Tip #78: 10 Ways to Improve Your Handwriting (for Kids & Adults)

TIP #78 10 Ways to Improve Your Handwriting (for Kids & Adults)

How many times have you heard someone complain that their handwriting is “so messy”, “hard to read”, or just “really bad”? If you’re one of those people (or you have a child or student who is), there are simple strategies that can help you improve your handwriting. 

Of course, not everyone cares what their handwriting (printing or cursive) looks like these days! And there are times when a quick scribble is all that’s needed in that moment. But if you want the ability to make your handwriting look better when you want it to, that’s totally doable. Here’s how!

10 Ways to Improve Your Handwriting (for Kids & Adults)

1. Pay attention

Once you know your alphabet, it’s easy to rely on muscle memory and what you think you remember about the shapes of letters. Instead, try to “see like an artist” and pay very close attention to the lines and shapes you’re making.

I first learned this in a college calligraphy class with a master calligrapher. He taught us to go beyond just “looking” to “really see” the smallest details and relationships between lines and shapes. 

He would say something like, “Pay attention to how every letter is formed… its size, shape, height, weight, and various angles. Then compare it in relationship to the letters around it and against the letters you are copying. This is ‘seeing like an artist’.”

He would remind us of this over and over again. This idea of “looking with intention” was by far the most helpful thing I learned in art school. Even now, a day rarely goes by that I don’t find myself reflecting on this in some way!

2. Check your grip

Over the years, I’ve seen lots of interesting ways to hold a pencil! It’s no wonder some kids struggle with handwriting and drawing. Habits like how someone holds their pencil can be hard to break, but it’s worth sharing a better way.

Learning to use the tripod grip can be a game changer for many kids. It results in a more relaxed grip on your pen or pencil and makes it possible to write (or draw) with a light touch.

3. Check your position

This may sound silly, but are you comfortable? It’s worth asking because your handwriting won’t be its best if your muscles are tense or cramped. Make sure your arms and shoulders have room to move. Have a firm writing surface under your paper, preferably a desk, table, or lap desk

Do you find yourself holding your wrist in an awkward position? Try turning your paper a bit instead. Your hand, wrist, and arm should feel loose and relaxed.

Be sure to remember to breathe as you write!

4. Begin with a warm up

Similar to drawing, letters are simply lines and shapes connected in specific ways to communicate a message. So you can warm up in the same way by quickly sketching a page of loose lines, shapes, and patterns. Playing some upbeat music as you work can help to keep your lines loose and light.

5. Try different writing tools

Have fun experimenting with all the different tools you have for writing. An HB pencil is different from a mechanical pencil, which is different from a Sharpie, etc. Find your favorites by trying new ones whenever you can.

I recently found a new pen that I love for journaling, doodling, and sketching. It’s called the Pilot “Frixion”. It’s erasable (!!!) and also comes with refills. It’s fun to both write and draw with. The ink flows smoothly and looks like normal ink. And being erasable allows you to make changes like you would with pencil. (Just be careful not to use it for writing checks!)

6. Copy

Whose handwriting do you admire? Copy it! Don’t worry that you’re stealing their style. Your own personal style will naturally evolve from it. 

As you copy each letter, keep comparing your version to the letter you’re copying (see point #1). If your letter is different in some way (and it will be), ask yourself how. Is it taller, wider, more or less round, or different in some other way? Then try again.

Think about how a classroom (or school!) full of kids can all be taught to copy the same alphabet style yet each student’s handwriting is unique and recognizable from the others. Handwriting is such a fluid and personal activity, your own unique style will emerge – I promise!

7. Use guide lines

Writing on lined paper can help maintain your spacing between letters, words, and lines… but only if you consciously use those lines! 

But what do you do when there are no lines to write on, like on the inside of a greeting card?

When writing on unlined paper, you have 4 options. 

1. Draw your own guidelines lightly with pencil. Then you can erase them later. 

2. Place a paper with guidelines on it under your paper. You may need to work on a lightbox or window if these lines are hard to see through your paper. 

3. Lay a strip of paper or cardstock horizontally across your paper to create a “baseline” to write your letters above. Then as you complete each line, pull the strip of paper away to add your descenders. No guidelines to erase!

4. Carefully “wing it”. You can keep your lines of writing surprisingly straight if you focus on each letter as you write it, but then pull your gaze back to take in the whole page. Keep assessing if your writing looks straight or if it’s starting to drift up or down on the page, and then adjust accordingly.

8. Slow down

One of the biggest reasons for illegible handwriting is writing too fast. At first it will take extra time to form your letters more carefully. Then you’ll need time for muscle memory to kick in before you can speed it up. Learn how fast you can write and still do your best and then try not to write faster than that!

9. Practice

You probably knew this was coming! The best way to get better at anything involves practicing. Keep these tips in mind during “formal” practice sessions and when writing small things throughout your day… lists, notes, and more. It all counts as practice!

10. Get feedback

Let others know that you’re working on improving your handwriting and ask for their feedback. You’ll get the most helpful responses from people who care about their own handwriting and appreciate attention to detail. Seek out the right people for critique and you may get some really worthwhile input.

If you apply even one of these strategies to improve your handwriting, you’re sure to see progress. Remember that your handwriting style is the culmination of many small habits you’ve formed over time. So it will take some time to replace those old habits with new ones. But it’s worth it!

Keep in mind that handwriting is really just “drawing” with letters. And the strategies listed here can apply to improving your drawing skills, too.

The benefits of improving your handwriting go far beyond increased legibility and better communication. Practicing your handwriting also develops your fine motor skills and can even have a positive effect on brain function. Working on your handwriting can be a fun lifelong pursuit, so above all enjoy the process!

an inspiring quote

“We learn by copying. We’re talking about practice here, not plagiarism – plagiarism is about trying to pass someone else’s work off as your own. Copying is about reverse-engineering. It’s like a mechanic taking apart a car to see how it works.  ~ Austin Kleon, from ”Steal Like an Artist”

“Copying” always seems to get a bad rap. It starts early, with teachers and parents saying, “Don’t copy.” Or, “Do your own work”. I think they just want to encourage kids that their own ideas are worth pursuing. And it goes without saying that copying on a test is never okay.

But the “Steal Like an Artist” kind of copying is more about identifying a style or technique that you admire and then learning from it. I think Austin Kleon’s idea of “reverse-engineering” is a helpful way to think about it. This is just one of the many pearls of wisdom you can find in his books!

a question to consider…

When was the last time you copied something that inspired you in order to learn from it? Share an example of this with your students.