Handwriting - Where do we start?

Very often, I come across young mothers who are eager to start handwriting with their toddlers.

"Any tips on which hand I should make him practice with? We are mostly lefties in our family, but he uses both hands equally while playing. Should I train the left anyway?" (mother of a 2.5 yr old) 

"Should I guide him with hand-over-hand, or let him try out on his own?" (mother of a 3 yr old) 

"Is tracing a good idea? We have quite a lot of unused practice worksheets from my nephew's previous academic year." (mother of another 2.5 yr old)

"Should I let him draw more before I teach him to write letters?" (mother of a 3.5 year old)

"What sort of paper do you suggest to start writing with- four lined, two lined or just blank paper?" (mother of a 3 year old)

Generally, young and (especially) new parents have overly optimistic expectations about parenthood and child development and it is not uncommon that therapists come across enthusiastic mothers who ask questions like those above...but how do you know if it is really the right time to start a new skill with your child?

Let's start at the very beginning.....a very good place to start!

(A little bit into the science of it... ) Like generally most organisms, we human beings, too, follow a 'cephalocaudal' pattern of development. Hold on, that's not complicated! 'Cephalo' refers to the head or the main neural area, and 'caudal' refers to the body. So, cephalocaudal development simple means head-to-body development in which the head develops first, followed by the body, with development starting at the top end of the body and progressing all the way down to the feet. 

We also follow a 'proximodistal' pattern of development, which means that the ' proximal' part of the body, the core or the trunk, develop first followed by the shoulder and hip joints, the arms and legs, and lastly the fingers and the toes, the 'distal' part. The ability to skillfully use various parts of the body also follows the proximodistal pattern of development.

Gross Motor Skills Before Fine Motor Skills

This principle is especially important when we think about skill development like handwriting or other fine motor tasks. Children need a stable core and strong gross motor control in their shoulders, elbows, and wrists before they can begin to refine their finger movements.

Development is a process that takes time, and rushing into new skills before the foundational muscles and coordination are in place can lead to frustration for both the parent and the child.

So, where do we start then?

Yes, you guessed right.....from the trunk! 

An example I always give parents is that of the mango tree and the pumpkin plant. The mango tree has a strong trunk which is why it can support its branches to spread out and 'stand' independently without external support. 

The pumpkin plant on the other hand is a creeper and it bears really big fruit (the pumpkin). The stem or the trunk is not strong enough to stand up or climb on a support, and the weight of the fruit is more than it can bear. 

You cannot spread your branches out if your trunk is not strong.

Core strengthening

Lets go back to my analogy of the mango tree and pumpkin plant. Just as the mango tree has a strong trunk that supports its branches and fruit, children need strong core muscles to support finer movements. Without that foundation, it’s challenging for children to move on to more advanced skills like writing, cutting with scissors, or even manipulating small objects.

When working on developing or improving handwriting, start with activities that strengthen core stability, such as crawling, playing on all fours, or climbing. These activities can help ensure the child has a solid base to build on. Once the trunk is stable, you can gradually introduce more fine motor tasks, confident that the foundation is in place.

The activities that help improve core strength and stabilty also work on improved overall motor development, balance, posture, and coordination. 

Some examples of activities that promote trunk and core strength are:

• obstacle courses or tunnels for children to crawl through, or play games that involve crawling under objects or through play tunnels.
• therapy ball activities (make the child sit on an exercise ball or a balance cushion while supervised and engage them in games like tossing a ball back and forth, or lifting one foot off the floor to increase the challenge.)
• animal walks
• bridging (ask the child lie on their back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground, and then lift their hips up to form a bridge. They can hold this position or try to balance a stuffed toy on their belly for fun.)
• simple yoga poses
• active play on swings, monkey bars, or climbing frames at a playground. Climbing ladders, ropes, or cargo nets are also very good for building core strength.
• scooter board activities and games.

....the list is endless.  What's crucial is to keep things fun and adaptable, making physical development a natural and enjoyable part of a child's routine.

Now that we have started well, we are already halfway through progress. What's next is for another day and another post. 

Until next time, happy core strengthening! Enjoy the progress and play!