M.O.P.S.S! The Five Fundamentals of Handwriting!

Handwriting is a foundational skill that helps us communicate and conveys our message with a distinct style. While typing on keyboards and screens has become more current and mainstream, it is important not to forget the value of fine motor and writing skills. Writing contributes to the development of our kiddos cognitive growth and is also instrumental in developing a brain body connection.

Mastery of handwriting has many components. A good starting point and a way to remember the things to look at when writing, is to focus on the acronym M.O.P.S.S. These letters stand for, Memory, Orientation, Placement, Size, & Space. Let’s break down these components to give you a focus and direction when it comes to helping your kiddos with their writing skills and functional legibility.

LETTER MEMORY

Letter memory and motor memory of letter formation, is developed through repetitive practice while incorporating the senses:

1. Get to know the letters! Do your kiddos know the letters of the alphabet? Do they know the names of the letters, the sounds they make, and what each letter looks like? If your kiddo cannot identify letters, it’s difficult for them to know what they are writing.
2. Help them memorize the letters. Start with upper case and progress to lower case. They have to understand that there is purpose for knowing them. Without the purpose and understanding, what’s the point? Knowing the letters is foundational to read and write.
3. Work on memorization, not just learning the alphabet song and letter sequence, but memorizing the letter names and their respective symbols. Incorporate various sensory components to help with letter memorization. For example, form letters in sand or shaving cream using the fingers. Use various items to bring tactile and visual feedback to make letters, such as using Play-Doh, blocks, pipe cleaners, or food pieces. Be creative incorporating various sensory and tactile feedback strategies to help your kiddos memorize.
4. Work on mental imagery. Can your kiddos write letters without having to look at copies? Try verbalizing the steps to form certain letters for your kiddo to write to see if they can come up with the correct letter. Trace letters on their back for them to guess.
5. Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) is a curriculum that focuses on the developmental level of your kiddo while incorporating the sensory component into writing. Check out some HWT tools here. FYI: We are not sponsored or affiliated with Handwriting/Learning Without Tears curriculum. Magnetic Board & Wooden Pieces, Roll-a-Dough Letters, Chalkboard set.

LETTER ORIENTATION

The general rule when writing and reading is to follow a top to bottom and left to right approach. When learning in this fashion, it can lead to writing efficiency. As we know, it is common for kids to forget which direction certain numbers or letters face. The key is not to overwhelm but to focus on one letter at a time, demonstrating success before addressing the next one. Some common letters kiddos have difficulty with are, “Bb, Dd, Pp, MW, Nn.” Incorporate sensory components into the learning process to help with letter and number orientations.

1. Instill proper motor memory through consistent letter formations, forming in the right pattern. Trace the letter, copy the letter, then write the letter without looking at the copy.
2. Provide a boxed boundary to practice letters and numbers within with a visual starting point.
3. Teach your kiddos orientation and directionality concepts. It is important to learn about the top, middle, bottom, left, and right. Teach these concepts using the environment and the space around them. Use these concepts in relation to the paper they are using and the boxed boundaries that they are writing letters within.
4. Start with large, outlined boundaries to write within, decreasing the size as they are able.
5. Don’t limit yourselves to the actual act of writing but utilize manipulatives to incorporate sensory input to form letters and help with orientations. Use Play-doh, dried pasta, wikki stix, pipe cleaners, etc.
6. Be consistent in how you are teaching the letter formations, using the same verbiage and movement patterns when forming the letters.

LETTER PLACEMENT

Proper placement centers around how letters touch the baseline—the imaginary line or actual line upon which writing rests:

1. Baseline Adherence: All uppercase letters should sit on the baseline. Lowercase letters should also sit on the baseline with the exception of 5 letters, those being, “g, j, p, q, y,” with aspects that descend below the baseline.
2. Line Straightness: It is important to work on a left to right writing orientation. If using “blank” paper and no baseline is present, provide a line for your kiddos to follow. This provides a visual reference point to keep their writing in a straight horizontal fashion. Even when using lined paper, highlighting the baseline may help with letter placement.
3. Provide tactile feedback: Use “Wikki Stix” or Play-Doh to place along the baseline as a stopping point, providing tactile feedback to stop. They also make paper with raised baselines, providing tactile feedback that helps to encourage letter placement, which you can find here.

LETTER SIZE

It is important to maintain a consistent letter size and height to bring uniformity and legibility to your writing.

1. Uppercase Letters: They should be tall, having the same height and size while maintaining proportionate dimensions with each other. It is recommended to learn uppercase letters before lowercase letters due to the developmental readiness of our kiddos when it comes to writing.
2. Lowercase Letters: They should be uniform in size but can provide more challenges as they have varying heights and increased curves and angles to consider. Lowercase letters can be either tall, short, or short while descending below the baseline.
3. Provide visuals for kiddos to follow such as forming boundaries for letters and/or words to write within. Start with large boundaries, making smaller ones as kiddos progress in their success.
4. Provide visual starting points to give a point of reference for letter size and formation.

SPACING BETWEEN LETTERS & WORDS

Proper spacing between letters and words is paramount for writing legibility. If letters or words are touching each other, or are too far apart, legibility is greatly compromised. Spacing between each letter should have a small, consistent gap from its neighbors, and words should have larger spaces between each other. I’ve picked up the idea of “Spaghetti & Meatball” spacing over the years. A spaghetti space is having proper spacing between LETTERS within words. Imagine placing a spaghetti noodle between each letter. A meatball space is having proper spacing between WORDS. Imagine placing a meatball between words for proper spacing. This can be a fun way for your kiddos to remember spacing.

Spacing strategies:

• Use a finger to place a “finger space” between each word when writing.
• Use a popsicle stick as a substitute for the space (natural wood or colored). Decorate the popsicle stick for novelty and buy in.
• Use colorful “pompoms” to place between words for “pompom” spaces.
• Use a different color to draw or mark dots between words for spacing. Wean away from this visual practice as your kiddo understands and is able to incorporate spaces without the “dots.”
• If letters in words are too close or touching, teach them before having them correct their mistakes. Draw lines between the letters to show your kiddos if the “spaghetti noodles” fit between the letters, then have them correct.
• If words are touching or overlapping, I sometimes say, “The letters are kissing!” or “The letters are fighting!” “We don’t want kissing/fighting letters.” Make it fun for your kiddos!
• Find things that may be fun that you can use as visuals to help your kiddos with spacing. Be creative!

CONCLUSION

Handwriting does not improve overnight. It requires patience, attention to detail, and—most importantly—practice. Writing can be overwhelming and frustrating, so don’t push it too hard with long bouts of writing. Address these components one aspect at a time as not to overwhelm. For example, focus on letter placement until your kiddo is fairly proficient with that before addressing the next aspect, such as spacing.

By focusing on the aspects of letter memory, spacing between letters and words, letter orientation, size, and placement on the line, you are setting the foundation for effective handwriting. I think it’s safe to say that there are few kids who LOVE handwriting. So, remember when helping your kiddos out in this area, be aware of their attention, keep it short, but be creative and have fun!

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