Build Handwriting Skills for Pre-K Kids While Having Fun!
February 2023 | Melissa Frank, OTR
How do you build handwriting skills that support learning without adding pressure?
This blog will focus on:
Building a proper grasp pattern
Pre-writing strokes
Diving into letter formation
Helpful resources for parents to make it fun
Writing is a skill that all people use throughout their lives. It starts with assumingly aimless scribbles, then transforms into classroom notes, holiday cards, and personalized signatures on crucial documentation. It is a pivotal occupation that is learned and developed overtime, and can often be challenging for a child to learn. Learning Without Tears is an award-winning organization that has created an easy and fun approach to writing. They have encompassed the foundational skills and building blocks that lead to success for children when it comes to learning to write.
I recently attended Learning Without Tears’s “Emergent Writing for Pre-K" continuing education workshop. The course is designed to educated professionals on “proven and engaging multisensory strategies to foster readiness and writing skills to prepare children for kindergarten” (Olsen, 2017). Our OT team utilizes these strategies in order to help our patients thrive every day.
Importance of the Grasp Pattern:
One area that is often stressed while discussing the fundamentals of handwriting is grasp pattern. How a child holds a pencil can be as important as the ability to form the letters. Little hands need little writing utensils. At Buttonloop Children’s Therapies, we like to promote a functional grasp by using rock crayons, broken crayons, chalk, golf pencils and other smaller writing tools, which better meet the child’s developmental needs. This also targets their fine motor skills including manual strength and dexterity as well. Markers and other larger writing utensils can be too difficult to properly hold, therefore requiring a child to hold it differently. Learning Without Tears also sees the importance of this skill, and provides materials that are specifically designed in order to promote proper grasp development, along with a multi-sensory approach which our therapist use during their sessions.
Pre-Writing Strokes:
Before getting to letter formation, a child must master pre-writing strokes which make up the basis of all letters. Just like a child learning to stand comes before learning to walk, and being able to walk comes before being able to run; pre-writing strokes come before letters. It starts with vertical lines, horizontal lines, and circles, then progresses to cross, square, diagonal lines, X, and triangles in that order. These skills mature overtime and are not expected to be mastered until after the age of 5 years old. It is also important to have the child start their strokes from the top. This top-down approach will help prevent fatigue and difficulty with endurance as they progress with their writing.
It’s Letter Time!
The next step is turning those directional strokes into letters, starting with uppercase letters. All uppercase letters can be broken into 4 foundational parts; a big line, a little line, a big curve, and a little curve. Just like pre-writing strokes, letters are developed in a specific order as well. It is a common misconception that the letters should be taught alphabetically from A-Z. However, the letter A requires diagonal lines which developmentally comes later on. While the letter T, which is the 20th letter in the alphabet, only requires horizontal and vertical lines which are developmentally mastered earlier. As per the Learning Without Tears handwriting approach, the letters are taught in a sequence that properly follows skill development. It starts with
“Vertical and Horizontal Letters” like L, F, and E, then progresses to “Magic C” or circular letters like C, O, and G (Olsen, 2008). From there, it continues with “Big and Little Curves”, including D, P, and B, and concludes with "Diagonal” letters (Olsen, 2008).
The Name Myth
Many people believe the ability to write one’s name is a significant developmental milestone. Nonetheless, since there is a developmental pattern to letters, the ability for a child to write their own name greatly varies based on the child’s name. For example, a child with the name “ANNA” contains letters with diagonal lines, which is developmentally a more advanced skill. Yet, the name “ELI” is made up of letters that only require vertical and horizontal lines. Therefore, the ability to write a child’s name may not be an accurate indication of their current skill level.
Attention & Regulation Lead to Engagement & Playful Fun!
In addition to the fine motor and visual motor skills, a key element to teaching a child to write is gaining their attention in order for them to grasp these skills. At Buttonloop, we believe one of the most important factors to learning any new skill is engagement. And, in order to foster that engagement the child needs to be having fun! Meaningful coloring, shaving cream, chalk boards, sand, and playdoh are all different modalities that we use to make learning fun. All of these target the visual motor and fine motor skills needed for writing, however in more appealing way for a child who’s biggest concern is play. In addition, these activities involve additional sensory systems which increases a child’s ability to take in the information. Learning Without Tears stresses the importance of a multi-sensory approach and provides materials such as “Doh Boards” that can be used to further implement these areas. They also supplied us with wooden blocks in the shape of big lines, small lines, big curves, and small curves in order to build the letters in a different, more playful way.
Need more help with handwriting? Let us help you!
Our team strive to provide the best services possible by keeping up to date with continuing education courses and evidence based practice. We use a collaboration of knowledge and experience to provide children with the tools to thrive. Whether it’s from the initial grasp of a crayon or perfecting the formation of a letter, we are here to help every step of the way.
If you are curious about your child’s emerging writing skills and would like a more comprehensive evaluation from one of our incredible occupational therapists, please call to schedule an appointment. Our intake forms can be found on our website at https://buttonlooptherapies.com/new-patient-form. We are looking forward to helping your child leave their mark on the world through fun and engaging strategies.
For further information, check out the following websites:
https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/orofacial-myofunctional-disorders/#collapse_6.
https://aomtinfo.org/myofunctional-therapy/
References:
https://www.lwtears.com
Olsen, J.Z. (2017). Handwriting without tears. Learning without tears.
Olsen, J.Z. (2008). Handwriting without tears. Handwriting without tears.