Mastering Handwriting

Here I go again about a child mastering handwriting in kindergarten. I have taught children that have not been encouraged to write within a space and others that have. My personal opinion, a child that learns to form the alphabet within a confined space usually masters the efficiency of letter formations sooner than a child that is given a blank sheet of paper with no direction. A child in kindergarten should be encouraged to begin forming letters in an efficient way. I know that there are a few that do not agree with this, but I have experienced this while working with pre-k, kindergarten and first graders and it does make a difference!  Handwriting directly supports the writing to read process! Click here to see tablets

I have noticed that once an incorrect muscle memory forms it is very difficult to reteach! Working with your child and encouraging proper letter formation is very important for muscle memory and their progress in kindergarten. You should always encourage your child to write his/her name properly, using the uppercase letter first followed by the lowercase letters. Teach them "capital letter starts my name, then lowercase, the rest the same," kids love rhyming and it sticks with them!

If you are beginning to work with your child, start with "l". This is the letter they will read and write the most. It is great, because it starts them with the downward strokes and left to right (cross mid-line) motion, which will be used to form other letters.  The "O" is another very important letter and encourage clock and counter clockwise motion when drawing in the sky or writing on paper. 

I know it is very hard for a child to write between the lines. I always liked to make squares on a sheet (the exact number as letters in their name) and work with them to stay within the lines of the square. By the time your child gets into kindergarten it is appropriate develop- mentally, to have high expectations and you should encourage them to stay between the lines. I love the Kindergarten Lined Tablets  ($24.95) and the Kids Dry Eraser Board ($19.95) I am able to offer this school year. Not only are they personalized with the child's name, but the tablet has 75 sheets of high quality paper that is lined for your kindergartner or pre-k child. The Dry Erase Board comes with a dry-erase maker and is lined ready for handwriting and personalized at the top! Great for on the go and for the beginning. If they make a mistake they can simply wipe away and try again! Use BTS2012 at check out for a 15% discount (with a $25.00 minimum cart ;)