Illegible Handwriting - Handwriting Too Small

[Anonymous]

DC (in HS!!!!) has illegible handwriting. The problem is it is way too tiny. This wasn't a problem in ES and most of MS, but it has just gotten worse over time. I think it has to do with rushing through note taking, exams, etc.

Is this something your teen has struggled with? Any suggestions on how to tackle this problem? When asked, DC can write larger letters, but this doesn't come naturally, and their everyday handwriting is too small.

[Anonymous]

I’m wondering about sex of your DC. In my experience with female adolescents with anorexia, there were an unusual amount of them with deliberately tiny handwriting.

There are a few studies about this in medical literature but nothing definitive and they’re 40+ years old. I’m not suggesting your child has an eating disorder, but an eating disorder is the the only thing that the tiny hand writers I’ve met had in common.

[Anonymous]

I only see the other problem where the handwriting is excessively large and the DC cannot write small.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you just need glasses. If DC can read their own handwriting why do you care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m wondering about sex of your DC. In my experience with female adolescents with anorexia, there were an unusual amount of them with deliberately tiny handwriting.

There are a few studies about this in medical literature but nothing definitive and they’re 40+ years old. I’m not suggesting your child has an eating disorder, but an eating disorder is the the only thing that the tiny hand writers I’ve met had in common.

It could be anxiety related

[Anonymous]

Are you worried the person correcting their AP exam won't be able to read it? If that's the case, he needs handwriting practice, and/or you need to scramble to get a typing accommodation with the College Board - it takes time, and they need a professional evaluation as proof of need.

My son has dysgraphia, and one year the AP exam proctor could not find his typing accommodation, and he had to handwrite an AP history exam. I was worried it would lower his grade, because it's so laborious for him to handwrite that he loses focus, but it was OK. However, his handwriting is unusually large and unformed, like a Kindergartner's, so even though it's disconcerting to read, it's not actually illegible.

[Anonymous]

My son has very, very small handwriting. I never use reading glasses, but I have to use my husband's to read my son's papers. It's rather absurd, but he is a senior in high school, so it is what it is. He can read his handwriting without an issue.

[Anonymous]

Can your kid and his teachers read his writing?

My 7th grader has tiny cursive. I have 51-year-old eyes and struggle with it. His teachers are fine with it though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can your kid and his teachers read his writing?

My 7th grader has tiny cursive. I have 51-year-old eyes and struggle with it. His teachers are fine with it though.

I’m impressed your kid can write in cursive. My kids can’t even read it!

[Anonymous]

I have tiny handwriting— but it changes a bit with the size of the paper I use. I write larger with narrower college ruled paper. Try a few different sizes and see if it makes a difference. Experimenting with different pen sizes might make a difference too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can your kid and his teachers read his writing?

My 7th grader has tiny cursive. I have 51-year-old eyes and struggle with it. His teachers are fine with it though.

I’m impressed your kid can write in cursive. My kids can’t even read it!

Wow. That is terrible

[Anonymous]

I have always taught my kids to write on lined paper, and make the handwriting so that it is legible. I have been doing this from ES.

I was doing this with an eye towards writing in exams etc. Otherwise, they can type it out.

[Anonymous]

I’m unclear why this is a problem.

I’m a 45 year old man with tiny handwriting. I use a mechanical pencil. Completely legible to me, but definitely tiny and been that way since I became organized in early high school.

In school I used college ruled line paper and typically wrote 3 lines of text per line (sometimes 4). I definitely had classes where at the semesters end, I had 4 pages of notes.

But seriously, what does it matter?

[Anonymous]

Agreed. I had tiny handwriting for a while. It was not my mom’s business in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m wondering about sex of your DC. In my experience with female adolescents with anorexia, there were an unusual amount of them with deliberately tiny handwriting.

There are a few studies about this in medical literature but nothing definitive and they’re 40+ years old. I’m not suggesting your child has an eating disorder, but an eating disorder is the the only thing that the tiny hand writers I’ve met had in common.

Very interesting! My daughter (NP) had an eating disorder, still has anxiety (improving significantly with therapy) and has tiny handwriting.