How to help your child learn to write?

Mastering the art of writing happens in several stages and according to the child’s age and development of fine and gross motor skills. Young children will often hold their pencil in the palm of their hand or grasp it with all their fingers. It’s okay to just let them explore at this stage. They’ll naturally progress to gripping pencils with three or four fingers. However, as soon as they start writing, you can help your child learn the right way to hold their pencil by doing the following:

• Demonstrate the right gestures for writing letters
• Give them pointers on proper technique (i.e., rest the side of their writing hand on the table and use the tips of their fingers without moving their wrist or hand)
• Show them how to position their fingers when they grasp a pencil (i.e., their thumb, index, and middle fingers at the lower end of the pencil, pointing up)
• Show them pictures of proper writing technique
• Etc.

To write well, your child needs to develop good posture. It may seem trivial, but poor posture will eventually lead to physical pain and negatively affect concentration. It will also make writing more difficult. To help your child, regularly remind them to do the following:

• Hold their worksheet so it doesn’t slide around the table
• Place both feet flat on the floor
• Make sure the table is two inches above their elbow crease
• Sit up straight with their back against the chair
• Rotate the paper slightly so it aligns with the angle of their writing arm
• Etc.

Fine motor skills are required for very small, precise hand movements, whereas gross motor skills use the large muscles in the body to allow for control and coordination. Writing would clearly be impossible without these two types of motor skills. That’s why it’s important to help your child develop both. For instance, you can suggest the following activities:

• Play with modelling clay and add small details
• Thread macaroni on a string to make a necklace
• Handle small objects (e.g., string beads, dress up dolls and figurines)
• Bounce on a hopper ball
• Climb on a jungle gym
• Etc.

Colouring and drawing are two fun activities that can make a big difference! When you encourage your child to get out their brushes and colouring pencils, you’re giving them their first lessons in writing. How? These types of activities encourage small finger movements and will stimulate the following:

• Movement control and coordination
• Muscle development
• Thumb control
• Hand strength
• Attention to detail
• Etc.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: perseverance requires motivation! To keep that flame alive in your child, here are some things you can do:

• Ask them to help you write your grocery list
• Encourage them to leave a nice note on the kitchen table for a family member
• Help them practise writing letters on a window with an erasable marker, in the sand, or elsewhere
• Praise their efforts and celebrate their progress
• Teach them that writing is another great way to communicate
• Etc.