Handwriting For Kids

Before you begin your handwriting lesson, make sure your child and his paper are positioned properly –

  • Back straight,
  • Shoulders relaxed,
  • Feet on floor, and
  • Paper slightly slanted -bottom left corner pointing at you.

Encourage your child to sit up straight as opposed to hunching over her paper.

Handwriting Practice: Letter Formation

HandwritingLetters can be formed in a variety of ways. The style below is currently used in our school. Both of my children preferred to form their letters from top to bottom and left to right with a continuous stroke when possible. We’ve created a PDF of the handwriting cheat sheet to assist your child in forming the letters correctly.

Handwriting – Uppercase Letters

Say these directional moves as your child practices writing each uppercase letter. Please note: depending upon your browers font, the appearance of the uppercase “I” and “J” may not match the directional moves below.

  • A – slant left, lift, slant right, lift and cross
  • B – down, lift, around and around
  • C – around and stop
  • D – down, lift and all the way around
  • E – down, lift, cross, lift, cross, lift and cross
  • F – down, lift, cross, lift and cross
  • G – around, up and go left
  • H – down, lift, down, lift and cross
  • I – down, lift, cross, lift and cross
  • J – down, hook, lift and cross
  • K – down, lift, slant in and slant out
  • L – down and across
  • M – down, lift, slant in, slant out and straight down
  • N – down, lift, slant down and straight up
  • O – around and close
  • P – down, lift and around
  • Q – around, close, lift and slant right
  • R – down, lift, around and slant right
  • S – curve, slant and curve
  • T – down, lift and cross
  • U – down, curve and up
  • V – slant right and slant up
  • W – slant right, slant up, slant right and slant up
  • X – slant right, lift and slant left
  • Y – slant right, lift, slant left and down
  • Z – across, slant left and across

Handwriting – Lowercase Letters

Say these directional moves as your child practices writing each lowercase letter. Please note: depending upon your browers font, the appearance of the lowercase “a” and “g” may not agree with the directional moves below.

  • a – around, up and down
  • b – down, up and around
  • c – around and stop
  • d – around, way up and down
  • e – across and around
  • f – curve, down, lift and cross
  • g – around, up, down, and hook
  • h – down, up and around
  • i – down, lift and dot
  • j – down, hook, lift and dot
  • k – down, lift, slant in and slant out
  • l – down
  • m – down, up, hump, up and hump
  • n – down, up and hump
  • o – around and close
  • p – down, down, up and around
  • q – around, up, down and hook right
  • r – down, up and over
  • s – curve, slant and curve
  • t – down, lift and cross
  • u – down, curve, up and down
  • v – slant right and slant up
  • w – slant right, slant up, slant right and slant up
  • x – slant right, lift and slant left
  • y – slant right, lift, slant left and down
  • z – across, slant left and across

Practice writing upper- and lowercase letters in the conventional way.Handwriting worksheets filled with dotted lines are great exercises to help your child form his letters correctly. Also, make sure your child is holding a pencil correctly.

Source: Rath, L.K., Ed.D & Kennedy, L. (2004). The Between the Lions Book for Parents. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

3 Comments

  1. Exactly what I was looking for! Great to use to help handwriting at home for my students 🙂 It would be great to have descriptions to download too!

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