I'm working with my 5 year old daughter on handwriting. We're using a language arts curriculum (The Phonics Road) which has the child write their own letters after I show her how the letter should be formed. We're beginning with lower case "circle" letters (a, c, d, etc.) My daughter is doing great with the general shape of the letter, and making it fit onto the paper lines correctly, but she just can't make a circle look round ... hers are all square. She can trace circles perfectly with no problem, but cannot make it round when she tries it on her own. I've been working with her for a couple of weeks on it, and she's beginning to get frustrated. Is there something I can do to help her? Am I expecting too much from a 5-year old (she just turned 5 this month)? I'm so new at all of this, and just need to hear from someone more seasoned than I. : )

Thank you!!
Jennifer

Could you try having her "write" the letters on something other than paper? How about sidewalk chalk where she can write really big letters or in cornmeal on a cookie sheet. You could also try making the letters with play dough or model magic. You could also stay with the tracing for a little while. It might help to spend some time on these fun pre writing activities for a couple of weeks and then come back to the formal handwriting and see if there is some improvement.

It can take sometime for fine motor skill activites. It sounds like you are doing fine though. I think a change of pace will just help with her frustration.

hth
Kerri

Hi Jennifer-- I have boys who are still at 7 and 9 struggling to make perfect circles . I actually bumped the 9 yo up to cursive and he's doing much better. Anyhow, I remember when they were younger I had some fun practice writing sheets from the Calculadder Master Pack- they could just copy the dotted lines - which gave fun drills to help motor skills.....Some kids seem to naturally write neatly (my 13yo daughter) and some seem to be messier... and need more encouragment. Just take your time and don't let her get too frustrated- my 7yo is doing much better this year. He also used to get frustrated.... so I backed off for a while.

I highly recommend "Handwriting without Tears." The curriculum is very cheap, and is the most developmentally appropriate hw curr. I have found. They start with making letters out of playdough, then with wooden pieces, then on a "magnadoodle" type board, and THEN they go to paper. You may not have to go through all those steps if she knows alot of her letters, but I've found most curriculums push handwriting too quickly for 4/5 year olds. Handwriting without Tears is used by many occupational therapists. Check out their website; I hope it helps!

AnnM in Texas

I had a member of my TOG group suggest Cursive First for this same issue (my 7-yo son's handwriting gets worse with practice, not better). Although I didn't get the actual Cursive First book, I did get a cursive handwriting curriculum. We haven't "graduated" to using cursive in place of printing yet (still learning to form the letters), but so far I am AMAZED at how much easier it is for my son to form legible cursive letters than printed ones. And how many fewer pencils break from his death-grip (cursive requires a relaxed hand - our first day I had him play a game of making loops and I would "surprise" him by trying to snatch the pencil. If I couldn't snatch it, then he was holding it too tightly).

The jury is still out, but so far I'm pleased with this new (old!) writing system.

Just wanted to say thank you for all of the tips and encouragement! I tried the cornmeal idea with her, and she really enjoyed it. It seemed to take a lot of the pressure off and helped her have some fun with it. Thanks ladies!

Jennifer

I just wanted to add that I have a six year old son that makes square-ish circles and round-ish squares. That said, there's been a great deal of improvement, slowly but surely, just in keeping with the daily writing practice and keeping it low-key. We also do more work with non-writing activities to develop his fine-motor skills - things like playing with play-dough, fingerpainting, even his little Magnetix pieces.

Using the cornmeal is a great stress-free way to work with letters. Another task that is used in Handwriting Without Tears is wetting a small piece of sponge in water and writing the letter on a chalkboard. The motor skills needed to pinch the sponge piece are the same ones used to grip a pencil. Using small bits of crayons to color with (rather than regular full-sized crayons) also helps develop grip.

HTH

I'll put my 2 cents in for HWt! I makes sense is teacher/mom friendly and has a good amount of practice,tactile writing activities that really imprint the shape, size, formation and strengthen the muscles both brain and fingers ones! It is HARD work to all of a sudden to be expected to learn all 52 new shapes that are supposed to be the letters. Some of thee letters are supposed to match while there are others that alomst match but aren't supposed to! The cursive is easy to transition to and can almost be readily taught instead. I wish I had had this when my oldest LD learner was young!

I used Startwrite software, to make practice sheets. It has various fonts, dark to soft lines ... even dotted lines, to teach the children.

Also, Handwriting without Tears is great for little ones who could use intensive help, whether neatness or motor skills are the issue.