The Simplest Way To Help Kids Improve Handwriting Skills

Handwriting skills are an important developmental task and activity for kids. Through handwriting, they are able to express themselves and communicate with the world around them.

Improving their penmanship, legibility, pencil grasp, and working on problem areas are all important things that need to be addressed, whether you are a homeschool parent, teacher, therapist, or just supplementing your child's classroom activities.

I wanted to share some ways how to improve handwriting skills with kids and have rounded up all the posts I have written on this topic here on GHOK.

Post Updated Feb. 2023

How to improve handwriting skills with kids of all ages.

How to Improve Handwriting Skills with Kids

The first step in learning about handwriting skills is to understand the importance of fine motor development and how pencil grasp develops. Here are some posts I have written on that topic:

Handwriting Development in Children

Take a closer look at what handwriting development actually looks like in children. Plus get a free handout to reference the different skills and ages. 

Pencil Grasp Development

There are two types of pencil grasp that are considered functional for handwriting; the tripod and the quadruped grasp. You can learn more about those two types of grasp below.

Typical pencil grasp development for handwriting. Efficient grasps for handwriting.

Pincer Grasp Development

Pre-Writing Skills for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Pre-writing skills are the precursor to handwriting. They consist of an age-appropriate sequence of straight lines (horizontal/vertical/diagonal), circle shapes, and more that toddlers and preschoolers learn in order to, later on, form letters and numbers.

Basic Shapes for Beginners

Basic Shapes for Beginners – A Hands-on Approach to Pre-writing Strokes for Kids is an ebook I wrote to get you started with pre-writing skills at home for ages 2-6.

Teaching Handwriting Skills at Home

If your child is in Occupational Therapy it is important to practice the skills they are working on at home. This post discusses some ways to do that.

Activities to practice handwriting skills at home from a pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Activities to Practice Handwriting Skills at Home

For homeschoolers, I have a special series on my site on how to teach handwriting to your preschooler through elementary-age students.

Handwriting Tips for Lefties

Only about 10% of the world is left-handed. Being a leftie for handwriting can be a little different, especially if you are right-handed, working with a leftie. Here are some tips. 

Left-Handed Resources

Teaching Cursive Handwriting

Cursive can be a great alternative for children who are struggling with print. Plus it's important to at least teach your child how to sign their name in cursive. Here are some cursive resources for you.

Handwriting Difficulty Tips & Tricks

You've most likely come to this page because your child is struggling with handwriting in some way. Here are some tips for some common handwriting problems.

Printable Worksheet Ideas for Handwriting

I have lots of pre-writing and handwriting worksheets here on GHOK. And with all these worksheets, I give you hands-on activity suggestions for each.

More Handwriting Resources

Free Handwriting & Pre-Writing Email Series

For more tips and ideas, you can sign up to receive my 5 days of handwriting and pre-writing skills e-mail series. It's completely free and you'll receive all 5 days' worth of e-mails in your inbox.

Just enter your e-mail address below and click the green “click here” button. You'll need to head over to your inbox and confirm you want to receive the e-mail series. Then look for a welcome e-mail in your inbox (double check your spam folder or promotions tab for Gmail users if you don't see anything in your inbox).

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The Handwriting Book - The Ultimate Guide to Handwriting for therapists, teachers, and parents.