Handwriting advice/experience, please!

[lava mama]

I have a 5.5 yo DS who is very free spirited/strong willed about how he does things. I have the Getty-Dubay handwriting book that I've used a few times with him. I've tried some copy work with him. We've done quite a few pages in Explode the Code. We are using Singapore Math at the moment, and he enjoys that work as well.

My question is, when do you enforce Uppercase and Lowercase usage, if you do at all? Do you worry about forming letters the "right" way? This is my son: He loves to write in all CAPS. His letter C is written block style (I totally love this--I have no idea where he picked it up either). Whenever he's practicing a letter in the Getty-Dubay book, he kind of does his own thing even after I've demonstrated the steps to form the letter. Just today, I wrote out a simple sentence for him to copy (with proper cases) and he just wrote the letters how his sweet little heart desired. It's the same in Explode the Code. The visual is "mat" and he'll write it out "MAT." He can obviously differentiate between Lower and Uppercase letters--that's no problem for him at all. He just doesn't like to write them. 

For the most part, I'm pretty sure his writing style will improve as he gets older and more detail-oriented. On the other hand, I don't want him to form bad writing habits. So, how would you go about this? Do I just let him do his own style, without worrying about the various styles, or do I give him more guidance re: correct letter formation? I do think handwriting is important, and I do want him to learn cursive when he gets a bit older. 

Anyway, before this gets more ramble-y than it already is, how do you handle handwriting in your home? Thanks!

[JamieCatheryn]

I have my son do it again if it's an assignment and he's done the wrong case or if he's done letters his creative way and it's not readable. I'll compliment the lovely capital letter he did (or the faces or swords or whatever he's given the letters) but point out in the middle of the word it really needs to be lowercase. I explain to him writing is done so someone can read it, so we all agree to write the letters about the same way, and spell things the same way. If he's just messing around and occasionally when he writes his name I'll hush up about it.

[etsdtm99]

my daughter is 5.5 and we are working on proper cases and keeping all the letters on the right line or the same size, whichever applies .. she does the same thing with mat -> MAT  or  like today several times she wrote all the letters lowercase except "n" was "N" - so, i wouldn't say i'm pushing it, but we're working on it..  we also don't do a handwriting program, just some practice writing thigns she wants to write ina  journal , and copying sight words..

[SweetSilver]

My oldest always writes in caps at 6.5!  I don't bother about it.

[AAK]

I am less concerned.  At 5 (or kindy) I want the first letter of their name capitalized and the rest in lowercase.  When we are practicing "writing" as in writing a sentence, I expect the first letter to be uppercase and the rest lowercase.  When we do math, journal, fun writing, etc. I really don't care about the semantics.  Their mind isn't focused on "writing" per se, it is just the means of getting the work done.

With my oldest, I gave up on having her go top down, left to right  when writing her letters.  She had gorgeous handwriting and had no problems with cursive.  But, I do teach it that way.  If a letter is always written backwards (as in the case with my dyslexic dd) we focus on how we actually form the letters more.  For some reason that seems better for her than having her make a circle and then try to remember which side, how tall, and if the line goes up or down (a, b, d, p, q, 9 can all be problems if you just start with a circle).  

I general, I get more picky in 2nd grade.  Writing has been done often enough to use proper capitalization.  

Amy