The Importance of Proper Letter Formation in Handwriting

How often have you heard that teaching handwriting is a thing of the past? Some say that students will not need to formally learn handwriting because we are now in the digital age. We are told that keyboarding is the future. Well, yes, keyboarding is an important skill. However, based on brain research, we know that critical learning in other areas will suffer if we forego formal handwriting instruction.

Writing by hand is an essential element of literacy development. The neural pathways that are strengthened by formal handwriting instruction also aid in developing reading, writing, and spelling. Handwriting is a complex task requiring the engagement of cognitive and motor skills. Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) show that writing by hand activates more regions of the brain than typing.*

Additionally, studies using Electroencephalograms (EEGs) to measure brain activity during writing tasks have demonstrated the benefits of drawing and writing by hand, including a boost in brain connectivity and memory.** When older students take notes by hand, they must quickly prioritize, consolidate, and connect to the information. Formal handwriting instruction must be available to early elementary students as a foundational writing skill, as it improves reading and spelling skills, aids learning, and supports the development of critical thinking skills. 

A good handwriting program mirrors the developmental stages of students. The five stages of writing development depend on age, physiological, and environmental factors. Children must develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills to form letters and symbols. Additionally, children need alphabet knowledge and print awareness to compose complete thoughts. Early childhood education focuses on the first three stages of writing development: Scribbling and pre-writing skills, letter formation and letter-like forms, and emergent writing and phonetic spelling. 

Writing is a visual motor activity that requires students to integrate visual perception and motor senses to create a physical output. Visual-motor integration is essential in developing the subskills necessary for writing: visual discrimination, visual perception, spatial relationships, and visual memory, as well as the coordination of the gross and fine motor muscles for writing. 

These visual perceptual skills are essential for reading and writing. According to occupational therapists, legible handwriting requires memory, orientation, placement on the line, size of the letters, sequence of formation, and spacing. Many of these skills are naturally developed through daily activities and practice. Poor visual perception is linked to slow handwriting, ineligible penmanship, poor spelling, and difficulty copying from the board. 

Activities to build visual perceptual skills include matching, sorting, connect-the-dot activities, mazes, puzzles, spot-the-difference activities, hidden picture activities, writing in the air, and bilateral integration activities (e.g., the ability to use both sides of the body, engaging both sides of the brain in a coordinated manner). Play-based activities involving symmetrical bilateral integration, using both arms to complete the same task simultaneously, such as Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, naturally develop gross motor skills. 

It's clear that there is a need for formal handwriting instruction, but how important is it to focus on proper letter formation in handwriting? In the same way that handwriting instruction is crucial for brain development, the correct formation of letters is vital for handwriting development. During handwriting practice, automaticity happens when students can quickly recall and produce the formation of a specific letter.

Writing letters requires attention to the shape of the letters while reinforcing recognition. Research shows that students must recognize and name letters automatically to become successful readers and writers. Teachers can address thealphabetic principle during whole-group and small-group instruction. Center ideas include naming, matching, and sequencing letter activities.

Incorporating handwriting instruction in daily practice supports developing readers and writers in moving the production of a grapheme from short-term to long-term memory. A grapheme is a letter or letter combination used to represent a single phoneme or sound. Graphemes may be one letter (i.e., c, j, l, o) or multiple letters (i.e., -ck, -dge, -ll, -oe). Direct, explicit, multisensory instruction, including the appropriate production of vertical and horizontal lines used in print, is essential for automatically producing graphemes.

Lines and shapes are crucial for drawing and mathematics.Prewriting shapes use motor paths necessary for letter formations. Starting at the top line for vertical lines allows for more motor control. Teaching specific formations (top-down, left to right, counterclockwise) supports students as they build motor memory for letter formation, which improves letter identification, legibility, and automaticity for letter writing. Practicing prewriting shapes and letters improves visual, gross, and fine motor skills to prepare students for writing individual graphemes and words. 

Lowercase and capital letters are introduced based on their formation. The starting point and initial stroke determine formation groups. Presenting letters formed with the same starting point and initial stroke allows students to identify patterns, aids in letter recognition, and promotes writing automaticity. 

Taking the mystery out of letter formation through explicit, developmentally appropriate, and formal instruction in handwriting sets students up for success. As writing becomes automatic, working memory shifts from letter formation to fluency, grammar conventions, and content. Fluency in writing provides students an opportunity to communicate effectively and engage readers. These are benefits only achieved through hands-on practice with a pencil and paper, not a keyboard and a screen!

*James, Karin H., and Laura Engelhardt. 2012. “The Effects of Handwriting Experience on Functional Brain Development in Pre-Literate Children.” Trends in Neuroscience and Education 1 (1): 32–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2012.08.001.

**Ihara, Aya S., Kae Nakajima, Akiyuki Kake, Kizuku Ishimaru, Kiyoyuki Osugi, and Yasushi Naruse. 2021. “Advantage of Handwriting over Typing on Learning Words: Evidence from an N400 Event-Related Potential Index.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 15 (34177498). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.679191.