1. Slant Board
In order to promote the most control of the pencil, it is important for a student’s forearm to rest on the writing surface. Therefore, a slant board is a super helpful tool to promote the correct posture for writing.
2. Highlighter
A highlighter is a versatile tool. You can use it to provide an outline of letters for students to trace. I find this to be more effective than using dotted lines. You can also highlight the lower part of the writing lines to provide a visual of where the letters should be. This helps with line adherence and letter sizing!
3. Spacer
If students have difficulty putting appropriate spaces between words, it can make it very difficult to read what is written. Try giving your students a spacer to use. You can purchase premade ones, or utilize other materials such as a popsicle stick or stickers.
4. Marker
A marker is a very easy tool to use that has a big impact! You can use a marker to add lines or a defined writing space to a worksheet that doesn’t have them. You can also use markers to make the writing line bolder, which can improve line adherence.
5. Model
If you are truly looking to improve handwriting legibility, it is helpful to reduce the other demands of writing such as visual memory (remembering how to form letters) and spelling skills. Providing a model of the words a student needs to write helps a student focus only on the motor patterns, which can greatly improve legibility!
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