There is so much tech now in schools, and children spend so much time on it, that it isn’t unusual for teachers to question both the use of the pencil and whether or not handwriting itself is a waste of time.

I am here to tell you that yes, handwriting is a valuable skill and that no, we shouldn’t stop teaching it.  It’s one of those fundamental background skills that provides support for all sorts of other learning, and I am here to defend it.

When you start to think about it, you don’t have to go very far to find good reasons for teaching handwriting (there’s a good round up of research-based reasons here).  They include:

• Support for assessment and enabling the efficient taking of exams - if they can handwrite quicker and better, they will do better
• Aiding communication with any number of people who will read handwritten notes, from delivery people to grandmas who like to receive thank you letters
• Developing a sense of achievement
• Developing a sense of self expression and a sense of self
• For students with learning difficulties, the development of a mature handwriting style also contributes to how other people see them

And then you have the fact that clear, concise handwriting supports spelling, punctuation, paragraphs and is useful for reading.

So, rather than ignoring handwriting, let’s make sure we help students to excel at it.

How? Here are my eight tips.

1. Start correctly

Young children need to develop strength in their muscles to support the fine-motor control needed in order to handwrite.  The ability to control finger movements comes from a strong central core, shoulder girdle and arm and wrist.  Activities such as standing at an easel to paint, water/messy play, playdough, cutting, sticking, folding and tearing will all contribute to the development of these muscles, as will vigorous and active play.  Mark making is essential; finger gyms are great, but they can’t replace it.

2. Think about posture

Children need to use the correct posture for handwriting. Using a mini-whiteboard while sitting on the carpet might be OK for some lessons, but it won’t help them to develop their handwriting in the way that supports a mature, joined, efficient style.  To write, children need to sit at a desk, not too far away and not too close, with both feet on the floor to stabilise their bodies.  If you have a child who is too small for the furniture you may need to dig out a foot rest, and possibly some Dycem matting to stop them slipping about.  Writing slopes can also be helpful for some children with coordination difficulties.

3. Position the child correctly

Look closely at the position of the child in relation to the paper - especially with regard to your left handers.  Sitting them so that they are not clashing elbows is important, but also pay attention to how they are solving the problem of seeing what they are writing without smudging their work.  Rather than allowing them to develop an uncomfortable ‘hook’, encourage them to realign the page so that they don’t have to.

4. Get the right tool for the job

Some children with sensory difficulties may find the physical act of handwriting particularly difficult.  You may need to investigate pencil grips or triangular pencils to aid the development of a correct pencil grip.  For those with low sensitivity, wrapping something like a fabric plaster or some sandpaper around the pencil could give them the sensory input they need to practice successfully.  Children with coordination problems may also benefit from using a differently shaped pen or pencil.

5. Teach letter formation

Sometimes, children who find it difficult to concentrate in lessons, or those who spend a lot of time in intervention groups, will miss how to form their letters correctly. They will tend to go for any old way that looks right, regardless of how it slows down their writing.  As children get older, the speed at which they write needs to increase, so spend time ensuring that everyone is forming letters correctly, and give them lots of time to practice.  Remember that you can use paint, sand trays and even shaving foam (which has the added benefit of cleaning the tables for you); it doesn’t always have to be pen or pencil.

6. Be specific about setting out work

Organising their thoughts on paper can be a real challenge for some children, so be explicit about how you expect exercise books to be set out.  Get your class counting squares and lines - and teach them how to use a ruler.  As well as giving them a structure for their work, this will also help you to assess where their needs are, say, in maths, because you can see their thinking.  Consider discussing a whole school approach to setting out work.

7. Be pernickety

Some children have greater coordination difficulties than others, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aiming high for all.  Use your marking to get the children practicing the bits they didn’t quite get right - and if you put it in a word they will be learning how to spell that too.

8. Be an example

 If you are expecting beautiful handwriting from your class, yours should be too.  And if your handwriting isn’t great, you can improve yours too.  And the way you do that?  The old fashioned way.  Time, care, practice.

Nancy Gedge is a consultant teacher for the Driver Youth Trust, which works with schools and teachers on SEND. She is the TES SEND specialist and author of Inclusion for Primary School Teachers and tweets@nancygedge

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