Considerations
The kinesthetic process of writing letters has been found to be favorable for the development of composition skills. (Berninger et al, 1997)
Thru research handwriting instruction strategies that were successful with first grade students include:
· Encouraging them to trace, imitate and write letters from memory
· Using visual cues such as arrows to consistently form letters
· Encouraging students to visualize letters forms before writing them
· Writing letters on lined paper to assist with letter placement
Handwriting strategies for students with Learning Disabilities:
· Requires a balanced approach that considers and takes into account the student’s capacity, the task, and environment
· Need to be able to ‘store’ and ‘retrieve’ letter forms from memory
· Receive formal handwriting instruction, that includes constant practice to learn letter formation without worrying about content and grammar
· Once a student has learned the letters they should be encouraged to name each letter as they write it