometimes they occur on the half birthdays. Ours do at least.

[eoffg]

Given his poor fine-motor skills, I would ask if he forms the letters by a movement of his whole hand?

As opposed, to 'anchoring' the side of his hand on the page, and forming the letters by just the movement of the fingers.

With poor fine-motor control of the fingers, often writing is done by movement of the whole hand, with the fingers just used to hold the pen. But letters are then formed by a 'whole arm' movement, and are directed from the shoulder.

So perhaps you could observe whether he is writing with his whole arm, rather than his fingers?

[merry gardens]

DS is in 3rd grade and has poor fine-motor skills with writing, stringing things, tying shoes, etc.

 

Despite daily handwriting practice (even in the summer) he hasn't yet gotten letter formation down pat and his letters are still too large.

 

His older sibling struggled forever and a day with spacing, but never had this size problem.

 

Anyone have suggestions for shrinking the size of his letters? He is currently using 2nd grade lined paper and our teacher supply store doesn't have anything with a midline on it that is narrower ruled. Without the midline, I am afraid he'll be more frustrated by trying to size his lower case letters and it will backfire.

 

Ideas?

Therapro has an assortment of handwriting paper. You might look to see if they have something you want. http://www.therapro.com/Handwriting-Practice-Worksheets-C307761.aspx

[peacefully]

.

[MidwesternMom]

Thanks all, I will check out the links. He does anchor his hand and just use fingers to shape the letters, but continues to make them just as large as the lines allow on 2nd grade paper. When we switch to wide-rule paper (which is what they use in his classroom) he jumps back up to making them even larger, using what should be a bottom line as a midline.

 

I think narrower spacing will help--off to check out the links!

[Lecka]

I am not sure what kind of classroom he goes too, but my son is also in public school, and for the last couple of months last year he was accomodated with special paper for some of his work. It came from the OT he saw for handwriting.

 

So far this year (he started Tuesday) he has not had it, and his handwriting is looking okay. (With his age this could just mean he has finally developed enough to get the hang of it, or the time with that paper could have helped.)

 

But even if he was not getting OT, you might be able to inquire about accomodating him with his own paper (maybe that you provide with software or whatever).

 

My son's paper had a raised top and bottom line, and some lines were red and some were green, just what they had him using. http://www.proedinc.com/customer/productView.aspx?ID=575

 

edit: I have no qualms here, b/c his stuff was much better. Who cares if other kids can fill in the tiny blanks -- I mean, good for them, but I don't think it is a big deal to anyone, and is easier for the teacher to read his writing!

Edited August 25, 2012 by Lecka

[eoffg]

That rather raises a question of whether he has a difficulty with his 'horizontal mid-line'?

I found an article that briefly explains it, and simple exercises to help develop it.

 

http://yourfullpotential.net/OLD/mathandear.html

 

Just scroll down to: The Horizontal Midline (Axial plane):