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Hand writing

Child writing on paper

This guide is to help you support your child to improve their handwriting.

Before starting, check your child is sitting comfortably:

  • Feet flat on the floor
  • Table at the right height
  • Forearms resting on the table

Make sure the paper is placed on the same side as the hand your child writes with.
The other hand should hold the paper still and move it down the page as your child writes.

What can be tricky?

Handwriting uses lots of small skills. A child needs strong shoulders and tummy muscles, a good grip, and good control of their wrist and hand to hold and move a pencil or pen.

Have a look at the ‘fine motor skills’ sheet to help with strengthening your child’s hand and fingers.

Top tips for handwriting:

1) Set One Clear Handwriting Goal:

Children often don’t understand what “write more neatly” means.

They need clear instructions about what to change.

Choose one goal at a time that will make the biggest difference to how easy their writing is to read.

Examples of handwriting goals:

  • Improve letter formation
  • Make tall letters (b, h, l) go up high
  • Make tail letters (p, g, q) go below the line
  • Keep letters the same size
  • Leave spaces between words

2) Keep Practice Short and Regular:

  • Short sessions done often work best
  • If needed, link practice to a reward

Structure of a Practice Session:

  1. Warm‑up (2-3 minutes)
    Activities like colouring, mazes, dot‑to‑dots, or pencil patterns
  2. Handwriting practice (10-15 minutes)
    • Practise the letters linked to the goal
    • Then practise words with those letters
  3. Use double lines to help show where letters should sit
    (tall letters go above, tails go below)

Ideas for activities which help:

Handwriting practice doesn’t need to only happen with a pencil and paper. Think about other fun resources to practice letters. This could be:

  • Using sensory resources such as foam or sand.
  • Painting
  • Using water and a paintbrush outside.
  • Chalk on the floor outside.

Useful websites with further resources:

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