Helpful Handwriting Tips For MLs
When preschool aged, or PreK, students are learning how to write, their fine motor ability impacts their handwriting. Following a sequence of introducing letters that takes fine motor skills into account sets students up for success. This is true for all students, including MLs. For older MLs, the order to introduce letters with handwriting in mind depends on the students’ prior literacy skills and fine motor skills.
Preschool Fine Motor Skills
Certain letters are easier for young children to form. It is easiest for young children to begin writing upper case letters. Many uppercase letters use only straight lines (L, H, I, E, F, T). Other uppercase letters have curves (C, O, G, S, U, P, R, B). Finally, some uppercase letters have a cross or slant (W, K, X, V). Introducing handwriting in this order sets up young students for writing success because this order helps them to build their hand muscles. Additionally, as children progress from ages 3-5 they are developmentally able to write more challenging letter strokes.
Lowercase letters are often more challenging for young children to write. They can have more curves and are easier to mix up. Educators do not unanimously agree, but many have found that teaching uppercase letters first to preschool age students is most successful. For students who are in kindergarten and older, there is even less agreement about what sequence to teach letters (uppercase first or lowercase).
Students with Strong Fine Motor Skills
For students who have had a large amount of fine motor practice (drawing, cutting, playing with playdough, ext.) to strengthen their fine motor skills, they are often able to learn uppercase and lowercase letters together. When this is the case, handwriting can be practiced in the same sequence as phonics instruction. This is also true for older students who are literate in their home language. If a student is able to write in their home language, this will make it easier for them to learn how to write in English. This is true even if they are literate in a language that uses a different script from English. Students will likely need instruction on how to form letters, but the sequence can follow the sequence that is best for phonics instruction.
Older Students with Poor Fine Motor Skills
For older students who have poor fine motor control, one strategy might be to go over letter formation following the sequence best for preschool students. In this way, students can practice the easiest letters first and then learn how to write letters in progressively more challenging strokes. They will also be introduced to letters in a different sequence for phonics instruction. If a student’s handwriting is not keeping pace with their phonics knowledge, consider allowing they to type during spelling instruction and have a separate dedicated handwriting time.
Vocabulary, Phonemic Awareness, and Handwriting
As students are practicing forming letters, it is a great opportunity to incorporate phonemic awareness and vocabulary. Finding extra opportunities for introducing vocabulary is especially important for MLs. Show students pictures for words that start with the same letter as the letter that they are learning how to write. For vowels, also include words with the vowel in the middle of the word. Be careful to choose words where the beginning (or middle) sound is a common sound (so avoid words such as phone, elephant, and knife).
Fine Motor Practice
For preschool-aged kids, play is the best way to build fine motor skills. Playdough, cutting, drawing, and other activities where students are holding objects in their hands make it fun for young students. Even in kindergarten, students still greatly benefit from these materials. One way to incorporate early literacy skills is to have students fill in letters using playdough and small objects such as mini erasers.
Fingertracing
A quick way to review letter sounds, letter names, letter formation, and vocabulary is to have students say a letter name, sound, key word, and then finger trace the letter. Depending on the student’s age and stamina, they can review a few letters at a time (focusing on ones that they have not mastered) or the entire alphabet (as students master letters, stop reviewing those). This is a great activity to train parent or student volunteers to assist the student with. For example, the student says A /a/ apple.
Use alphabet mini books or handwriting posters to help students with this task.
Research
A new study shows that young children learn letter names and sounds more effectively using handwriting compared to typing. You can read more at Writing by Hand Helps Children Learn Letters Better from Neuroscience Magazine
Handwriting Resources
Beginning Handwriting Practice for Kids Workbook
Handwriting Practice Tracing worksheets and work mats: Buy on the AWLL Store
Handwriting Practice Tracing worksheets and work mats: Buy on TPT
