When children are learning handwriting, it’s important to aim for “automaticity.” Automaticity refers to the ability to do something correctly from memory, with relatively little effort. As children learn the strokes to form letters in the same way, each time they write, they can achieve greater automaticity with handwriting. This incr...
Holding a pencil correctly can help avoid fatigue and cramping that can make writing difficult. Have your child rest the forearm in a neutral position on a flat writing surface. The hand should rest on the little finger allowing the wrist to move freely. The thumb needs to be in a position where it can provide resistance to the fingers...
Remembering what sound each letter makes is crucial to learning how to read. Vowels can be particularly tricky for young children because they have both a long and a short sound. Make learning long and short vowel sounds fun by going on a short or long “vowel word hunt” in your house, the car, or the grocery store. Encourage your son t...
Just as children develop at different rates, so does their handwriting. Between the ages of 5-6 years of age, children are just beginning to have the muscle strength and coordination to use a proper 3-finger pencil grip. Some children struggle because they are simply trying to write too quickly. Encourage your child to slow down and ta...
It’s normal for children to mix up letters when they are first learning about the alphabet. Children are introduced to letters in multiple contexts, and oftentimes, these letters are presented in different styles, shapes and sizes. Although the typeface used in the Letter Factory may be most familiar to your son, he is also seeing lett...
A fun way to create a family story with younger children is to make a family tree. You can add photos or ask your child to draw a picture of each family member. Talk about each family member and share special memories you have shared together. Another fun way to create your family story is to make a scrapbook that highlights some of th...
It’s clear that you see the tremendous value in getting your grandson excited about reading and writing! A long line of research shows that children who take to reading early on are more likely to make it a pleasurable habit throughout their lives and experience later success in reading and writing, with a broader vocabulary and deeper...