Handwriting Help for 5yo

[KBadd]

My just-turned 5 year old son is an amazing reader, doing well in math, and follows along with older brother in grammar, history, science, and Bible. What we really need to focus on is handwriting.

 

He's gone through Zaner-Bloser's K book. He knows how to hold the pencil correctly and how to correctly form uppercase and lowercase letters, and he traces really well when provided with dots or a light gray printed letter to follow, if that makes sense. I've been giving him pages I make on K paper that focus on writing one letter many times, then have words or a short sentence that contains several of that letter, all with dots for him to follow. When he doesn't have something to follow, his letters are not in the margins or middle lines at all, and the writing just looks messy (a lowercase n will look like an h for example.) I know he is young, but it's time-consuming to make all these pages and I want to help him master it. I know he's capable - after doing math this year his numbers are now very good! But letters are just not getting there as fast. My oldest is pretty good at handwriting and didn't need a lot of help so I'm not sure of the best course to take now.

 

So... What should I be doing? Keep giving him my dot pages and letting him practice until we get there? Buy Zaner-Bloser's K book and have him go through it a second time? Or try another handwriting book?

[HomeAgain]

When we started handwriting it was very light. Go over letter formation orally, talk about start/stop points, sizing, and then draw one letter. Look at it, have him compare the same points to the model. If needed, try again. Work up slowly to doing three and picking the best one. Then copying words.

 

We did letter drill like you described with my oldest. It took longer and was more frustrating for both of us. With the youngest I figured I had time, which is why I went so slow, but he grasped the idea of self-correction very quickly and has beautiful writing barely a year later.

[Sarah0000]

I would drop the letter drills and move on to short phrases that are interesting to him or silly.

[LMCme]

First, this could be a normal developmental variation that will get better as time goes on if you continue to do modest direct instruction daily in handwriting (maybe limit it to 10 min per day).  One thing you could try is teaching him a more 'natural' hand than Z-B, like italic.  You could also try changing what he is writing with (e.g., there are fountain pens made for small children, or a felt tipped pen, or a crayon, etc.) so that he can write more with his wrist and less with his fingers.

 

Best,

LMC

[OneStepAtATime]

Some kids take longer to develop handwriting skills than others and there are a TON of 5 year olds with poor handwriting.  He may just not have the eye hand coordination yet.  Kids develop skills at different rates.  He may need more developmental time.  In other words, just more practice right now may not net much.  He may also need more physical time for his brain and body to develop.  And drill and kill may make him (and you) hate writing.  Can you do handwriting practice in limited fashion every day but scribe for him for most of his written output for now?  That way he can get his thoughts out, and develop his critical thinking skills, without being hindered by his still developing physical writing skills.

 

Have you looked at the Start Write software?  You can type up pages with dots or whatever and it only takes a few minutes.  You can do cursive, too, if you ever end up needing it.  For the kids, I started typing up words/topics of interest to them or something funny or something they themselves chose.  DD loved practicing cursive using quotes from movies or books or songs that she liked.  You could do the same with print practice.  

 

http://www.startwrite.com/

 

For some kids, neat handwriting may never be possible (look up dysgraphia).  That does not mean they will not succeed in life or will never be able to function in academics.  It does mean they might need more supports like typing, a Live Scribe pen, dictation software, etc.  My nephew's handwriting is utterly illegible.  I mean that literally.  He still has a 4.0 average in college.  

 

I mention dysgraphia not because I think your child is dysgraphic.  On the contrary, it sounds like your child probably just needs more time to grow.  He is very young.  I say this to reassure you that while having neat handwriting is definitely helpful, it is not a hill to die on, IMHO.  In today's day and age there are MANY ways to "write".  Less than stellar handwriting isn't really a big deal.  Absolutely work on it, a little each day, but there are so many more rewarding things to spend valuable time on with a 5 year old (like instilling a love of learning, developing critical thinking skills, strengthening the family bond, etc.).  If you are frustrated at all the time you are spending on this, I totally get it.  BTDT.  Maybe look at the Start Write software for quicker ways to produce writing practice sheets, cut down handwriting lessons to the bare minimum for now, and spend the time saved on other pursuits.  :)

 

Best wishes...

[ExcitedMama]

How often has he done any writing? Coloring? DS started doing the Kumon books around 3-4 which I think really helped him, far more than HWT, because of the practice I think. He did the letter and number books but also the mazes and other fine motor skills books like scissors and pasting. He loved mazes for awhile and then moved on to loving dot to dots. Just doing a few pages intentionally everyday helped. I don't think just doing a little bit of letter practice would be enough to strengthen the hand and practice. He was/is also a Lego addict which I think helped him with hand strength. DD has been noticeably improving in her attempts to "write" in her workbooks that have tracing letters since she has started doing the Kumon books everyday.

 

What about more fine motor skill practice? Or something like playdoh for hand strength?

 

I bought DS the practice paper from Rainbow with the lines and dots in the middle and he definitely still needs practice with his writing. Some days it really looks great and other days I can tell he's not trying very hard so it's not automatic yet. I remind him a lot on spacing and point out when letters are different sizes or going off the line when they shouldn't or not following through enough, like an h looking too much like an n. I think at this point he can be very focused on keeping something in his head like the spelling or the phrase and not be able to focus on the proper formation because he is rushing.

