MECHANICS

OF
WRITING

Introduction:
writing is an essential communication
skill
has permanence and thus it
continues to relay the meaning
encoded

Penmanship:
In early writing stage, a child
writes:
correct letter formation
uniform-sized letters
Uniformed slant writing

 try to focus on one objective at a time

choose several letters to work with ,
using these letters to form words
emphasize the difference between
lower case and upper case letters

 uniform spacing can be taught by

using popsicle sticks on paper
as much as possible, refrain from
teaching cursive writing
slanting is not uniformed

draw lines through the letter must

be uniformed (/ / / / )

 young children should use large writing

or painting tools for better control.
emphasize on forms, not size first
ensure a good grip on the writing tool

 In writing, a child will learn :

to draw lines and shapes
circular shapes should begin at the 2 oclock position, then
move up, left and around-like (c)
Lines drawn left t o right, top to bottom
Vertical lines should start with left sides then right sides, then
connecting the horizontal lines
Horizontal lines on top, first, and should begin at the left

to write a few lower case letters and short words (own

names)
to write uniform size letter
Look for writing template with solid lines at top and bottom,
dotted line in the middle and space between next guiding
lines

 Fine motor skills develop more slowly in boys

compared to girls
Try to cater for the these differences by:
Making them sit in proper sitting position
The flat writing surface should be of the right
height
Feet should touch the floor or properly supported

 pupils should be given enough time to practice

handwriting
as pupils mature and their motor skills allow, let
them to work on composition either by dictating or
typing;
pupils can also answer workbook question orally;
pupils can also be expected to write neatly and be
done at a reasonable speed once they are ready;
they should be able to take phone messages, write
letters and complete applications with writing that is
legible, neat, and fit into space allotted.

Checklist for teaching handwriting:

watch:
lower case (letters of same length)
upper case (letters of same length)
even spacing between letters and words
letters slanting in same direction
letters sitting on same line

dont rush them

be gentle
dont criticise
shorten each session 15 minutes is
enough
take breaks or have the class
move to simple words write own names

Handwriting activities in class:

imagining writing in the air or water
writing on rewritable surface
white/black board
writing on large surfaces mahjong
paper, blank a4
using prewriting sheets

Writing sheets:
this worksheet works by having pupils
connecting the dots that spell out words or
letters;
for starter, teach pupils to write their own names;
then move on to simple words, taking care to
include both upper and lower case alphabets;
then have pupils to work on single print letters in
pre-cursive writing this is to get them used to
the way alphabets are written in cursive writing;
pupils can then move to actual cursive writing by
connecting the alphabets

teach the pupil to write

his or her own name

move on to simple
words, use both upper
and lower case
alphabets

Start with precursive writing by

writing pupils own
name to the way the
alphabets are written
in the cursive writing.

After the pre-cursive alphabets, move on

to actual cursive writing

Use dots in specific places on the

worksheet to give the pupils reference
points for their writing