07/10/2026
Handwriting! It's the number one thing parents of middle- and high-school students ask me about.
The usual problem: weak wrist, hand, and finger muscles!
The simple at-home fix: develop fine motor skills!
Here's the first step I recommend to all my families, which has supported countless students of varying ages&abilities in developing legible handwriting.
Choose 2-5 activities from the list below. Do those activities daily for 50 days, then maintain.
Start with 10 seconds a day for 5 days.
Then, 20 seconds a day for 5 days.
30 seconds a day for 5 days.
45 seconds a day for 5 days.
1 min/day for 5 days, 1.5 mins/day, 2 mins, 3 mins, 4 mins,
and finally, maintain that strength with 5 minutes a day 3-5× days a week. Switch up the activities to activate different muscle groups.
Book a FREE consultation, screening, and trial class at WhatcomLiteracyTutor.com to get personalized handwriting support and see REAL progress in your print and/or cursive penmanship!
Try these proven exercises (bonus points if you do them with both hands)!
• crumple up a piece of paper with one hand
• cut various things with scissors (the air, construction paper, cardboard, fabric, grass, clay)
• knit, sew, and crochet
• squeeze, pinch, and roll playdoh/clay
• sort beads, small rocks, marbles, or other small objects into containers of varying sizes
• rip up tissues using only 1 hand
• practice using paper clips and binder clips with varying sizes of paper stacks
• use a spray bottle to water the plants
• threading beads or Cheerios onto string
• practice using tongs, tweezers, and chopsticks to pick-up various items
• bake and cook!
• use stickers!
• water play with different things to scoop and pour with
• practice using zippers, buttons, snaps, clasps, and other fasteners on yourself or on a doll
