Teacher Practical Guidance:

Handwriting Instruction

Category: Content

Rank Order

43

Effect Size

0.50

Achievement Gain %

19

How-To Strategies

  1. Lowercase letters are introduced before uppercase letters
  2. Letters that share common strokes are grouped together (b,d,p,q)
  3. Teacher always models letter formation
  4. Visual cues such as numbered dots and arrows are useful
  5. Students taught comfortable tripod pencil grip grasp
  6. Students should use appropriate posture and paper positioning based on their handedness
  7. Handwriting fluency is developed through frequent writing and speed trials with emphasis on maintaining legibility
  8. Both printing (first grade) and cursive (third grade) are taught
  9. In primary grades 75 minutes per week should be allocated to handwriting
  10. Students handwriting is monitored and reinforced immediately for correct letter formation, spacing, alignment, size, slant, and line quality
  11. Students should be asked to self-evaluate their handwriting and set goals to improve aspects of their handwriting regularly
  12. Students should rewrite illegible work.

How-To Resources

References

Graham, S. (1999). Handwriting and spelling instruction for students with learning disabilities: A review. Learning Disability Quarterly, 89, 223-234

 

Graham, S. & Harris, K (2000). The role of self-regulation and transcription skills in writing and writing development. Educational Psychologist, 35, 3-12.

 

Graham, S., & Weintraub, N. (1996). A review of handwriting research: Progress and prospects from 1980 to 1994. Educational Psychology Review, 8. 7-87.

 

MacArthur, C., & Graham, S. (1987). Learning disabled students’ composing with three methods: Handwriting, dictation, and word processing. Journal of Special Education, 21, 22-42.

Handwriting Instruction