The Handwriting Part of Writing

If you’re in an elementary school, you’ve inevitably had discussion with parents about handwriting.  My policy for writer’s notebooks was always, “As long as I can read it, it’s neat enough.”  I didn’t feel that a writer’s notebook was the place to be a stickler for handwriting.  However, some parents would press their kids, demanding their neatest handwriting on all of their schoolwork, including their writer’s notebook (regardless of the fact that I deemed the content, not the look of the writing, more important.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about handwriting since I’ve been helping my daughter develop a palmar grasp on a crayon so she can color easily.  I recently read an article by Michelle L. Lange, an occupational therapist, entitled “Computer Use for Poor Handwriting: When is this appropriate?” This article connects with elementary school handwriting-related issues.  It’s a quick, easy read.  I hope it’s helpful to you if you have students who struggle with poor handwriting.