GUEST BLOG: 5 Stress Free Ways to Practice Handwriting
By Kelli Fetter, Certified Handwriting Specialist and founder of Handwriting Solutions
Does this sound like you? Get the kids up and ready for school, 100 reminders to brush teeth, feed them breakfast… literally whatever you can grab and go, drop them at school, go to work, pick up from school, commute to 45,890 extra-curriculars, fight about homework for an hour, actually do the 15 minutes of homework, dinner, bath, bed… because YOU KNOW that good sleep is essential, and start all over again! And now you’re being asked to add “Practice Handwriting” into that schedule?!
First, let’s back up and acknowledge that our lives are busier than ever, and that we (the “we” being Lindsey and I) get that!
AND, we know that handwriting is an essential life skill that research has shown to be a fundamental part of literacy. But what you may not realise is that handwriting practice does not have to be…and really should NOT be… copying 30 sentences over and over!
When we make handwriting fun, we get increased motivation, firing more neurons and brain connections, and actually are building and retaining more refined skills. Here’s how:
1. Use multi-sensory approaches to practice writing. Research is showing that teaching letters through multi-sensory strategies promotes better retention. So explicitly practicing letter formation by writing in sand, shave cream, or salt to engage our tactile (touch) sense. Or singing songs while forming letters to retain the order of letter strokes to engage our auditory (hearing) system. Or by writing letters in the air using big movements to engage our whole body to engage our kinesthetic (body awareness). Kids LOVE to engage multiple sensory systems in a fun way and don’t even realize it counts as handwriting practice.
2. Do not practice handwriting when completing a big or stressful assignment. Particularly or our older students who may have some frustration or avoidance, separating handwriting practice from actual schoolwork and assignments can be helpful. It reduces the pressure on them to perform or get it “right.” And allows for quality practice with no repercussions if they make mistakes. In fact, we celebrate mistakes and see them as opportunities to grow our editing skills!
3. Change up the environment. This is sometimes the easiest fix, yet the one we forget about. Shake things up with practicing writing by moving away from a desk and chair. Have your child sit on a yoga ball, lie on their tummies propped on elbows, stand at the counter, tape the paper to the wall and have them kneel, etc. SO many positions that we can tweak to make writing engaging without the battle of requiring them to sit at a desk. Plus all of these are strengthening positions, so it’s win-win.
4. Change up the tools. Similar to the positioning, changing up the tools is a quick and easy way to make writing fun. Who says we always have to use pencil and paper?! How about we use a squiggle pen (those battery operated pens that jiggle), or dry erase markers, or crayons, or paint pens, or paint brushes, or chalk. This takes multi-sensory learning to the next level and typically improves the child’s pencil grasp too.
5. Positive reinforcement. We celebrate every single win, no matter how small. Often kids feel like adults are constantly critiquing them. So when we teach them to self-check their work, they take ownership of their wins and their errors. Then it’s no big deal to “fix” their handwriting mistakes, and then we continue to practice quality writing and provide feedback to lead to sustained improvement.
We know that when a child is stressed, learning cannot happen. Making handwriting practice
fun, engaging, and stress-free is the key to progress. By implementing these 5 simple
strategies, your child will be on the path to better handwriting and quite possibly even learn to
love writing.
Still stuck on how to help your child? Reach out to Kelli for a free consultation: https://calendly.com/kelli-hws/consult
More about Kelli...
Kelli Fetter is a Certified Handwriting Specialist and the founder of Handwriting Solutions, LLC providing handwriting tutoring virtually and in-person. She practiced as an occupational therapist in pediatric outpatient, early intervention, preschools, and private schools. She also served adjunct professor teaching pediatrics and kinesiology. Kelli has extensive training in handwriting and dysgraphia. Kelli’s passion is driven by her own daughter’s dyslexia & dysgraphia journey.
Website: www.handwritingsolutions.org
Email: kelli@handwritingsolutions.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076416486347
Instagram: www.instagram.com/handwriting.solutions
You can find out more about how sleep affects learning, and specifically literacy skills, by clicking here and reading my blog post. 'How Sleep Impacts Learning'.
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