How to improve your child’s handwriting Developing handwriting skills is a very important part of growing up and self development. A lot can be said about a person through their handwriting. In some ways it does reflect a person’s personality. The sooner the child practices good handwriting, the sooner the handwriting will get better. Once the child gets in the habit of a type of handwriting, it may become difficult in later life to improve it. Holding the pen/pencil right In order to teach your child good handwriting, you must start from the basics. Teach your little one how to hold a pen/pencil. The best way to hold a pen or a pencil is to hold it right next to the thumb, the index finger and the middle finger. If your child holds the pen differently, you can correct them. The grip and the pressure If you see any imprint on the paper that your child has been writing on, then it means that your child has been putting too much pressure on the paper while writing. To avoid this from happening again, ask your child to reduce the pressure on the grip of the pen. This will translate into the reduced imprints on the paper while the child writes. Another benefit of exerting lesser amount of pressure on the paper is that it enables the child to create easier letter formation. Better motor skills It is interesting to note that pre school activities also includes allowing kids to work with items like beads, rice, shells, etc. This is done on purpose so as to help develop the child’s motor skills and hand muscles from a very young age. You can make certain your child’s motor skills are good via some tests and exercises prescribed by the doctor. You can also indulge your child in these exercises and encourage practicing all of these activities, for the betterment of their future. Practice more In school, children need to finish their tasks within the designated amount of time. This definitely affects their handwriting. In primary school when the child can use a pencil and an eraser, they may be able to correct some handwriting. But from secondary school onwards, the usage of pens becomes mandatory. They must now be better at not only writing correct spellings in good handwriting but also write faster to keep up with the pace of the classroom lectures. In this case, children must be encouraged to practice writing as much as they can. They should find a pen that works best for them – be it the best gel pen or a ball pen, once they pick the pen, they can continue practicing. In case they make a mistake, using a correction pen they can make corrections. BC Web Wise Pvt Limited, Mahalaxmi Engineering Estate, L. J. Cross Road No.1, Near K.J. Khilnani High School, Mahim (W), Mumbai – 400016, +91 – 22 – 67674000 info@bcwebwise.com| www.bcwebwise.com
Draw shapes If your child gets bored of just practicing writing for a better handwriting, get them to draw simple shapes. Drawing circles is a great way to facilitate a smooth transitioning into writing better for your child. Fill the blanks Give your child exercises and tests like fill in the blanks often so that they think about nouns and adjectives and get into the habit of understanding the usage of each in forming sentences. This will help them write smoothly in a flow, without having to be interrupted by their own thoughts about whether they are using different forms of the word correctly in sentences. Author’s note: In this article, author Mia gives tips on how children can improve their handwriting using the best gel pens they find comfortable.
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