How to improve toddler's handwriting?

Handwriting style seems to have lost some of its attraction over the last years. Nobody writes beautiful handwritten letters, and uses digital means of communication with smileys, abbreviations etc. Handwriting skills are an important developmental task and activity for toddlers. Through handwriting, children are able to express themselves and communicate. Handwriting differs from child to child because every child is different while some can display extraordinary skills while writing; others simply write and just want to finish the work. But before we begin to talk about how to improve our child’s handwriting, let us make one thing very clear - handwriting is not in any way related to our child’s brilliance or intelligence. The first step in learning about handwriting skills is to understand the importance of fine motor development and how pencil grasp develops. Here are few things to keep in mind how to improve toddler’s handwriting: Practice makes perfect Creative approaches help and encourage children to repeat the same task again, introducing the activities like eating with cutlery, gardening tools, finger-painting, etc. help strengthen the child’s motor skills. Identify the Problem As a parent, the first thing we need to understand and figure out what is the basic problem, its either cognitive issue or physical problem. While the child is writing, the wrist and forearm should move and the shoulder should remain constant. The right tool We are always in a rush when it comes to our child’s milestone, although our child is already in preschool/primary school their fine motor skills is not fully developed and to help improve it, always find the right kind of pencil, rubber-gripped etc. these are easily available at stationery store. Strengthen fingers and wrist The child needs to hold the pencil correctly and get the dexterity and coordination correct, however activities like sand play, playing with wooden blocks, coloring /cutting paper, playing dough helps strengthen their finger and wrist. Make writing fun Always make learning fun for the kids, engage the child in activities like puzzles, making blocks, connecting dots etc. Increase the amount of reading time This is rightly said reading can improve writing. The more we introduce our child to reading the more chances of them imitating the letters and neatness when they write. Developing a good handwriting is time-consuming and requires a lot of patience. The more your child writes, the better he gets at it. Making this activity interesting depends on us as a parent having said that, pressurizing your child to excel at something will only bring more hindrances. So always make leaning fun for your little one!