Handwriting Development for Children: A Guide from an Occupational Therapist
Handwriting isn’t just about putting pen to paper; it’s a complex task that demands a multitude of cognitive, motor, and perceptual skills. By keeping an eye on your child’s handwriting progress, you can ensure they are developing these crucial abilities at the same time.
Early identification of handwriting difficulties can help your child get the support they need before these challenges impact their academic performance or self-esteem.
Development of Handwriting
Below is a general guideline of handwriting development Please note, each child is unique, and individual differences exist in the pace of development.
Pre-writing Stage (2-4 years old):
At this stage, children start by learning how to control their hand and finger movements. They begin with scribbling on a page. By age three, most children can draw vertical and horizontal lines and a circle.
Early Writing Stage (4-5 years old):
During this period, children usually start to experiment with letters, especially those in their names. They often begin to draw recognizable pictures, like a house or a person. By age four, they can typically draw a cross, a square, and possibly a few letters. They begin to be able to write their own name and the numbers 1-5.
They may also be able to write a few uppercase letters.
Developing Fluency (5-6 years old):
Around this age, children generally start to write the alphabet and numbers. They begin to understand the concept of upper and lowercase letters. They can start to write basic words that are recognisable and copy a triangle.
Building Speed (6-7 years old):
Children begin to gain speed in their writing, and their handwriting starts to become more automatic. This allows them to focus less on the physical act of writing and more on the content of their writing. At this age they can form most letters and numbers correctly with few reversals, write consistently on their graded lines, and write complete sentences with punctuation. While they write, they demonstrate good endurance and control of their pencil.
Improving Legibility (7-8 years old):
At this stage, handwriting becomes more established and legible. Children can form sentences with correct spacing between words, and their writing speed continues to increase. By Grade 3, children should be able to print clearly, writing at least two sentences consecutively with appropriate punctuation and grammar.
If you have any concerns with your child’s handwriting skills or you would like some more information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our Occupational Therapists via [email protected] or call us in the clinic on (07) 32654495.
Written by Helena Manicaros, 2024 (Occupational Therapist)