Tips for Improving Your Preschooler's Handwriting

What are tips to improve my preschooler’s handwriting?

1. Teach them how to hold their pencil

2. Use other methods for learning letters

3. Make writing fun

4. Encourage drawing and puzzle games

5. Use the right handwriting tools

6. Pinpoint the problem

Teaching your young one how to write — and to have good handwriting — is so important, even if it can be a challenge. But why is that?

It’s important because you wouldn’t want them to have bad writing habits, which will be hard for them to unlearn later on in life. 

Neat and clear handwriting is a good thing for them to develop, and learning starts when they’re as young as five years old. To help you and your child achieve this, here are our top six tips for improving your preschooler's handwriting:

Teach them how to hold their pencil

This might sound obvious, but the way your child holds their pencil will affect how they form letters, and ultimately how their handwriting looks.

So, the first thing you should teach them is how to hold their writing tools properly. They might already know how to grip them from experience drawing with crayons, but always check if they know how to hold a slimmer pencil correctly.

At around five, they should be transitioning away from grasping their pencil and using what we call a tripod hold — where the pencil is held with the thumb, index, and middle fingers.

You should model this behavior, and correct them gently for them to develop this habit. 

Use other methods for learning letters

Using other methods to teach them their letters can help improve their handwriting skills! Finger painting is a fun and interactive way to help your preschooler learn the basics of handwriting before they really start writing letters or words.

Another method to try is writing in the air, which you can do with numbers, letters, and simple words and names. It’s much less messy than finger painting, plus you can do it wherever you and your young one go! Just mime writing in the air, and have your child follow along to help them learn the different strokes and movements that go into writing. 

Make writing fun

Children at this age love to try new things, even if it at times can be frustrating for them. Be sure to show them that you’re excited too — and want to encourage them! It’s important for making them feel motivated, and to keep working on their handwriting skills. 

If your preschooler starts to seem stressed or under pressure when you’re practicing their writing, take a look at how you’re handling their practice. You have to make sure you’re creating a light-hearted and positive environment, to avoid making them associate negative emotions with such practices. 

Let them know that even you make mistakes sometimes — and that’s what erasers are for, anyway!

Encourage drawing and puzzle games

Another important part of their handwriting is their fine motor skills — they’re needed to help your child hold their pencil properly, maintain control of their pencil strokes, balance the page, keep their posture and coordination, and more while they’re writing. 

A good way to help them develop their fine motor skills is to encourage them to draw and play puzzle games — like our Jungle Jigsaw Puzzle and Fun with Words Puzzle. The more time they spend holding and using objects like puzzle pieces, the more they build up their dexterity and coordination! These two skills are a must for good handwriting.

Use the right handwriting tools

Some writing materials, such as large and long pencils, can be hard for a young child to balance in their small hands, or grasp properly. 

Be sure to equip them with the right handwriting tools for their age, such as a smaller pencil or marker. You can also use handwriting aids, such as pencil grips, to help them hold their writing tools more comfortably — and develop the proper pencil grip! 

Pinpoint the problem

If, after a lot of practice, it seems like your preschooler is still struggling with writing, it’s time to investigate.

Your young one will struggle to get better at writing unless you can pinpoint the root cause of their poor handwriting. Here are a few things you can check for: 

1. How do they hold their pencil — does it seem uncomfortable? Are they able to hold it in a tripod grip?

2. Are they able to hold their paper down with one hand, while writing with the other?

3. Are they able to write each letter properly, and do they understand how letter sizing works?

4. How are their letter spacing and alignment? Is it about a finger-width apart?

5. How are they seated while writing? Are their feet flat on the ground, their elbows about 90°, and their backs straight?

That said, you must keep in mind what is age-appropriate for your child. If they’re five, and just learning how to write, it’s normal for them to struggle with letter spacing and proportions. At this stage, what they should be focusing on is developing their fine motor skills, learning the alphabet, and other pre-writing skills. 

Key Takeaway

Our tips for improving your preschooler's handwriting are simple yet effective ways to help your child develop the fine motor skills and coordination they need for neat and clear writing. Use these tips while you practice with them, and you’ll begin to see gradual improvements in both their enthusiasm for writing and their ability to write! 

For more important tools and tips for your child’s development, visit Funtastic Stuff’s website today. Our blog has great guides and tricks for your child’s healthy growth, and a wide variety of enriching children’s toys from the Philippines for them to play with!