Do you correct letter formation at this age?

[Momof4sweetkids]

We are new to homeschooling, my daughters are 4, almost 2 and 6 months. My oldest is doing K4 with MWC K and AAR. She is starting to write and I'm not sure if I should be correcting formation or just letting her write to learn to enjoy it. When did you start teaching handwriting? I have the HWT book but haven't used it much yet.

Edited November 25, 2021 by Momof3sweetgirls

[mathmarm]

I would absolutely teach her the correct formation of each family of letters and then remind her as she writes.

I have taught and continue to teach pen-handling and handwriting to my 3.5+ children.

Edited November 24, 2021 by mathmarm

[HomeAgain]

Please teach proper form.  Teach it as an artistic stroke, or however you want to look at it.

I've worked with too many kids who struggle with handwriting later because they were given a laissez-faire approach in the formative years.  It's not fair to them to let them do it however and then try to teach correctly later.  It's poison mean and stunts the writing process.

At 4, I didn't teach writing.  I spent a lot of time with developing that skill through other means, and then taught letter forms when he was more receptive.  I think I would do the same with another 4yo: lots of chalk art, painting, washing the table, spirograph, clothespin games....and just put letter books away until she is reading.

[EKS]

It is very important to teach proper form.  It is extremely difficult to undo bad habits, and there really is a reason letters are formed the way they are.  I would have a 5 minute writing lesson each day and not let her use writing implements unless you can watch her carefully enough to correct her every time she does it wrong.

I know that sounds harsh, but I know from experience that it's important.

[Momof4sweetkids]

Thanks everyone! I did plan to teach letter formation at some point, I just didn't know when to start but sounds like now! She's in the middle of AAR level 1 so she knows all her letters. We could work through the HWT book and if she wants to make a story outside of that, then I just scribe for her?

[Green Bean]

Yes- just scribe for as long as she needs you to. Correcting letter formation now, and later, spelling will save you so much headache as time goes on.

Edited December 4, 2021 by Green Bean

[Clarita]

I teach the letter formation via HWOT, but I don't correct it unless we are doing the HWOT work. So if he wants to write the AAR work I don't correct him on how he is forming those letters.

[qlauraq]

I would 100% wait for the ability to hold a pencil correctly before even thinking of teaching writing.

I also 100% would correct pencil grip when learning to write every time from the first time. I don't worry so much about messy letters or reversals at first (it's pretty normal and only an indication of dyslexia if it persists). 

In K I start to correct letter formation, but not all the time or all situations. For example, I always correct writing mistakes in a writing lesson, but not always in other subjects, eg in math I won't correct a backwards E in the word one. By 1st I'm correcting reversed numbers and letters, and starting to focus more on messy letters eg open-topped lower case As. I gradually increase the frequency and situations where I'll correct letter & numeral formation until about the end of 1st grade I'll always correct any reversed or malformed letters, but as always, this is a rough timeline and all children are different. 

[wisdomandtreasures]

Nope, build a good foundation now so you don't have to start over and break bad habits later. Been there, done that.