Suggestion for correcting messy print handwriting

[Winter]

Does anyone have any suggestions to help work on messy print handwriting? My 4th grader can read at a pretty high level, can spell, can pronounce, but when it comes to handwriting, it's almost illegible so it's something we need to work on. We were using Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Grade 4 but it switched to cursive at some point which is not where our problem is. He writes a lot already for assignments but it doesn't seem to be helping much.

Thanks

[HomeAgain]

Has this been a from-the-beginning problem or a developed problem?  It makes a difference how I approach it.

From the beginning problem: I use the clock method, teaching how to see the letters' positions as points on a clock.  Spalding has this in the beginning of The Writing Road To Reading, but I went ahead and made cards and paper to help little ones see the issue.  There are a lot of other hand strengthening exercises we do as well.

If his letters are being formed correctly (right starting point, right approximate shape, right size) and it's still illegible, then it's time to reinforce what you're looking for.  Scale back writing or focus on a specific short assignment (word, then a whole sentence, then a paragraph..).  For that one assignment, expect the letters to be formed with care.  If not, repeat the assignment until it is correct.  You want to try to bring back intentional effort in his writing.  Not for everything, not at once, but baby steps to bring up the expectation.  You can even start with one letter across the rest of his work. "The y drops below the line.  You need to remember that.  Erase it and write it again."

[Lori D.]

You might also consider starting the day with a pre-handwriting practice such as Callirobics. The concept is to have the student practice the writing "shapes" for printing (Callirobics), or for cursive writing (Advanced Callirobics), to embed the "shapes" in the mind and muscle memory so that when it comes time for actually writing by hand, the handwriting "flows" naturally (and neatly).

The practice is doing a single repeated "shape" for 3-5 minutes while listening to the music selection, and to practice doing the "shape" properly on the lined paper. So it may have you practice doing a single pointed mountain peak (like what you do for the capital letter "M") at a relaxed (NOT rushed pace), thinking about starting at the base line, making the point hit the top line, and then down again to touch the base line. Repeat. The purpose (which I had to keep telling DS#2, LOL), is NOT to rush and make as many in your 3 minutes as possible, but instead, it is to think about EACH shape and make EACH look like the example as best you can.

I had a lot of success using Callirobics with DS#2 with mild LDs, but it also improved MY handwriting and the handwriting of no-LDs DS#1 who was just a sloppy writer. 

Also, I will just mention that while I love @HomeAgain's clock method for visualizing position, and I totally agree with scaling back back if the handwriting is getting illegible, I do NOT recommend telling a child to "erase and write it again". In the long run, I found that, rather than making the child erase and re-do, it was MUCH more effective to work on multiple positive correct formations of the letter with Callirobics (or other practice if you prefer), and then also during a writing assignment or handwriting practice, to sit with the child and "catch them" when starting to speed up and get sloppy, and gently remind them to slow down and think about letter formation BEFORE the writing gets sloppy. You might also even have the child say out loud the steps to writing the letter while forming it, to help slow him down and remind himself of correct letter formation.

Another thing that helped DS#2 overall with focus and concentration, as well as coordination and improvement of handwriting, was Dianne Craft's writing 8's (some people call these "lazy 8s"). Here's a video showing how to do it. I did NOT have DS spend 15 minutes a day on this -- usually about 2-3 minutes, doing 3 or 4 letters of the alphabet, and he would do the next 4 letters the following day. etc.

Brain Gym exercises are also excellent for cross-lateral movements to improve the connections between the 2 brain hemispheres, and can help with things like handwriting, but especially with overall focus and concentration.


Another thought, is if his brain is racing ahead of his ability to write, you might move on to writing with cursive, rather than printing, but you also might start having him learn how to "touch type" (type without looking at the keyboard) so he can speed up getting his racing thoughts onto paper.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Lori D.

[Green Bean]

Have them write in all caps. Honestly, so many people do.

HWT is my only other suggestion.

[Ellie]

1 hour ago, Green Bean said:

Have them write in all caps. Honestly, so many people do.

The reason that many of us recommend NOT having the dc write in all caps is that children often never figure out when it is correct to use upper case and lower case letters but mix them indiscriminately. Spalding recommends teaching lower case first, and upper case as needed along with the rules of usage.

[Green Bean]

7 minutes ago, Ellie said:

The reason that many of us recommend NOT having the dc write in all caps is that children often never figure out when it is correct to use upper case and lower case letters but mix them indiscriminately. Spalding recommends teaching lower case first, and upper case as needed along with the rules of usage.

The reason so many of my family members do is that it's legible. At some point, that is all that matters.