WRITING SKILLS

-The key is legibility -

Handwriting has a place in today's society and will most likely continue. Handwriting is important because numerous studies show that when children are taught how to do it, they are also being taught how to learn and how to express themselves. Educators are now noticing a significant decline in the quality of students' handwriting and an increase in frequency of problems such as letter reversal. This all matters, because evidence is growing that handwriting fluency is a fundamental building block of learning. As a sensory motor process, handwriting is a major brain shaping experience, molding and shaping it as few things can! Learning first comes in through our senses. Sensory input can reorganize the brain. Yet, strong stress on penmanship was abandoned 50 years ago, so today's educators are unaware of its profound impact on the learning process. Stimulating the cerebellum via handwriting provides an incredible benefit that nothing else offers uses "bottom up processing" to influence "top down processing." Its action encourages brain growth and the ability to gain impulse control. When kids struggle with handwriting, it filters into all of their academics. Spelling becomes a problem, math becomes a problem, because they reverse their numbers. The third grade is where children must be introduced to writing skills. Penmanship is not so important as fluidity and speed, but there is no excuse for illegibility, as no one can understand it, consequently, the author cannot express their thought. Kindergarten through fourth grade, kids think and write at the same time. Only later is mental composition separated from the physical process of handwriting. If they have to struggle to remember how to make their letters, their ability to express themselves will suffer. The motions have to be automatic, both for expressive writing and for another skill that students will need later in life, note taking. Measures in speed among elementary school students are good predictors of the quality and quantity of their writing in middle school obviously, handwriting skills are important and a necessity in today's society. Handwriting provides your child the ability to communicate with others. A wonderful tool to aid your youngster, as well as teenager in developing their handwriting skill is to provide time every day for them to trace words, lists, sentences or paragraphs, you only need tracing paper and a pencil, how neat is that. For the beginner, have them trace over printing, after a short learning time, have them duplicate the printing on a separate piece of paper. This is also a great way for your child to begin reading. One must learn to print before one can do cursive writing. The method of tracing or duplicating is the same for cursive, just more difficult. Emphasize the need for your child to work towards legible penmanship; it does no good, if no one else can read it. Perhaps at first they will balk, but after a few sessions, they will succumb to "the challenge". They can't lose, as there is nothing like accomplishing a rewarding method to communicate in the written.