At a young age, kids are very impressionable as their minds are blank slates that need to be filled with information. This means that it is left to their parents or teachers to teach them certain actions, like handwriting and holding a pen. Apart from being impressionable, most kids have a short attention span. This might make it difficult to teach them skills like handwriting. This is where finger exercises come in, as they help you to teach your kid in an effective way. This article contains a list of finger exercises for your kids to learn to handwrite.
What is Required to Have a Good Handwriting?
Refreshing your mind on what is required is having good handwriting is important, as it helps you to understand the task ahead. Handwriting is a skill that requires a lot of coordination. This is why children usually take a long time to get it right and master it. The skills required to have good handwriting are good pencil grip, reliable motor skills, as well as finger muscle strength.
Holding a Pen Correctly
In order to have good handwriting, you need to hold the pen or pencil correctly. The correct technique for holding a pen is known as the tripod hold. As the name suggests, this technique involves holding the pen with three fingers. The fingers employed in the tripod hold are the index finger, middle finger, and thumb. The way it works is that you pinch the pencil lightly between the index finger and thumb, and then rest it on the middle finger. This gives you a firm grip on the pen while being flexible enough to write conveniently.
Finger Exercises for Better Handwriting
Some exercises help your child to hold a pen properly and write better. Three of them are discussed below:
- The Woodpecker: This exercise involves holding your pen near the pointy end, and using your three gripping fingers to push it back and forth. The back and forth motion resembles the action of a woodpecker, with your other hand serving as this tree. This exercise helps to strengthen the finger muscles of children.
- The Caterpillar: This finger exercise involves holding your pen towards the pointy end. Then, this is followed by pushing the pencil forward using your thumb and index finger. Ensure to slide it along the middle finger, making sure that all your fingers are at the pointy end of the pencil.
- The Helicopter: This is a really fun finger exercise that involves twirling your pen around like a helicopter blade. Hold your pencil in three fingers, and then attempt to twirl it around using switching your fingers rapidly.
Conclusion
You can also improve a kid’s handwriting by giving them fun writing tasks. These tasks could be keeping a journal, making a toy or drawing pictures. Enrolling your kid in a reputable daycare in Hurstville will ensure that they get the best handwriting training available.
