Advice and resources : Handwriting

Overview

Some children and young people may experience difficulties with handwriting.

It is a complex task which requires multiple skills including:

• Motor (movement) skills eg sitting posture, upper body stability, pencil control
• Hand-eye coordination (visual motor skills)
• Visual perception (being able to interpret what we see to form shapes, numbers and letters)
• Cognition and language skills
• Attention

A child may have difficulty with:

• Sitting upright when writing
• Using a pen or pencil with a good grasp and applying the right level of pressure on the paper
• Forming letters and spacing them correctly
• Doing longer pieces of writing

Have a look through the information on this page for some ways that you can help your child.

Handwriting essentials

• Does your child find it hard to hold a pencil?
• Do they use too much or too little pressure?
• Do they have difficulty forming their letters correctly?
• Do they struggle to keep their letters on the lines?

Watch our handwriting essentials playlist for strategies, practical advice, and tips on how to support handwriting development in children and young people. These videos are designed for parents and carers and those working within primary school age settings.

• Learn more

How you can help

You can learn more about the topics below by downloading our in-depth guide. 

Sitting posture

A comfy, upright posture with feet flat and elbows resting just below table height helps children focus and control their pencil. Boost shoulder strength with fun activities like wall push-ups, overhead ball throws, or vertical drawing.

Pencil grasp

A comfy, efficient pencil grasp helps children write clearly and comfortably. A functional grasp doesn’t need to be a perfect tripod grasp, it just needs to be efficient for writing. Boost fine motor skills with short crayons, vertical drawing, threading, tweezers, and experimenting with different pens and grips.

Placement of letters and letter formation

Help your child write clearly by teaching letters in movement-based groups (like curly or diagonal letters), using verbal cues, cue cards, and visual prompts. Try fun tricks to fix reversals and boost spacing, like cardboard spacebars or colourful stickers. Focus on neatness first, speed later.

Paper positioning

Tilt the paper slightly - left for right-handers, right for left-handers for smoother writing. Remind children to use their other hand to steady the paper, and consider adding a visual prompt on their desk.

Pencil pressure tips

Too much or too little pressure can make writing painful or hard to read. Help kids find the right balance with pushing, pulling, and pinching activities. Try weighted or retractable pencils for heavy writers, and softer leads or light writing challenges for gentle ones.

Hand warm-up moves

Quick exercises like rubbing palms, making fists, and finger lifts prep little hands for writing and reduce fatigue. These fun movements get fingers ready to go

Theraputty exercises 

Strengthen hand muscles with squishing, rolling, pinching, and shaping theraputty. Start soft and build up resistance as your child gets stronger. It’s sensory-rich and super engaging!

Handwriting alternatives

if handwriting is holding your child back, try typing, dictation, Clicker software, mind maps, or fill-in-the-blank sheets. These tools support learning while building confidence

Pens, pencils and writing aids

• Visit the Dyslexia Shop