should you correct letter formation/handwriting in kindergarten?

[Anonymous]

Yes absolutely correct it. Every time they write anything, every letter. You want to have that good letter formation be automatic so that they can think about their ideas, not how to make a lower case “j” or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid. If they're likely to get discouraged and throw in the towel, don't. If they're veering toward perfectionism, don't. At least not in k. Maybe in another year or so. If you can make it a fun challenger like a game and it doesn't get in the way of creativity, go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Leave it alone. Is can be discouraging to correct. In time, they will self correct.

This is absolutely not true.

[Anonymous]

You should absolutely correct it and teach them the proper letter formation. Try alphabet beats by TV Teacher, buy the complete set if you can afford it, just make copies of workbook pages as you’ll do each letter more than once. Start with easy uppercase letters rather than going in alphabetical order. I also recommend a lined chalkboard as well as raised handwriting paper and a pencil grip. Practice 3-5 letters each day https://tvteachervideos.com/shop

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a Kindergartener and SAME! I'm actually a bit concerned about it. I just bought "Handwriting without tears" on amazon and plan on doing it with her over the summer. I'd taught her how to read before K, but thought they'd work more with her on her handwriting. She currently can't do lower case pretty much at all. She writes lowercase when copying a word, but when writing her own narratives, it's all uppercase. Her teacher actually flagged it as an issue for us parents to address. (She's my oldest so I was a little shocked by that- am I supposed to be teaching her handwriting? When they flag things, why don't the teachers focus on that with her?)

Handwriting with tears is a terrible program, see if you can return it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leave it alone. Is can be discouraging to correct. In time, they will self correct.

Signed, public school teacher

What terrible advice, nothing self corrects, you either learn it correctly or you don’t

[Anonymous]

Summer is coming. Pick up a Zaner-Bloser Kindergarten or 1st grade workbook from Amazon. Have her do a couple pages a day (with input from you - if you let her do it on her own she will just keep making the letters the way she already is). Keep it separate from any creative writing she might choose to do and don't critique her letter formation on other stuff she writes.

Before you do that, though, I'd actually check with the school and see if they do any handwriting instruction in 1st grade, and if so, find out what program they use so you can match that.

[Anonymous]

If I could do it over again, I would have gotten a hand writing tutor for all of my kids. (OT)

The public school teachers we had did not correct - writing the correct way matters as it influences readability, speed, fatigue.
They kicked the can with the "don't worry about it" and by the time it was escalated the OT's response was - it is really hard to correct after 3rd grade.

I have a kid who dropped out of mathletes because they could not "show their work" in a readable manner. This broke my heart as it was something they really loved.

[Anonymous]

Kindergarten teacher here. I teach students how to write a d like the way OP describes because it helps with b/d reversals. As long as other letters start at the top and go down, I’m happy.

[Anonymous]

I’d not worry for another year or two. It may resolve in its own. Ours had garbage handwriting in early 1st abd it’s so much better now. Correcting has led to backsliding for ours, so we are giving them time to grow. We do build in some practice, but I’ve learned to sit on my hands and not correct. Our best success has come when copying words they are interested in. Like breeds of dogs, fairytale words (unicorn/dragon), animal facts; either from my writing it on a larger paper or copying from books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First grade teacher here - during writing we do not nitpick the kids about letter formation because our goal is to get the ideas from their heads onto the page. In my district (DCPS) we also teach fundations, separate from writing, which does focus on letter formation among other things. When we are in this portion of instruction I will remind them how letters are properly formed and make sure they are facing the right direction, etc. You might want to see if your school has a similar approach. If you want to work on it at home I would keep the neatness/handwriting/formation aspect separate from any kind of creative writing for fun. My 2 cents.

100% this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First grade teacher here - during writing we do not nitpick the kids about letter formation because our goal is to get the ideas from their heads onto the page. In my district (DCPS) we also teach fundations, separate from writing, which does focus on letter formation among other things. When we are in this portion of instruction I will remind them how letters are properly formed and make sure they are facing the right direction, etc. You might want to see if your school has a similar approach. If you want to work on it at home I would keep the neatness/handwriting/formation aspect separate from any kind of creative writing for fun. My 2 cents.

Thank you. Aligns with what we were told at parent teacher conference when concerned with messy writing.

[Anonymous]

My first grader is learning formation but very little. He writes letters the "correct" way when he does his homework but reverts back to his way otherwise.

I suspect he will handwrite very little in life. Even legal documents are e-signed these days.

[Anonymous]

Yeah i don’t get what wrong with how the OP described. As they get used to it they will start writing faster and more fluidly. There is absolutely no way I could correct my kindergartner like that and not have some horrible power struggle. It’s already hard enough to get him to do homework. I could get him to correct 2 letters maybe before it all blew up. However he has learned to write really well in DCPS kindergarten this year, so I don’t know what they did but it worked!

[Anonymous]

I have a third grader in FCPS - they do not teach letter formation or grip. Her grip has been terrible and even though I always correct it at home, they don't at school, and I'm concerned she's going to be stuck this way. Her handwriting has gotten a littler better now that they write more, but she does not write top down like she is supposed to.