The write stuff

Cultivating good handwriting skills requires patience and plenty of discipline to get resultstheSun, Tue, 28 Apr 2009

MY daughter’s handwriting is simply too large for my liking. Filling in the blanks in her school workbook gets difficult and messy sometimes because the space provided is not enough for her large handwriting.
A mother once told me she made her children learn to write ‘properly’ by erasing and making them re-write if their handwriting were found to be unsatisfactory.

Is there a so-called ‘best’ way to teach children to have ‘nice’ handwriting? A search on the Internet provided me a better understanding on teaching children the proper technique of handwriting.

Technically, there are three parts of writing a child needs to learn, focusing on one objective at a time – proper letter construction; consistent letter size; and the same tilt throughout the writing.

Start your child by helping him master proper drawing of vertical, horizontal and circular lines and shapes.

According to an expert, circular shapes should begin at the 2 o’clock position, moving up counterclockwise like the letter "c". Shapes like triangles, rectangles and squares, should be drawn using individual lines that meet. Lines should be drawn left to right or top to bottom.

Once they are adept in forming the letters, they can then learn to size them properly using handwriting sheets with guide lines to help them develop uniformity in size.

There should be solid lines at the top and bottom, a dotted line in the middle, and space before the next guide lines. These can be found at many stores selling educational supplies.

To help children space their letters or words, tools such as an ice cream stick, or one or two fingers, can be placed on the paper for uniform spacing. Check the slant of cursive handwriting by drawing a straight line through the centre of each letter from top to bottom. All the lines should be parallel if the slant is uniform.

For younger children who print, this check may not be necessary if their letters are formed correctly.

Regular practice helps children to gradually perfect their formation and maintain uniformity of the size of the letters.

When I was in school, I remember handwriting was taught as a subject. One exercise book labelled "Tulisan" (handwriting) was allocated specifically for us to practise drawing lines and shapes, and printing letters and words in their correct form, size and spacing.

These days, children are taught handwriting much earlier in pre-school. The degree of importance placed in the teaching of handwriting, however, differs from school to school.

Some schools consciously provide adequate practice like what I received in primary school but I feel some do not emphasise it enough.

Now, when children start primary school, handwriting is no longer taught as a subject as they are expected to have learnt it in pre-school. Unless their handwriting is utterly atrocious, the teacher seldom scrutinises the child’s handwriting, paying more attention to the teaching of core subjects such as math, science, and languages.

It is not whether teaching handwriting should be done at pre-school or primary school that is the issue here. It is the level of awareness of its importance that we should ponder on.

Watch the video at www.teachers.tv/video/24021, where in France, the teaching of handwriting is backed by an educational philosophy that encompasses all creative subjects. The French believe that equipping children with the ability to write will free their minds to perform creatively throughout their lives.