Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
HANDWRITING
GUIDELINES
Kindergarten- Grade 5
Spring 2010
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
Research to Support Handwriting
Research literature extensively documents the consequences of poor handwriting on early
literacy and academic performance. Children who experience difficulty mastering this skill
[handwriting] may avoid writing and decide that they cannot write, leading to arrested writing
development (Graham, Harris and Fink, 2000).
“A slanted manuscript alphabet may not be the best choice for young children for several
reasons. First, there is no credible evidence that these alphabets make a difference in children’s
handwriting. Making this transition to cursive writing does not appear to be enhanced by using a
special alphabet like D’Nealian…Second, the use of the slanted manuscript alphabet creates
several practical problems for teachers..Learning a special alphabet like D’Nealian means that
many children would have to relearn letters they can already write.”
“Given the lack of supportive evidence and the practical problems involved in implementation,
slanted manuscript letters cannot be recommended as a replacement for the traditional
manuscript alphabet” (Graham, 1994).
Handwriting is critical to the production of creative and well-written text (Graham & Harris,
2005) affecting both fluency and the quality of the composition.
Illegible handwriting also has secondary effects on school achievement and self-esteem (EngelYeger, Nagakur - Yanuv & Rosenblum, 2009; Malloy-Miller, Polatajko & Anstett, 1995).
Handwriting is indeed casually related to learning to write. Students who received
supplementary handwriting instruction outperformed their counterparts…on measures assessing
not only handwriting but writing skills as well (Graham, Harris, Fink, 2000).
“No one is predicting, or even recommending, a return to the days when children obsessively
practiced the curlicues on the Palmer Method capitals. Beauty seems to be less important than
fluidity and speed. Graham’s work, and others, has shown that from kindergarten through fourth
grade, kids think and writeat the same time (only later is mental composition divorced from the
physical process of handwriting). If they have to struggle to remember how to make their letters,
their ability to express themselves will suffer” (Kelley, 2007).
“There are good reasons for teaching childrent to write with traditional vertical, rather than
slanted, strokes. In all books, on environmental signs, on children’s TV programs, the letters are
all vertical…When children come to school, they are already familiar with that alphabet, or they
may already be writing it” (Viadero, 1993)
Having to attend consciously to handwriting while composing may tax writers’ memory
(Berninger, 1999), interfering with other composing processing such as content generation and
planning” (Graham, Weintraub, & Berniger, 2001).
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
(left blank, can be added to as more research is completed)
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
Kindergarten Handwriting:
Compose well-developed text using standard English conventions
The teacher will…
 Provide an environment that is non-threatening that will encourage young writers
 Use common language of letter formation for handwriting instruction (page 9)
 Provide explicit instruction for student to reach learning outcomes
 Communicate the purpose for proper letter formation, such as helping others to read their
ideas
 Monitor if student has met learning outcomes and provide extra practice only for those
who have demonstrated a need for further guidance
 Differentiate instruction for student success
 Provide authentic opportunities for students to practice the application of handwriting
skills
Learning Outcomes: What do I want my students to know?
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How to use an appropriate pencil grip
How to form letters from top to bottom and left to right
How to move left to right, top to bottom while writing
How to write letters using uniform size
Common language of letter formation and how to follow it as letters are formed (page 9)
Teach explicit instruction of letter formation
How to capitalize first letters of own first and last names
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
First Grade Handwriting:
Compose well-developed text using standard English conventions
The teacher will…
 Provide an environment that is non-threatening that will encourage young writers
 Use common language of letter formation for handwriting instruction (page 9)
 Provide explicit instruction for student to reach learning outcomes
 Communicate the purpose for proper letter formation, such as helping others to read their
ideas
 Monitor if student has met learning outcomes and provide extra practice only for those
who have demonstrated a need for further guidance
 Differentiate instruction for student success
 Provide authentic opportunities for students to practice the application of handwriting
skills
 Provide lines on paper that are at least 1 inch apart, rather than college ruled
 Take advantage of the OT professionals for handwriting ideas
Learning Outcomes: What do I want my students to know?
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All learning outcomes established from kindergarten
Common language of letter formation and how to follow it as letters are formed (page 9)
How to space appropriately between words
How to form manuscript letters correctly
How to capitalize names of people and beginning words of sentences
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
Second Grade Handwriting:
Compose well-developed text using standard English conventions
The teacher will…
 Provide an environment that is non-threatening that will encourage young writers
 Use common language of letter formation for handwriting instruction (page 9)
 Provide explicit instruction for student to reach learning outcomes
 Communicate the purpose for proper letter formation, such as helping others to read their
ideas
 Monitor if student has met learning outcomes and provide extra practice only for those
who have demonstrated a need for further guidance
 Differentiate instruction for student success
Learning Outcomes: What do I want my students to know?






