Handwriting Help for 8 yo

[My4arrows]

My DS has horrible handwriting and will say his hand physically hurts after writing for just a few minutes.  We used HWOT when he was in K, but since then have done copywork and some letter tracing.  He doesn't have consistent letter size (even when using the lined paper for younger children), spacing is inconsistent, letter formation is sloppy.  I've tried cursive and he does this fairly well, but still difficult to read.  Where should go from here?

[Arcadia]

How does he write if you let him use markers (normal or white board)? That usually reduce the hand fatigue from writing. My oldest writing hand was hurting and for him it was a hand strength issue. He does mostly typing but can write much longer before tiring now.

 

I would look at tracking issues as well as hand eye co-ordination at that age just in case if he can't stay in line for copywork. However if he tires from writing easily, than it could just be his hand being tired and so copywork becomes inconsistent in letter size.

[Tiramisu]

A first stop would be a pediatric occupational therapist.

 

They will check a lot of things that affect handwriting, including visual-motor issues, hand and upper body strength, sensori-motor, etc.

[My4arrows]

A first stop would be a pediatric occupational therapist.

 

They will check a lot of things that affect handwriting, including visual-motor issues, hand and upper body strength, sensori-motor, etc.

 

Thanks for the thought.  He was actually dismissed from OT and nothing was brought up at that time about the handwriting.  I brought it up initially, but then I can't recall her specifically addressing it.  I may give them a call to see if there's something they suggest.

[Tiramisu]

Thanks for the thought.  He was actually dismissed from OT and nothing was brought up at that time about the handwriting.  I brought it up initially, but then I can't recall her specifically addressing it.  I may give them a call to see if there's something they suggest.

 

I've had hit or miss with OTs.

 

The only time I really got helpful answers from an OT for a handwriting question was when I went out of pocket for an eval and really pushed it. If you go to an OT with insurance for handwriting issues, insurance won't pay unless the OT can document another problem that can be treated with OT, something with a more medical basis and not just learning related. With insurance coverage, the handwriting may not come up in the report (and may not be addressed well in therapy) but other things may be blown out of proportion. We've had that experience twice with an older kid. Once an OT made her sound like her muscles were so weak she was disabled, which was untrue and really disorienting for us. We had to consult other specialists for our own peace of mind, who could confirm the report was unreliable.

 

I'm not saying to necessarily go in ready to pay out of pocket but push for that to be addressed along with any physical cause they find.

[OneStepAtATime]

Look up the term dysgraphia to see if that speaks to you.

 

And yes, seek out an OT with a solid reputation for detailed in depth evaluations.

 

How much writing do they do each day?

 

Maybe look at starting typing, although plan on a long time for typing to become so automatic that it can be used as a way of writing assignments. Emphasize proper posture, correct finger placement and finger pressure/movement, not speed. Speed will come once the other is in place but building that muscle memory, etc. can take quite a bit of time. Keep lessons short and use a typing program to keep track of skill sets and when/how to move forward. Touch Type Read and Spell might be a good option. It is frequently on sale through Homeschool Buyer's Coop.

 

Maybe don't make writing the primary means of feedback right now. Scribe and do a lot of verbal responses. Keep handwriting practice separate as much as possible while you track down what the issue is so that the handwriting difficulties don't hold your child back.

 

FWIW, my nephew with dysgraphia struggled all through school with writing. Once he was allowed to type he did much better. He is in college now with a 4.0 and thriving. Telling you this in case you are dealing with dysgraphia or something like it. Seek answers. There may be a lot you can do to help your child.

 

I know this can be really frustrating/concerning. Big hugs/best wishes...

[Tiramisu]

I'll tell you what I decided to do with my youngest dd with writing this year, after we went to an OT who diagnosed a lack of coordination due to a sensori-motor problem and who also suspects an attention issue. She also has never developed automaticity with writing, but she has no motor or strength problems.

 

I decided to do Modern Speller with her and have her write the passage of the lesson everyday. She also uses Just Write, which we started with the first book, so she could learn about writing while not really having to physically write much. I have her writing in other workbooks, which is not a lot of writing but small amounts consistently. She also does HWT cursive and typing. 

 

So...

 

With Modern Speller she's getting quite a bit of writing (for HER) without having to THINK.

With the workbooks, she's having small amounts of writing with thinking.

For history and science, I'm really not having her write at all because that would require too much writing and thinking.

She's also slowly developing typing skills for the future.

And she learned cursive is more fun than manuscript.

 

Bit by bit, we are making progress this year. Vision therapy helped.

 

But I caught her not capitalizing the pronoun "I" recently and tried to gently correct her while I had an internal fit. I've also had to remind her frequently to indent when starting a paragraph. Oh well. Life goes on.

 

I had planned to do a handwriting app and writing 8's but I never did, because I had a surprise hser the first day of school and got more overloaded this year than I anticipated. You might want to look into those things.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Tiramisu

[My4arrows]

I'll tell you what I decided to do with my youngest dd with writing this year, after we went to an OT who diagnosed a lack of coordination due to a sensori-motor problem and who also suspects an attention issue. She also has never developed automaticity with writing, but she has no motor or strength problems.

 

I decided to do Modern Speller with her and have her write the passage of the lesson everyday. She also uses Just Write, which we started with the first book, so she could learn about writing while not really having to physically write much. I have her writing in other workbooks, which is not a lot of writing but small amounts consistently. She also does HWT cursive and typing. 

 

So...

 

With Modern Speller she's getting quite a bit of writing (for HER) without having to THINK.

With the workbooks, she's having small amounts of writing with thinking.

For history and science, I'm really not having her write at all because that would require too much writing and thinking.

She's also slowly developing typing skills for the future.

And she learned cursive is more fun than manuscript.

 

Bit by bit, we are making progress this year. Vision therapy helped.

 

But I caught her not capitalizing the pronoun "I" recently and tried to gently correct her while I had an internal fit. I've also had to remind her frequently to indent when starting a paragraph. Oh well. Life goes on.

 

I had planned to do a handwriting app and writing 8's but I never did, because I had a surprise hser the first day of school and got more overloaded this year than I anticipated. You might want to look into those things.

  

Look up the term dysgraphia to see if that speaks to you.

And yes, seek out an OT with a solid reputation for detailed in depth evaluations.

How much writing do they do each day?

Maybe look at starting typing, although plan on a long time for typing to become so automatic that it can be used as a way of writing assignments. Emphasize proper posture, correct finger placement and finger pressure/movement, not speed. Speed will come once the other is in place but building that muscle memory, etc. can take quite a bit of time. Keep lessons short and use a typing program to keep track of skill sets and when/how to move forward. Touch Type Read and Spell might be a good option. It is frequently on sale through Homeschool Buyer's Coop.

Maybe don't make writing the primary means of feedback right now. Scribe and do a lot of verbal responses. Keep handwriting practice separate as much as possible while you track down what the issue is so that the handwriting difficulties don't hold your child back.

FWIW, my nephew with dysgraphia struggled all through school with writing. Once he was allowed to type he did much better. He is in college now with a 4.0 and thriving. Telling you this in case you are dealing with dysgraphia or something like it. Seek answers. There may be a lot you can do to help your child.

I know this can be really frustrating/concerning. Big hugs/best wishes...

Thank you for the detailed responses. Lots to think about and look into! We had been doing typing, but now I'm seeing we need to get back into that more for will probably be my first step as I look into the other things.