Handwriting: Handwriting Hints for the Home-school
By Mimi Rothschild
Teaching handwriting differs among home-school students. Some pick it up quite easily and others need a helping hand here and there. Still others can't stand it because it makes their hands sore or because they struggle with making clear lines or because they find it dull. Whatever the reason, the following tips should help home-schooling parents make it easier for both themselves and their children.
1. Perhaps your home-school student has trouble forming letters because he or she is squeezing the pencil or pen too hard. This is most likely a result of the child's underdeveloped force modulation skills. This means that the child has difficulty adjusting the pressure they put on objects. To help your child overcome this speedbump, engage the homeschooler's fine motor skills in games such as “Topple” or “Jenga”. These games encourage delicate maneuvers and will help the child realize that it's not necessary to press so hard.
2. If your child is left-handed, the homeschooler might need some extra help when learning cursive. You can adjust the placement of their page to the left of the body and angle the paper at a more severe forty-five degrees. These measures should help the left-handed home-school student to see what he or she is writing while not sacrificing proper posture or writing utensil manipulation.
3. Make writing fun! Have your home-schoolers write letters to friends or set up a pen-pal program. Nothing will get your students writing faster than an engaging activity. Make sure not to sacrifice writing skills for content!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.
Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.
An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.
