After the child about six months of age ,start to scrible on the floor using fingures or any other immediate available material. this means preparations to write start eventually during the crawling process.However a child has to be prepared to write meaningful symbols ,when is ready physically ,mentally and emotionally.
Physical Readiness in young growing children visual ,mascular and nervous systems or partially developed children can not make fine precise movements of the hands and fingers and they easily retire.
Therefore the teacher has to include play activities in the lessons ,for example tearing of papers ,playing with small stones,moulding clay etc.
All these aims to develop their sensory descrimination fingers dexterity,muscular and visual co-ordination.
Mental Readiness ,perception plays an important part in mental readiness .Therefore children need to be trained to perceive minor differences in objects and letters, before the introduction of writing and above all they have to be motivated enough to want to do things eagerly and to strive for excellency.
Mechanics of Handwriting:
♥Posture ,children need to be trained to sit propery upright ,writing pad in front and collect holding of pen/pencil.
♥Good furniture and some methods can be employed by the teacher to train children how to write like:
•Using sand trays or going outside to write on the ground using fingers and then the sticks.Drawing on the sand has an advantage as it leaves record of children's progress and also provide valuable kinaesthetic and secession.
•Mouldelling latter and numerals using clay and plasticine.It gives the child the intial acquitance with the form of letters produced and gives meaning in physical terms.
•Trailing with fingers or a blunt point a pencil in the curriculum or on the desk .One of the major drawback is that no records and mistakes are left inchecked.
Finger Painting
The use of fingers and paint is the most exciting activities pupils can interested in doing.However take guide to avoid them putting permanent stains on their clothes.In other words don't use permanet paints.Children dip their fingers in the paint and use them to shape letters on the boards.
Pattern Drawing
Using thick pencils ,chalk ,crayons ,charcoal etc.Initially this is done on the blank sheets and finally they write on ruled paper.
Handwriting Difficulties
¤The awkward pen holders ,the remedy is to put clay around the pen .
¤Left handers encourage them to sit on the left of a double desk.
¤Dyxlexia reversal of letters d is turned to be b and the vice versa.The remedy is using dots or first used them to tracing papers.
¤Streptosymbolia ,twisting of symbols (+ ÷ -- ×)The remedy is to keep on emphasising at teach one at a time.
MAKING GUIDE FOR HANDWRITING
Write numeral for infants 10 marks
Write numeral for juniours 10 marks
Write vowels for infants 10marks
Write vowels for juniuor 10marks
Letters that join at the top 10marks
Letters with ascending ligatures 10marks
Letters that do not join 10marks
A sentence joining letter 20 marks
Any five Capital letters 10 marks
NB: The quick brown fox jumped over the small lazy dog.
Ligatures these are loopd used in joining letters for juniours and above.
Letters with ascending ligatures: a c d i k l m n t u
Insipient ligatures:o r v
Letters that do not join:b f j p s g q y x z
Further Reading
Barker ,A.E.(1988)Philosophies of Education :An Introductory Course ,College Press ,Harare.
English ,A and Cornel (1967)Teaching of Handwriting ,Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
Jarman,C.(2002)Rules for Good curseve
Jarman ,C.(1979)The development of Handwriting Skills :A Book of Resources ,Basil Blackwell ,Oxford.
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