One of the things we are wary of in the age of technology that our children find themselves in, is that they are putting pen or pencil to paper less often than in the past. With less practice, there are fewer opportunities to develop good handwriting skills and habits. Holding pencils too hard, using an unconventional pencil holding grip, or pressing down too hard on the paper, can often lead to hand cramp.
Handwriting is important, as it is a much slower process than typing, which allows the young person time to think about spelling, words, writing structure, and forces them to explore ideas first as a part of the writing process.
The act of writing is also a very sensory experience, and can have implications for handwriting development. For example, if the pencil is uncomfortable or a child has muscle low tone, it may impact greatly on their ability to engage with the task.
Classroom Handwriting kits
We have put together kits that we think would be useful in the classroom. The Junior (Year 0-1) and Middle School (Years 2-4) Handwriting Kits have an array of different implements and aids to help with handwriting development. With a number of different options available in the kit, it will allow teachers will to try different items in class to find out what is useful for those children who are finding handwriting particularly challenging.