Children with writing or fine motor skill issues can struggle with holding pencils and forming letters.
Here are some useful tips to help your children learn how to write.
Use Golf Pencils
Using golf pencils can help children obtain a better grasp on pencils when they begin learning to write.
Golf pencils are small pencils which are commonly used at bowling alleys, mini-golf courses and other sports centres. Their smaller size makes them simpler for little hands to balance correctly and hold on to.
If you have trouble finding these, try a piece of chalk or broken crayon which will also work well.
Whiteboards can also prove useful, Help your children with a dry wipe magnetic whiteboard for your school.
Make a Grip
A pencil grip helps children learn how to hold a pencil correctly.
The best grip to buy is one that resembles a blob with fingerprint marks in it. Alternatively, you can make your own with a piece of clay. Roll it into a ball measuring an inch across, and push the top of the pencil through the centre, pushing it an inch up the pencil. Hold the pencil in a writing position, and push your thumb and fingers into the clay, which creates the indents.
Play with Food
Children can learn to write letters in flour, sugar or mashed potatoes. Spread it over a table, plate or lid, and ask your child to use their finger to form letters.
Ask them to move left to right and top to bottom. This will help your child learn how to make letters without focusing on how to hold a crayon or pencil.
It is also a good idea to reduce your child’s use of technology, as this has been attributed to writing issues in children. Instead, it’s a good idea to install dry wipe magnetic whiteboards for schools.
Textured Surfaces and Raised Lines
Sometimes, children have problems feeling as they write. Textured surfaces and raised, lined paper can often help.
To achieve this, place a piece of paper on top of a bumpy surface such as a rough plastic placement or sandpaper. You could also use lined paper, and trace the lines with PVA glue or fabric paint. Once this is dry, the pencil will touch the lines when your child writes.
