What do I do about ds' handwriting?

[MeganP]

My 10yo and 12yo both have really bad handwriting. I still have them do copywork in cursive to give them more practice and, though the 10yo can do some pretty neat cursive, he wants to do all his other work with print and it is nearly illegible. The 12yo has terrible handwriting in print and in cursive. I started them both out with Italic handwriting and switched to HWOT because their handwriting was so bad. Do I just accept that they've inherited a 'terrible handwriting' gene from their dad? Do I try a new handwriting program?

[training5]

My 9yr old is the same. What I am going to try, no joke, are the Kumon wkbks for tracing, Uppercase and Lowercase. Just start over.

[Shari]

My 10yo ds has awful handwriting too. Simply terrible. He does ok when working in the handwriting book (BJU) or on something where he knows he's supposed to be concentrating on working neatly. Then let him move to another subject and forget it .... it's hardly legible.

I've started making him erase and rewrite every bit of sloppy work. Once, he had to erase and recopy a complete list of spelling words. He's had to re-do entire English lessons and History papers. If I can't read something, I count it wrong and make him redo it. Slowly, I've seen improvement. I live in fear that I will find out he has some horrible processing disorder that's to blame for all the sloppiness; then, I'll feel really bad for all the double work. Until then ...:tongue_smilie:

[TCoppock]

If I can't read something, I count it wrong and make him redo it. Slowly, I've seen improvement.

I'm a mean mom too. I will allow DS to skip handwriting for the day if all other work is done neatly in his best handwriting. I don't have beautiful handwriting, but it is certainly legible and neat and I want my son to have the same. Keep insisting on them giving you thier very best (not just during handwriting) and slowly it will improve.

[Sue in St Pete]

Ds12's daily handwriting assignment consists of all illegible work he's done that day. He understands that if he makes his work legible the first time, there won't be a handwriting assignment that day. Not that it happens that often. :glare:

[Tutor]

When I was in 6th grade, my teacher contacted my parents and asked them to teach me how to type then required that I submit all future work (excluding math and in-class work) in type because she couldn't read my handwriting. I started typing classes the next week. I survived by typing until I began working in a doctor's office where I had to write in patient charts and the doctor had to be able to actually read my notes! :D So, I began working to neaten my handwriting. My writing is better, but I still prefer typing. Both of my girls love handwriting practice and have very nice script (although one's printing is terrible), and my 7yo ds has terrible print. I still require them to practice or write as neatly as possible, but I am also teaching them to type. As long as they can fill-out forms so they can be read, I am not too concerned with them having great handwriting. In our electronic age, it is becoming less and less necessary to have good handwriting (although I think that practicing handwriting early has value beyond pretty penmanship... it helps develop fine motor skills).

HTH and that you find a solution you all are happy with.

[MeganP]

Thanks, ladies. Sorry I didn't respond sooner - crazy weekend. You've given me some food for thought. Thanks again.

[Ellie]

practice, practice, practice. No mercy. Perfection required in cursive (everything, all subjects) and manuscript (labeling maps, filling in forms).

Our dc will not always have access to computers. They need to be able to write legibly, and that includes cursive. It is how English is written.

JMHO, of course :-)

[Quad Shot Academy]

I recently read an article that kids are graduating from high school w/o being able to write with a pencil! Even high schools are going electronic now. I have/had terrible handwriting and bought myself the book "Write Now The Complete Program for Better Handwriting" by Getty and Dubay. It is $14.
http://rainbowresource.com/product/Write+Now%21/007744/1225641022-583149
My husband found something I wrote after 1 month of using it and did not even recognize my handwriting! I plan on using it as a refresher book for my kids in junior high.

[abbeyej]

Another "mean mom" here. I absolutely require neat handwriting on everything. And it seems to work. Anything that isn't neat and legible is done again. Now, my requirements for "neat" and "legible" change as a child gets older, but by the time basic handwriting skills have been mastered, the standards are pretty strict.

I don't believe in "bad handwriting genes" short of actual disabilities (which it doesn't sound like applies to your kids).

So I vote for presenting them with sheer meanness for a while... ;)

[MeganP]

Okay, here's what I'm going to try. I know they hate doing the copywork and I've told them that they no longer have to do copywork as long as the writing on their other work is neat. So hopefully this makes it sound like it will be an improvement for them - no copywork. If anything in their regular work is sloppy, that becomes copywork. So it's basically their choice if they have copywork or not. If they don't want copywork, they can choose to do their work well.

Sounds good, right? Hopefully it will have the desired effect.:001_smile: