Get a grip

In our homeschool Mr.6 has been working on learning the letters of the alphabet. We are doing it in a way that is a bit different than mainstream. Mr. 6 is just starting to go through the 7 year change. I will leave the alphabet curriculum for another day because it is an entire post by itself if not more... but it brings me to the subject of handwriting. I believe that handwriting is becoming a bit of a lost art. Gone are the days when we commonly write out notes to each other over being able to text one another so easily. Many schools now are giving children in kindergarten and first grade laptops and other electronic devices to use, and I fear that before long there will be some children that do not know how to write all on their own, let alone know how to use cursive letters. Don't get me wrong, I think technology is amazing and wonderful, but at the right age, and when the basic fundamentals of writing have been taught and are understood completely.

All this aside, there is an art to handwriting. There is something personal with writing by hand that says; "I took the time to write this and create this from within me. This message took more than just a tap of a button, it took muscles in my body that I have perfected to be able to create this shape. Its personal. Its my writing alone and no one else's." 

One of the ways we have been working on handwriting is getting a good grip. There are reasons that if researched thoroughly, (there are MANY but two examples are here and here), point out that a good hold on the writing apparatus being used, can lead to ease of physical writing for the student in the long run, as well as ease in legibility of handwriting (or in momma terms the beauty of it!) That is not to say that if the proper grip is not obtained then it is not achievable, it just might be harder.

There are many sites that have suggested that using the gross motor skills actually helps develop the proper muscles for small motor skills. Hanging, climbing, carrying buckets filled with weight in it like dirt or water, etc... these are a few of the ideas given for helping strengthen the tendons and muscles needed for proper coordination of writing.

So what does all this mean? If your child is struggling with holding the pencil he or she is trying to write with, its possible that the correct muscles needed are not fully developed yet. There are many other factors in play of course, but an easy and fun answer is... go play!! Which is what we have been doing. Going to the parks, playgrounds, and hanging and working around the house. Trying to daily use Large Motor skills as well as small. Not because Mr. 6 can't write, but because I want it to feel easy, natural, and be beautiful for him. So what better excuse to get outside than it being amazingly educational and beneficial for those perfect bitty fingers to write with!

Sometimes the best way to get a grip is to let go and play!

May you enjoy a moment today educating your body, as well as your mind.

~The Little Bruns