All learning outcomes established from first grade
Common language of letter formation and how to follow it as letters are formed (page 9)
How to space appropriately between words when writing on a page
How to use conventions of capitalizations in written text
How to form manuscript letters correctly
How to form cursive letters correctly
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
Third Grade Handwriting:
Compose well-developed text using standard English conventions
The teacher will…
 Provide an environment that is non-threatening that will encourage young writers
 Use common language of letter formation for handwriting instruction (page 9)
 Provide explicit instruction for student to reach learning outcomes
 Communicate the purpose for proper letter formation, such as helping others to read their
ideas
 Monitor if student has met learning outcomes and provide extra practice only for those
who have demonstrated a need for further guidance
 Differentiate instruction for student success
Learning Outcomes: What do I want my students to know?




All learning outcomes established from second grade
Common language of letter formation and how to follow it as letters are formed (page 9)
How to form manuscript and cursive letters correctly
How to use conventions of capitalizations in written text
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
Fourth Grade Handwriting:
Compose well-developed text using standard English conventions
The teacher will…
 Provide an environment that is non-threatening that will encourage young writers
 Use common language of letter formation for handwriting instruction (page 9)
 Provide explicit instruction for student to reach learning outcomes
 Communicate the purpose for proper letter formation, such as helping others to read their
ideas
 Differentiate instruction for student success
 Monitor if student has met learning outcomes and provide extra practice only for those
who have demonstrated a need for further guidance
 Allow the student to determine his/her preference for completing assignments,
manuscript or cursive.
Learning Outcomes: What do I want my students to know?
 All learning outcomes established from third grade
 Common language of letter formation and how to follow it as letters are formed (page 9)
 How to form manuscript and cursive letters correctly
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
Fifth Grade Handwriting:
Compose well-developed text using standard English conventions
The teacher will…
 Provide an environment that is non-threatening that will encourage young writers
 Use common language of letter formation for handwriting instruction (page 9)
 Provide explicit instruction for student to reach learning outcomes
 Communicate the purpose for proper letter formation, such as helping others to read their
ideas
 Differentiate instruction for student success
 Monitor if student has met learning outcomes and provide extra practice only for those
who have demonstrated a need for further guidance
 Allow the student to determine his/her preference for completing assignments,
manuscript or cursive.
Learning Outcomes: What do I want my students to know?
 All learning outcomes established from fourth grade
 Common language of letter formation and how to follow it as letters are formed (page 9)
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
K-5
Common Language
for
Letter Formation
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
Stick Letters
Stick letters first, continuous stroke
d…o…w…n
d..o..w..n, up, over, down
down, dot
down, up, over, down
down, cross
down, up, over, down, up, over, down
Magic “c” letters, continuous stroke
Learning to write the letter c will be critical. It
will be the foundation from which other letters
will be made.
down, up, over
d..o..w..n, up around
down, curve up, down
over, around
d..o..w..n, up around
over, around, close
Letters with slants, continuous stroke
over, around, close, down
slant down, slant up
Slant down, slant up;slant down, slant up
over, around, close, u..p, d..o..w..n
Across, slant, across
over, around, close, hook left
Letters with slants, two strokes
Slant, long slant
across, over, around
over, around, close, d..o..w..n, hook right
Slant, cross slant
d..o..w..n, slant, out
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Handwriting
Expectations, Spring 2010
Letters with curves
Teachers should use consistent language and
standard modeling methods to transfer
expectations from grade to grade.
Up, around, d..o..w..n, cross
d..o..wn, hook, dot
up, around, curve, curve
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Expectations, Spring 2010
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Expectations, Spring 2010
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Expectations, Spring 2010
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Expectations, Spring 2010
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Expectations, Spring 2010
REFERENCES
Feder, K.P., & Majnemer, A. (2007). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention.
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 49, 312-317.
Graham, S. & Harris, K.R., (2005). Improving the writing performance of young struggling writers. The
Journal of Special Education, 39, 19-33.
Marr, D., Cermack, S.A., Cohn, E.S, & Henderson, A. (2003). Fine motor activities in Head Start and
Kindergarten classrooms. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 57, 550-557.
NAEYC. 1996. NAEYC position statement: Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood
programs serving children from birth through age eight. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved
December 2, 2007, from http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/pdf/PSDAP98.PDF
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