How to Improve Hand Writing Speed for Kids

To improve handwriting speed, practice is crucial.

You can often tell a lot by just looking at a person's handwriting. Neat handwriting is often associated with people who are perfectionists, while sloppy handwriting denotes the opposite. Handwriting skills are developed at an early age. Childhood is the perfect time to improve one's ability to write well and quickly. If you work with you child regularly to improve his writing skills to begin with, you can help him become a fast and legible writer in the long run. Remember: Practice makes perfect!

Things You'll Need

• Notebook paper
• Pencils
• Candy or other reward
• Stop watch

Instructions

1. Provide a quiet, comfortable atmosphere to work with your child.

2. Give your child a notebook and sharpened pencil. On the first notebook page, write a short sentence. Some practice sentences include: "Jane likes to run." or "John loves to play outside."

3. Start the stop watch. Have your child copy the sentence you wrote as quickly as he can, making sure the written words are legible.

4. Stop the stop watch. Record your child's time.

5. Reward your child with a small prize such as a piece of candy or a sticker. This will encourage your child to write faster and more legibly.

6. Repeat this process for 30 minutes per session.

Tips & Warnings

• If your child is struggling with a regular-sized pencil, try a fatter, smaller or kid-sized one.

• Make sure your child has a good eraser handy so he is not afraid of making mistakes.

• Consider purchasing handwriting workbooks to help improve your child's writing skills. They can be purchased from school supply stories.

References

• Family Education: Seven Ways to Help with Handwriting
• Scholastic: Five Ways to Improve Your Child's Handwriting

Resources

• Child Support: Handwriting Skills