Tips for Good Penmanship
“We read and write from left to right”. This popular and catchy phrase is great for reminding children who are learning reading and writing skills. These are two of the most important learning milestones that your child can make. Today, there is quite a debate brewing over the importance of penmanship. Some feel that learning how to type is more important then learning cursive or manuscript handwriting. In fact, some schools will simply ignore poor penmanship because typing will be of more value later in life.
Thank goodness for homeschooling! With homeschooling you have the freedom and time to reinforce good behavior and instead of overlooking negative or poor skills, develop creative and witty means to help a child overcome their problem areas.
Though typing is a valuable skill and one that children should ultimately learn, it is still vitally important that a child learn how to practice good penmanship.
There are many great programs that promote penmanship as well as free worksheets and teaching resources that you can find online. I will provide some links at the end of this article, but for now, I want to discuss some tips that you can use to help your child with his or her penmanship.
Equipment Needed: Sharpened pencils, lined paper appropriate for your child’s level, (see links below for printable lined paper), Worksheets for writing practice (see links below for printable worksheets), make sure your child has adequate lighting and is sitting comfortably at their table or desk.
Make sure that you allot 15-30 minutes per day for penmanship practice.
Proper Positioning: Make sure that your child is sitting tall at their desk and are not slumped over. One hand should hold their paper while the other holds their pencil.
Pencil Position: The pencil should be held between the thumb and the index finger and it should rest upon the third finger.
Links:
Cursive Tips for Teachers and Parents
Free Kids Fonts for Creating Your Own Worksheets
Writing Paper for Various Levels
Printable Teddy Bear Stationary
Writing Paper from Do To Learn