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

Letters 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.