Pre-writing programme
Before starting to teach formal handwriting in Grade 1, children should follow a pre-writing programme to develop visual discrimination, gross and fine motor and hand-eye coordination, body image etc. They need to be taught the correct pencil grip, how to form the letters, the starting point, size, shape, and direction of movement. Later guide children to position and space letters on and between the lines. The correct sitting position is also important. Young children often have difficulty in copying from the board as their eyes need time to refocus from the board to the page in front of them and their short-term visual memory may not be well developed. It helps to give children in Grades 1-3 writing strips containing a row of letters for the children to copy during Handwriting.