 

For us the HWT was a bust. Just not enough practice so I don't know what ZB is like but I would just keep working with the practice paper. Maybe add in more intentional stuff that he likes, be it a coloring or activity book, so he can keep up the practice of "writing."

[MerryAtHope]

My just-turned 5 year old son is an amazing reader, doing well in math, and follows along with older brother in grammar, history, science, and Bible. What we really need to focus on is handwriting.

 

He's gone through Zaner-Bloser's K book. He knows how to hold the pencil correctly and how to correctly form uppercase and lowercase letters, and he traces really well when provided with dots or a light gray printed letter to follow, if that makes sense. I've been giving him pages I make on K paper that focus on writing one letter many times, then have words or a short sentence that contains several of that letter, all with dots for him to follow. When he doesn't have something to follow, his letters are not in the margins or middle lines at all, and the writing just looks messy (a lowercase n will look like an h for example.) I know he is young, but it's time-consuming to make all these pages and I want to help him master it. I know he's capable - after doing math this year his numbers are now very good! But letters are just not getting there as fast. My oldest is pretty good at handwriting and didn't need a lot of help so I'm not sure of the best course to take now.

 

So... What should I be doing? Keep giving him my dot pages and letting him practice until we get there? Buy Zaner-Bloser's K book and have him go through it a second time? Or try another handwriting book?

 

This is completely age-appropriate--I suspect your oldest was just really good at handwriting! Many if not most just-turned 5 year-olds are still working on individual letter formation (and some would still be working on that for the next year). There are many more letters to learn than numbers, and it does take longer. Instead of making lots of handwriting sheets and giving him words and sentences to copy or trace, I would do the following:

 

Have him work on one letter at a time--either one per day or one for the whole week. He should write that letter 3-5 times, focusing on forming the letter in the correct way. Let him put a star or sticker above the letter that he thinks he did the best. (Have him tell you why he thinks it's best. If you think another one is best, you could say, "That one is good! I also like the way you made a nice straight line on this one..." pointing to one that you like.) Getting him to slow down, make just a few letters, and identify the one he thinks was best will help him pay more careful attention to formation and will do much more for his writing ability at this stage than lots of copying/tracing.

 

Handwriting lines are not needed at this stage, and many kids are not ready for them. You may want to let him practice on a white board. Show him an example letter, and then let him try it. Focus on forming the letter correctly--round circles, straight lines, starting at the correct spot etc...

 

Incorporate kinesthetic practice, such as writing with a finger in sand, cornmeal, whipped cream, on carpet squares or sandpaper, in snow, etc... This will reinforce the neurological connections needed for handwriting, and will make the motions more memorable.

 

Limit tracing to just once or not at all for any letters he knows how to form. Tracing makes kids focus on the wrong things (such as relying on the visual image for seeing if their marks are correct, starting and stopping the letter many times to make corrections instead of writing a letter smoothly, etc...) 

 

Make sure to incorporate lots of large-muscle play in his day--running, jumping, climbing, swinging...anything that strengthens core muscles and gross motor muscles. These are incredibly important to handwriting. (Many people think of handwriting as a fine motor activity, but it's the gross motors--the trunk muscles that hold the body up so kids don't lean on their arms as they write, the shoulder and arm muscles that control arm movements etc... that are really important). 

 

Mazes, dot-to-dot, coloring, legos, playing with cars, cutting, pasting, painting etc... are good for reinforcing fine-motor skills needed.

 

Have fun and enjoy your 5 year-old! Handwriting will come in time!

Edited March 25, 2016 by MerryAtHope

[TX Pilgrim]

One more quick suggestion - sometimes I write letters or words on the white board and then have my son finger erase it.  We teach cursive first so he has to do the proper strokes and erase it with his finger.  He thinks it is great fun but it is reinforcing proper handwriting.  I would just add this to the list of activities above. 

 

In Montessori schools they practice a letter until it is perfect (make 3 to 5 a day - pick and compare - as explained above).  Once they have mastered that letter it gets added to their "letter book".  This is a special book with 26 pages and a fun cover (quarter sheets). When they master a letter they add it to the booklet. It serves as a great keepsake and gives the kids a bit of motivation to fill the book with all their best work and master all the letters. It is done in the order learned - not alphabetical order.  Technically it is also tied to what letters they can use with the moveable alphabet - but that doesn't really apply here. 

 

However, at 5 I really wouldn't worry too much about handwriting and I agree about other activities to help with core strength and fine motor skills (legos really are great!).  

[rebereid]

I'd say it's age appropriate. My 8 yo still struggles and cried at handwriting time so I'd say your child is right on and impressive if he'll practice with out tears!!!

 

Sent from my SM-T520 using Tapatalk

[TriciaT]

If you want to vary his writing activities, you could pick up "The Write Start" book. It gives lots of fun creative ways to practice those crucial letter formation skills without getting bored to death doing the same tracing and practice over and over.

