How to help young kids with handwriting
By Amanda Morin
Expert reviewed by Ginny Osewalt
Quick tips to help with handwriting
- Quick tip 1Use golf pencils.
Use golf pencils.To help kids get a better grasp when they start learning to write, try golf pencils. These are the small pencils you see at mini-golf courses and bowling alleys. Their size makes them easier for little hands to hold on to and balance correctly.
Handwriting is a complex skill. Young kids have to hold their bodies in a certain way, apply the right pressure to the pencil, and hold the paper. Then they have to know how to start writing the letter, where it goes on the line, and so on.
It’s no wonder that young kids have trouble with handwriting. But there are plenty of ways to help, including activities to build fine motor skills and sensory experiences to help kids get a better “feel” for writing.
Using multiple senses gives kids more ways to connect with and remember what they’re learning. This is called multisensory learning, and it may be extra helpful for young kids. Writing letters in shaving cream or writing on textured surfaces are good examples.
Dive deeper
Helpful downloads and activities
Why kids struggle with handwriting
About the author
About the author
Amanda Morin is the author of “The Everything Parent’s Guide to Special Education” and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.
Reviewed by
Reviewed by
Ginny Osewalt is a dually certified elementary and special education teacher with more than 15 years of experience in general education, inclusion, resource room, and self-contained settings.
