From tying shoes, cutting with scissors, picking up toys and using utensils, to holding a crayon or pencil, young children are practicing fine motor skills. While many children hit these developmental milestones easily, everyone learns at their own pace. As kids begin to learn how to write, parents want to watch out for signs their child is having difficulties early on.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, most children between the ages of 4 and 5, developmentally should be able to print their name and write numbers one through five. In elementary years, ages 6 and 7, kids should be able to do a three-fingered grasp of a pencil, color within the lines, and write most numbers and letters consistently on lines.
“I think probably from a very young age, parents may notice their child is having an unusual grip (of a pencil, crayon or marker),” says Erica Richley-Duda, executive director of Special Education at Summit Academy in Akron. “And I think when kids are first learning they may have that grip that’s a little bit unusual, but then it will correct itself over time.”
She says the grip could be one indicator, but parents might notice their kids writing slowly or being inconsistent with the shapes or sizes of their letters.
“This could be something especially as they approach school age — kindergarten through second grade. If these things are still persisting, those may be indicators that something else is going on,” Richley-Duda says. “But if a parent isn’t aware of things that they should be looking for, it may be harder for them to pick up what potentially is an issue.”
For concerns about their child’s writing, parents should reach out to their school district or, if needed, their pediatrician. However, every child might not be diagnosed with a learning difference such as dysgraphia, which is a specific learning disorder in written expression.
“So when you’re noticing that there are some issues, that’s where it’s always helpful at the school level to start to talk to an occupational therapist, psychologist, or speech/language pathologist,” Richley-Duda says. “Are you noticing any issues? Are there interventions that could be tried at home, or at school, or does the student actually need services to correct those issues?”
She notes another part of writing is the ability to express your thoughts, which some students might be struggling with expressive language, whether it’s written or oral.
“This is where a speech language pathologist can come in to help the student actually put what they’re thinking into meaning so they can convey their thoughts to others,” Richley-Duda says.
She suggests making it as fun and engaging as possible when practicing handwriting. Some of the things she mentions is instead of using paper, write in shaving cream or foam or use stencils to help them properly form the letters. Create a banner, card or craft for someone. Parents can also have their child do something that relates to their interests.
While technology has become increasingly part of our daily lives, teaching kids how to write is still important.
“I think at the present time, at least in my experience, there’s definitely the need to learn how to write versus just going straight to typing,” Richley-Duda says. “You think about how many times you have to hand sign a document. And if we got rid of writing all together, where we were just typing and using technology, I think we would lose a lot more skills and abilities, I think it would have a very significant impact.