 

Best of luck! I hope you find some things that work for you! Sorting through these challenges can be tough! I'm trying to sort out what I want to use for handwriting curriculum next year too! Unlike your ds, my girl has a really hard time with pencil grasp despite years of fine motor activities( which she actually excels at in anything but writing! Haha!)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TranquilMind]

Agree with Merry.  He is five.  Many five year olds, especially boys, cannot do handwriting well.  It is a developmental thing.  Relax and back it off, and try again in a bit.

 

I actually was making one of mine cry at 6 by pressuring him on this.  He literally could not do it, and was slow to develop this fine motor skill (but had fantastic large motor skills). 

 

He still writes like a doctor today, but hey...he is on track to be a doctor. ;)  He is a great student and it all worked out fine.  Relax.  They are all different. 

[KBadd]

Thank you for all the replies and advice!

[KBadd]

This is completely age-appropriate--I suspect your oldest was just really good at handwriting! Many if not most just-turned 5 year-olds are still working on individual letter formation (and some would still be working on that for the next year). There are many more letters to learn than numbers, and it does take longer. Instead of making lots of handwriting sheets and giving him words and sentences to copy or trace, I would do the following:

 

Have him work on one letter at a time--either one per day or one for the whole week. He should write that letter 3-5 times, focusing on forming the letter in the correct way. Let him put a star or sticker above the letter that he thinks he did the best. (Have him tell you why he thinks it's best. If you think another one is best, you could say, "That one is good! I also like the way you made a nice straight line on this one..." pointing to one that you like.) Getting him to slow down, make just a few letters, and identify the one he thinks was best will help him pay more careful attention to formation and will do much more for his writing ability at this stage than lots of copying/tracing.

 

Handwriting lines are not needed at this stage, and many kids are not ready for them. You may want to let him practice on a white board. Show him an example letter, and then let him try it. Focus on forming the letter correctly--round circles, straight lines, starting at the correct spot etc...

 

Incorporate kinesthetic practice, such as writing with a finger in sand, cornmeal, whipped cream, on carpet squares or sandpaper, in snow, etc... This will reinforce the neurological connections needed for handwriting, and will make the motions more memorable.

 

Limit tracing to just once or not at all for any letters he knows how to form. Tracing makes kids focus on the wrong things (such as relying on the visual image for seeing if their marks are correct, starting and stopping the letter many times to make corrections instead of writing a letter smoothly, etc...)

 

Make sure to incorporate lots of large-muscle play in his day--running, jumping, climbing, swinging...anything that strengthens core muscles and gross motor muscles. These are incredibly important to handwriting. (Many people think of handwriting as a fine motor activity, but it's the gross motors--the trunk muscles that hold the body up so kids don't lean on their arms as they write, the shoulder and arm muscles that control arm movements etc... that are really important).

 

Mazes, dot-to-dot, coloring, legos, playing with cars, cutting, pasting, painting etc... are good for reinforcing fine-motor skills needed.

 

Have fun and enjoy your 5 year-old! Handwriting will come in time!

This post was especially helpful. We dropped tracing, and I sit and work with him on one letter at a time, plus his name and maybe a short word or two. We circle the best ones. I'm already seeing so much improvement!

 

You're right, my older son was just really good at handwriting! Lol Every child is different, and I'm still learning how to vary my techniques when necessary ;)

[Janeway]

My just-turned 5 year old son is an amazing reader, doing well in math, and follows along with older brother in grammar, history, science, and Bible. What we really need to focus on is handwriting.

 

He's gone through Zaner-Bloser's K book. He knows how to hold the pencil correctly and how to correctly form uppercase and lowercase letters, and he traces really well when provided with dots or a light gray printed letter to follow, if that makes sense. I've been giving him pages I make on K paper that focus on writing one letter many times, then have words or a short sentence that contains several of that letter, all with dots for him to follow. When he doesn't have something to follow, his letters are not in the margins or middle lines at all, and the writing just looks messy (a lowercase n will look like an h for example.) I know he is young, but it's time-consuming to make all these pages and I want to help him master it. I know he's capable - after doing math this year his numbers are now very good! But letters are just not getting there as fast. My oldest is pretty good at handwriting and didn't need a lot of help so I'm not sure of the best course to take now.

 

So... What should I be doing? Keep giving him my dot pages and letting him practice until we get there? Buy Zaner-Bloser's K book and have him go through it a second time? Or try another handwriting book?

Why not move on to Zaner-Bloser 1st grade?

[FO4UR]

Sandpaper letters.  You can make them with a 3x5 index card, glue and sand.  Go over formation with sandpaper letters before doing the real handwriting work each day.  Pick 1-3 letters to work on daily.

 

Draw.  Teach him to draw, completely unrelated to handwriting lessons.  Drawing is a good skill for many reasons that transfer into good handwriting.

 

 

Focus on one issue at a time. Pick letter formation, sitting on the baseline, spacing, neatness...pick ONE thing to perfect at a time.  If you have a child forming letters correctly at 5yo, that is great!  He cannot think about sitting on the baseline if he's trying to remember which direction the pencil goes next.

 

 

 

So, slow down.  He's doing fine.  Just plain paper and a pencil is enough.