Handwriting

[Zach'smom]

Ugh! Ds is in first grade this year. He has a wonderful teacher and is above grade level in everything. However his handwriting leaves a lot to be desired. His teacher and dh and I are trying to get him to slow down and write neatly. He has tons of wonderful story ideas, but is difficult to read his sloppy writing. Any ideas on how to help him improve? I am worried this may be genetic. DH types nearly everything. He has this horrible "chicken scratch" handwriting. I'd like ds to have decent handwriting.
Thanks for any ideas you may have!

[tm2840]

I haven't felt the strong need to go there yet with DS's awful handwriting, but my wonderful boss (educator, innovator, yada yada) swears by "Handwriting Without Tears."

[velochic]

Originally Posted by tm2840

I haven't felt the strong need to go there yet with DS's awful handwriting, but my wonderful boss (educator, innovator, yada yada) swears by "Handwriting Without Tears."

That's what my dd's school uses. Her penmanship is excellent. I give HWT the credit.

[Llyra]

I used to teach first grade, and honestly, I think that some kids, especially some boys, just aren't ready yet, in terms of their fine motor skill development. A lot of kids are ready to read a long time before they're really ready for handwriting, and it takes them awhile to catch up. Encourage him to write nice and big (get kindergarten paper, with big spaces), and use a big fat pencil. Encourage him to hold the pencil correctly, to avoid having to undo bad habits later on. And then just give him some time and patience,and lots of practice. That would be my best advice!

[raksmama]

I was going to mention "Handwriting without tears" as well!
I would keep a close watch as difficulty writing could indicate a problem with fine motor skills caused by Sensory Processing Disorder SPD.
SPD is common but is often not recognized.

[Zach'smom]

Thanks for your replies!! I have realized he is not holding the pencil correctly. So we are addressing that. I am going to go ahead and place an order for HWT. I was thinking about those triangle things you put on pencils to help him hold it correctly. This is just frustrating for him. Reading, math, everything has just come very easy to him. This is something that is going to take practice and patience.