When I am working with a student or child on letter writing I try to keep a few things in mind.
The first is the less words the better. The more words you add to your instruction the more auditory input your child has to process; reducing the number of words you use helps them act or perform the task faster. Give them time to process what you said, don’t keep repeating yourself, its tiring for them and you! So learn to be quiet after you give your first instruction.
Second, I will say the words with a rhythm to them or in a tune (sing song voice). This activates a different part of the brain and helps the child remember the phrase when they are forming the letter on their own. For example if I want the child to go down, I’ll lower my voice, if I want them to go up I will say it with a higher inflection in my voice.
And thirdly, I have stopped using the words or phrases like, start here or start on the line, on top of the line etc. The reason for this is because if the child struggles with language or spatial relations they may not understand words like top, bottom, or side. Also when you say start here, it is very subjective. So instead I have started using the word touch. Example, touch the line, touch where you started, or touch then go across. I have found that kids understand and tend to pick up on this word faster.
I use the same strategies for all children regardless if they have special needs or not. For kids with a disability, they may need more time practicing pre-writing strokes (see post) or they may just need more time in general and start writing at a later age. But once they have the fundamental motor movements down from the pre-writing strokes, muscle memory can take over. Once this happens their brains don’t need to process as much information making writing easier. Repetitions with the correct motor movements is key, practice, practice practice!
Below you will find what I say word for word when teaching a child how to form a letter. If you are figuring out which letters to start with, check out this post.
Uppercase
“Diagonal line down. Touch. Diagonal line down. Touch, Across.”
Lowercase
“Circle. Up over, down around, come back up. Touch. Line down.”
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch add a bubble. Touch add a bubble”
Lowercase
“Line down. Touch add a bubble.”
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch, add a big belly”
Lowercase
“Circle. Up. Over. Down around. Come back up, up, up, up. Trace (or touch) back down.”
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch top, go across. Touch middle, go across. Touch bottom, go across.”
Lowercase
“Straight line across. Up. Over. Touch line. Down around.”
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch top, go across. Touch middle, go across.”
Lowercase
“Candy cane f. Up over, straight line down. Across.”
Uppercase
“Up. Over. Down around. Come back up. Little line across.”
Lowercase
“Circle. Up. Over. Down around. Touch. Line down, down, down. Fishing hook.”
Uppercase
“Line down. Line down. Touch go across.”
Lowercase
“Line down. Trace (or touch) back up. Over, fall down.” You can also say add a hill, over fall down.
Uppercase
“Across. Touch middle. Line down. Across.”
Lowercase
“Little line down. Add a dot”- if they draw dot touching line you can say, floating in the sky, don’t touch line.
Uppercase
“Straight line down, down. Fishing hook. Across.” (you don’t have to have horizontal line across on top)
Lowercase
“Straight line down, down, down. Fishing hook. Add a dot.” -read letter i if they are touching dot and line without spacing.
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch middle. Up to the sky. Touch middle. Kick out, down to the ground.”
Lowercase
“Line down. Touch middle. Up to the sky. Touch middle. Kick out, down to the ground.”
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch top. Diagonal line down. Diagonal line up. Line down.”
Lowercase
“Little line down. Come back up, add a hump. Down. Come back up, add a hump. Down.”
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch top. Diagonal line down to ground. Straight line up.”
Lowercase
“Little line down. Come back up, add one hump. Down.”
Uppercase
“Up. Over. Down around. Come back up. Touch and stop.”
Lowercase
“Up. Over. Down around. Come back up. Touch and stop.”
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch top. Add a bubble.”
Lowercase
“Line down, down. Touch top. Add a bubble.”
Uppercase
“Circle. Up over. Down around. Come back up. Touch and stop. Touch middle, kick out down to ground.”
Lowercase
“Circle. Up over, down around, come back up. Touch. Line down, down down. Add a back hook.” (you don’t have to add the hook)
Uppercase
“Line down. Touch top. Add a bubble. Touch. Kick out down to ground.”
Lowercase
“Little line down. Trace (or touch) back up. Add a hook”
Uppercase
“Make a snake. Up over. Turn. Turn. Add a tail.”
Lowercase
“Make a little snake. Up over. Turn. Turn. Add a tail.”
Uppercase
“Across. Touch middle and line down.”
Lowercase
“Line down. Across. (Across in the middle)”
Uppercase
“Straight line down. Turn. Straight line back up.”
Lowercase
“Little line down. Turn. Little line back up. Strcaight line down.”
Uppercase
“Diagonal line down to ground. Touch. Diagonal line up (or shoot back up).”
Lowercase
“Little diagonal line down to ground. Touch. Diagonal line up (or shoot back up).”
Uppercase
“Diagonal line down. Up. Down. Up.”
Lowercase
“Little diagonal line down. Up. Down. Up.”
Uppercase
“Crisscross. Diagonal line down. Diagonal line down.”
Lowercase
“Crisscross. Little diagonal line down. Little diagonal line down.”
Uppercase
“Little diagonal. Big diagonal line. Touch. Down.”
Lowercase
“Little diagonal. Big diagonal line. Touch. Go down, down.”
Uppercase
“Across. Diagonal line down. Across.”
Lowercase
“Little z. Across. Diagonal line down. Across.”