Few teacher education programs in the United States today teach handwriting instruction. As a result, the vast majority of our elementary school teachers don't consider themselves prepared to teach handwriting effectively. The consequences for our students has been a steady decline in their ability to write competently and legibly. Even in a technological age, experts say, good handwriting is an important, if under-rated skill. If you've been avoiding teaching handwriting in your classroom because of a lack of knowledge or training, the following resources can help!
Learn More About Teaching Handwriting
How to Teach Handwriting
About three-quarters of elementary school teachers say they don't feel adequately prepared to teach handwriting. That figure isn't surprising when you consider that few teacher training programs in the United States today address handwriting instruction. Perhaps this article can help! Included: Handwriting lessons, free worksheets.
Have Computers Forced Handwriting Out of the Picture?
Computers have demoted the second of the three Rs, some educators say. Instead of teaching cursive letters, teachers point students to the letters on the keyboard. Not all educators and handwriting experts agree on why handwriting skills are declining, however. Some place the blame on teachers, school budgets, or book publishers.
Handwriting Practice Made Easy
At handwriting instruction time, students use special whiteboards as they would paper. Using the boards enables students to work until they're happy with their writing; they can erase until they succeed. Invite students who have created the best writing samples to go to the head of the class to show off their work.