10 Most Common Handwriting Problems and Their Solutions

 

Pencil grasp

The tripod grasp is the most preferred pencil grasp. It facilitates legibility, letter formation, and speed. An incorrect pencil grip is painful. It causes pain to your hand and arm.

In a tripod grasp, the pen or pencil is supported by three fingers of the hand - the thumb, index, and middle finger. The ring and little finger bent and rest on the table.

 

You are unable to handle a large or regular size pencil

Write with pencils in proportion to the hands.

 

You move your entire arm while writing

Lie on a flat surface like floor and write. This puts weight on the arms and stabilizes them. Use a vertical surface like a chalkboard or an easel. This stabilizes the shoulder and puts your wrist in a functional writing position.

 

You do not space between words

Use a stamp pad and stamp your fingerprint between each word.

Place a small piece of candy or spacer sticker between the words.

 

You write with an open hand or straight fingers

Place a small sponge in your last two fingers. You must hold onto this while writing.

 

You write too hard or too soft

If you write too hard:

• Place your paper on a piece of Styrofoam (if you press too hard you will poke holes in the paper).
• Use a mechanical pencil to control the amount of pressure applied.

 

If you write too soft:

• Examine your pencil grasp.
• Practice coloring pictures dark. This will increase the pressure you apply while writing.
• Also, use a weighted pencil.

 

Poor paper placement

Beginners (learning to write letters and words) can place the paper straight (not tilted). Experienced writers (able to write sentences across the page) should place the paper at a slight angle to follow the natural arc of the writing hand.

If you are right-handed, put the right corner of the paper higher; for left-handed, the left corner is higher. Place the writing hand below the line of writing.

 

You are not able to stabilize paper with another hand

• Use a clipboard or a piece of tape to hold the paper in place.
• Name your non-dominant hand (left in case of right-handed and right in case of left-handed). Treat your non-dominant hand as a person and tell it what to do.

 

You have a difficult time reading or seeing the blackboard

• Get your eyes examined. This will confirm whether you need glasses or not.
• Also, you may have a difficult time looking up to a vertical surface and then back down to a horizontal surface.
• Work on a slanted surface. If a slanted desk is not available you can try a slant board.

 

You hold the pencil too close or too far from the tip

Wrap a small rubber band around the area where the fingers should be placed. This will remind you where to hold a pencil.

 

Read also:

• Different types of handwriting styles, their definition, and benefits of writing on your brain

 

Anyone who would like to improve his handwriting, or is not satisfied with the way his handwriting looks can visit this blog for regular updates on calligraphy, handwriting improvement, and graphology.

 

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