Author: Funmi Folaranmi

I have a confession….. My handwriting is almost gorgeous, which is why I am committed to this goal to ensure my kids get it right. I am not sure about what went wrong when I started learning to write. I am sure I never skipped school. Perhaps my handwriting teacher took leave of absence when it was my turn to learn. Lol.

I did console myself with the notion that generally doctors have terrible handwriting. However, I know a handful of my classmates from medical school who have impeccably amazing handwriting. Which makes this general notion wrong.

Many times people had taken “jabs” at me for my handwriting in the past, but over time I grew a thick skin. I am not concerned as long as it is clean, clear and legible. I will start getting really worried the day I cannot read my own handwriting.

Back in medical school, one of my colleagues once said my writing looked like EKG. Highly hilarious right? I did not find it funny at the time. Over time, life has equipped me with a keen sense of humor. So I can basically joke about it now and go into hysterical bouts of laughter just thinking about it.

It also makes me feel good to know that my handwriting shares the same playfulness trait to it as that of Albert Einstein, the most famous scientist who ever lived.

Someone had this to say about Albert Einstein’s handwriting; “This is a guy who has deep powers of concentration and is usually quite skeptical,” said handwriting expert Dale Roberts.” Things need to be proven to him and he is not satisfied with superficial answers. He has a ‘probing’ mind and thinks complicated thoughts that would be beyond most of the population.” How can anyone read so much meaning into a person’s personality by merely looking at their handwriting? Quite fascinating I must say.

Graphologists (these are people who study handwriting) believe there is very little you can’t tell from a person’s handwriting. From physiological conditions like high blood pressure and schizophrenia to personality traits like dominance and aggression.

I discovered that according to graphologists, someone who is physically very weak shall leave the loops of “g” and “f” incomplete. While someone who is physically strong shall draw complete and closed loops of “g” and “f”. Maybe they are right on that one. I complete and close the loops of my “g” and “f” and many describe me by the word “strong”. I still wonder why.

Someone who writes small “i” with its dot little ahead of the actual letter is a fast thinker. If the dot is behind the letter then he is a slow thinker. Well I am quite skeptical about this one. I keep the dot of my “i” right on top where I believe it belongs. Perhaps I am just a “normal” thinker. Also, the belief is that organized and emphatic people place the dot firmly above the “i” when writing by hand. I totally concur with this.

The good news is that it is possible to bring changes to your handwriting by working on it daily to achieve desired results. Which is why I have to lay the correct foundation for my wards.

So if there is a direct correlation between the handwriting and a person’s personality, then as parents we want our children to have well-rounded, robust, and flourishing personalities. There is a need to dedicate a significant portion of your parenting life to ensuring your kids have perfect handwriting. This makes this post quite relevant.

The goal is not necessarily to achieve calligraphic excellence or sophisticated cursive. The goal should be to use your child’s sweet scribbles to develop their pre-writing skills. Writing is a form of multi-tasking. This is because your brain tells your hands to write and your hand obeys by moving from one part of the paper to the next, constructing letters and numbers and shapes; while your eyes focuses on all that movement and the words.

Handwriting helps your child understand and get comfortable with multi-tasking in the most effortless manner -simply putting a pencil to a paper.

Through handwriting, they are able to express themselves and communicate with the world around them and we owe them the ability to do this with ease.

Handwriting is one of the most important fine motor skills every child must develop. Handwriting is an art which can be learnt, developed, mastered and perfected.

Either your goal is Cursive( e.g looped cursive, Italic cursive, connected cursive), Print handwriting style, or D’Nealian type of penmanship, make it clear and go for it.

I might not have an idea on what my style of handwriting is, the only word I desire describes my children’s handwriting is Flawless.

Practical Ways to Help your child have a great handwriting

1.Help them develop the muscles of the hand. This can be achieved by activities such as scissors cutting, playing with play dough, squeezing wash up sponges or bath sponge, by using water spray bottles or paper crumpling.

2. Teach them how to properly hold the pencil. Their pencil grasp must be good. Dynamic Tripod Pencil Grip is great. It involves the tips of the thumb, index and middle fingers controlling the pencil in the dynamic tripod pencil grip. The thumb is opposed to the fingers, while the ring and little fingers are curled into the hand to give stability. Model the correct grasp till they get it. Children learn best when they see their parents model the best way for doing something.

3. Let them do a special ‘grip manouvre’. You can help improve a child’s grasp by having them do what I call the special grip manouvre which involves holding a pom-pom or cotton ball in a fist involving the third, fourth and fifth fingers leaving the thumb and index finger free. Alternatively if you have an old sock, cut two holes in it, put the hand in while the thumb and index fingers are allowed to find their way out via the holes. Then make the child hold a writing utensil. This helps as the child learns to hold a pencil the right way.

4. Offer the right writing tools. Kids do not need parchment or a quill and ink. They need crayons or well-sharpened pencils( as long as they are monitored not to either injure themselves or eat the lead in the pencil).

5. Another tip is to break those crayons(or pencils) in half. I know this sounds really weird. The rationale for this is that if you give your child big writing materials, they will squeeze all their tiny little fingers on it thereby exerting so much energy in holding the pencil or crayon versus actually writing properly. Don’t allow their fingers suffer fatigue before they have even started. This reduces their chances of developing bad writing habits.

6. Ensure that the enviroment is condusive and all distractions are eliminated. The TV is off. The ipads are carefully stowed away safely. Then let the writing fun begin!

7. Music could enhance the handwriting process. Music could be helpful as long as it is not one with lyrics that hinders concentration and productivity. A low level ambient music( e.g sound of water) improves the child’s mood to write and boost creativity.

8. Practise, practise, practise. Let them practise writing letters, all the letters of the alphabet. Let them fill in the gaps. Every opportunity to practise writing or enhance the process, just take it.

In researching this post, I gained knowledge which I do implement. I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to share with me your handwriting stories as well as what you are actively doing to help your kids have beautiful handwriting.