School is in! And now the homework begins, sports start up again, and evenings become crammed with too many “to-do’s.” You know why I am here, of course. To remind you that handwriting should not take a backseat to soccer! But, you are no doubt wondering, “When do I fit in handwriting practice?” Well, I’m here to offer you 10 places you may not have thought about yet. Those are the secret places where you can sneak in a bit of handwriting practice without anyone the wiser.
And best yet, it won’t take up any time dedicated to other tasks.
Let’s have a go at it, shall we?
As we all know, handwriting practice is more than worksheets, top-down lines, and paper positioning. Yes, those are certainly important steps in its mastery. And it is certainly essential to carve out 15 minutes of “sit-down” handwriting practice during the initial stages of instruction (K-4th grade). But, in everyday life, handwriting practice should be a natural part of the daily routine. Isn’t that the way we see it as adults? Let’s take a look at 10 ways that your student can slip handwriting practice into his schedule without giving up even one video game!
Handwriting practice for the little tykes (5-7)
At the breakfast table: This is the perfect place to provide a Write/Draw or Pencil Control Worksheet to occupy your young ones with entertainment and handwriting practice while you are prepping the meal. The children are fresh and alert and full of energy. You’ll have 5-10 minutes in which to get your work done and be able to sit and enjoy the meal with them!
After the bath: Your little ones will be relaxed and ready for a nighttime story. But, as you get them settled in with a book, take a moment to have them jot down in their journals what they did that day. Just a short list of 3-4 activities they enjoyed. If they are motivated, have them write down why!
On the way to the grocery story: Keep clipboards and pencils in your car and have them create some menu ideas using their favorite foods. You can even ask them to write your list for you as you drive. They won’t even know they are practicing handwriting!
- Tape paper to the wall or on the door to give children a place to write their daily schedules or jot you a note!
Jot down your favorite words or sentences from the book you are reading!
Katherine Collmer, M.Ed., OTR/L
Katherine J. Collmer, M.Ed., OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist who specializes in the assessment and remediation of handwriting skills and understands the link between handwriting skills and writing. She can be contacted via her website, Handwriting With Katherine.
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