It's National Handwriting Day!

It's John Hancock's birthday, recognized as National Handwriting day. In order to honour this special man and day, Montessorium, has started a new campaign called Saving Cursive. Check out their campaign here: www.savingcursive.com

Here are a few tips for encouraging proper handwriting at home. 

1) Teach your child proper pencil grip: A tripod or quadrapod grip is an acceptable way to hold a pencil. Palming is not. ALWAYS CORRECT YOUR CHILD'S GRIP! Giving your children small broken crayons and chalk naturally calls upon the child to use a proper grip. Fact: The maps, cylinder blocks and puzzles found in a Montessori classroom have knobs to develop the child's tripod grip from a very young age. Keep this is mind when buying puzzles for your child.

2) Allow your child to work with crayons, chalk and pencils as much as possible: These writing tools give feedback to the child in terms of pressure needed when writing. Markers give feedback no matter how much pressure is applied. Try to save markers for special occasions only. 

3) Before showing your child how to write with a pencil use a chalkboard: This lets the child make as many mistakes as they need too. Repetition should be encouraged and a chalkboard easily allows for this.  

4) Think about the importance of developing your child's hand and fine motor skills, rather than setting a goal, such as trying to write their name: Being able to write their name is important but in the beginning it is certainly not the end all be all. In the Montessori classroom children work to develop the hand in preparation for handwriting right from day one. The directress doesn't show a child how to write a letters or numbers until he or she sees that the child is both physically and emotionally ready to write. Here are some of the activities that we present and observe the child doing in order to determine readiness. 

The  knobs on the Cylinder Block force the child to use a tripod grip.

Using tongs helps to strengthen the muscles in the hand. 

Using crayons teaches the child about pressure; how much or how little to apply.

The Metal Insets work in a series of lessons to teach the child control. 

And about economy of space!

Tack Punching gives the child the opportunity to increase concentration  and hand control. 

Tracing the Sandpaper Letters reaches three senses: touch, sight and sound

Wet-Dry-Try gives three opportunities for repetition of a letter or number.

Once the child practices on a blank chalkboard they can move to one with lines. 

After lots of work on the chalkboard a child can move to using a pencil and paper!

This is merely a glimpse into the many activities found in a Montessori classroom that encourage development of the hand and work to prepare the child for handwriting. It is important to note that we NEVER give the child letters or numbers to trace. This does not benefit the child. It is just simply more important to be patient and allow the child's muscle motor memory to develop. Be a model for your child and show them how letters and numbers are formed. Be patient and remember that it is about the process, not the product. Wet-Dry-Try is easy to set up at home. If you'd like a demonstration in this come on into the classroom and I'll give you your very own lesson!

The Montessori Madmen are asking, "Why would you save cursive?" www.montessorimadmen.com

If you didn't already think it was worth saving have I convinced you yet? Why do you think it should be saved?