Warm-Ups

• Good handwriting requires hand strength, dexterity and motor skills. Educators should include some warm-up activities in the daily routine. These warm-ups will build hand strength and prepare children to write better, longer. Some examples of handwriting warm-up activities would be cut and paste assignments, controlled coloring and playing with manipulatives. Cut and paste could be a simple project like cutting out paper butterflies and gluing them to paper flowers. Controlled coloring is guided coloring that encourages children to keep their art in the lines. This builds motor control. Playing with manipulatives like beads or buttons will help children strengthen their fine motor skills.
  
  

Journals

• Journal writing is a wonderful format for encouraging handwriting practice. This activity can be used in any subject including science, social studies and language arts. Give your child a composition book to keep his journal record in. Use one journal per subject. For a science journal your child might keep a weather record or nature guide. He could write any nature observations he makes on a trip to the backyard. For social studies, let your child keep a diary all about him. He could share in his journal who his best friends are and what he wants to be when he grows up. For language arts, he could write poems and short stories about his family members.
  
  

Picture Stories

• Take advantage of your child's imagination by encouraging her to write picture stories. Show your child a picture of some interesting scene. It could be a magazine picture or a funny comic strip. Cover up any words and encourage the child to make up his own story. Provide your child with a handwriting tablet and a pencil. The story doesn't have to be long just a couple of sentences to begin with. As the child's writing skills improve, then encourage longer stories like a paragraph and then a full page. You can buy story starter packs or do a quick search on the Internet for a funny image to use. Give your child seasonal pictures during the holidays. Her imagination will run wild with stories if you provide her with good images.