Home › Guides › Alphabet and Handwriting
Home › Guides › Alphabet and Handwriting
Teach a name one letter at a time. Write it with a capital first letter and small letters after. Your child traces it, then copies it, then writes it alone, starting every letter at the top. A few minutes a day, with a name card to look at, is enough. Most children write their name before other words.
Write the name the way it will be written at school: a capital letter first, then small letters, such as Mia, not MIA.
Learning the name in capitals only means learning it again later.
First your child traces the name over dotted letters. Then copies it under a model. Then writes it with the model covered.
Move to the next stage only when the one before is easy.
Show where each letter starts. Most letters start at the top. Starting in the right place makes writing smoother and keeps letters such as b and d the right way round.
Say the strokes aloud as you write: down, up and around.
If holding a pencil is still hard, build the letters with playdough, write in sand with a finger, or use a thick crayon.
Strong small hand muscles come from play: picking up small things, cutting, squeezing.
Print free practice pagesFree pages from our packs, in color and in black and white.See the free pages
Use a capital first letter and small letters after.
Put a name card where your child can see it.
Trace, then copy, then write alone.
Start every letter at the top.
Practice a little every day, not a lot once.Many children learn to write their first name in preschool or kindergarten. A long name can take longer.
At this age, yes, it is common. Showing where each letter starts helps. If it lasts past age 7, talk to the teacher.
Trace first, to learn the shape and the order of strokes. Then copy, then write alone.
Paper with wide lines and a dotted middle line, or a free name tracing sheet with your child’s own name.
Alphabet and HandwritingHandwriting Help for Kids With DysgraphiaHandwriting help for kids with dysgraphia at home: short practice, letter starts, wide lines, and other ways to write. When to ask for an evaluation.Read the guide
Alphabet and HandwritingHow to Help a Child Write SentencesHow to help a child write sentences: say it first, count the words, write it, then check capital letter, spaces and period. Simple steps for home.Read the guide
Alphabet and HandwritingHow to Teach a Left-Handed Child to WriteSimple handwriting help for a left-handed child: how to tilt the paper, hold the pencil a little higher, and form letters without smudging.Read the guide“Letters are messy, start in the wrong place or face the wrong way”
Start at the Top is a full 10-day plan, with a short video that shows you every step. The goal: on day 10 your child starts every small letter in the right place, sits it on the line, and writes new words that you can read. It is the goal, not a promise.
