Hi,
Just registered, so am finding my way around.
Has anyone got any different kind of ideas to help children improve their handwriting. (especially to encourage to write larger)
I've done all the warm-up exercises, paint, sand, marker pens, write huge/small etc etc, and am looking for something new. (for age 7/8 yr olds)
I'm a training TA, so there's probably plenty I haven't come across yet.

we've just started a new proramme called write dance, not too sure about it as its not something I take part in but I'll find out more and let you know

thanks that would be great. The teacher is allowing me to put my own stamp on her set handwriting tasks with the children involved. And seeing as i'm training, hopefully i can impress!!!!
Look forward to you telling me more...............

i looked up what i could on write dance. What I could find seemed to imply it was for nursery and ks1. Is that right? I'm needing help for ks2.

We use hand gym at our school it's a series of exercises to improve manual dexterity, and so ultimately hand writing. It works really well and improves the strenght of the finger muscles so that they are better able to grip the pencils.


Not sure if there are any links for it but if you are interested I could describe a few of the exercises.

I've done some warm up exercises with them with their hands and posture. But yeah, feel free to tell, I am after varying my activities as much as possible, with as much fun as possible.

put a marble between your fingers with the hand flat on the desk with the marble at the knuckle and try and lift the hand keeping it flat. When this is mastered try 2 then 3 marbles and move them nearer the nails. Hands must be locked flat or else marbles will fall out.


twiddle a pencil over and over with one hand.


walk up a pencil, one hand only, turn the pencil at the top and then walk back down it.

Get a long piece of material stretched on the desk about 6cm wide but really long and with one hand only they have to scrunch it up as tight as they can.


hide marbles in hard pladoh and they have to get as many out as they can in 1min.


with one hand crunch a piece of paper into a tight ball, work up from this to eventually be screwing up cardboard with one hand.

Thanks. I'll make a note of the marble one...haven't tried that.
Any other tips you come across please keep me updated

Thanks for that will use it as part of my physio work.

I have been given the task of improving 6 year 6 children's handwriting so it can be read by a SATs examiner.
Have not done much handwriting but have done a lot of mazes, making cards,colouring in etc.

Attended a good art lesson course called Mark Making and I am adapting this to improve my groups handwriting.

The lesson involves looking at an object in fine detail i.e a leaf and identifying varying features of it. Then in a box (about 5cm2) repeat this feature again and again i.e
the leaf edge looks like a series of v's
the child draws VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
and so on.

Observation and an improved awareness of how to use a pencil/pen
in a confined space can translate to writing.

Interested in other ideas too.

Love that idea LQ. I most certainly gonna use that. Have used that technique before, but not as a handwriting activity.
Brill Thanks

Those last ideas got me thinking, and came up with alphabet mehndi patterns. Whay you think? ...did an example ready, very effective. And know the children will love doing it.

I will have a look if I kept one in my folder, as it's a while ago now.