hand writing

Creative Expression: The Magic Of Calligraphy Writing For Kids

April 3, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Calligraphy writing for kids can be a great way to get them excited about writing in general and has so many benefits. Also, look at my page Practical Homeschool Writing Curriculum from Pre-K To High School for more tips.

Calligraphy is the art of writing beautifully and expressively.

In addition to being a creative outlet, calligraphy can also help kids improve their writing skills overall.

Creative Expression: The Magic Of Calligraphy Writing For Kids

If your older child is a reluctant writer, calligraphy can be just the method to get them interested in writing.

They may put more effort into their handwriting through the beautiful artwork it creates.

To get you started on your own calligraphy writing for kids journey I have included some resources.

For example, practice pages, tools, tips, the benefits of writing calligraphy, and a review of a set I found that has everything you need and more.

Then, look at the benefits of calligraphy.

BENEFITS OF CALLIGRAPHY FOR HANDWRITING

Increased Confidence. Mastering the art of calligraphy can boost self-confidence and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Improved Legibility. Calligraphy emphasizes the importance of clarity and precision in letterforms, which can lead to improved overall legibility. It teaches kids how to control their pen or pencil. This is an important skill for all writers, as it helps to create legible and consistent handwriting.

Motor Skill Enhancement. The repetitive nature of calligraphy exercises helps to strengthen fine motor skills and coordination.

Increased Focus and Concentration. Calligraphy requires a high degree of focus and concentration, which can help to improve attention span and reduce stress.It can help kids improve their focus and concentration. When kids are focused on creating beautiful letters, they are less likely to be distracted by other things.

Creative Expression. Calligraphy allows for artistic expression and self-expression through the creation of unique and visually appealing letters.

Relaxation and Mindfulness The slow and deliberate movements involved in calligraphy can promote relaxation and mindfulness, making it a therapeutic activity.

Improved Hand-Eye Coordination. Calligraphy requires precise hand-eye coordination to create smooth, flowing lines and shapes.

Improves fine motor skills through holding the pens properly and carefully forming their letters.These skills are essential for many everyday activities, such as buttoning clothes, tying shoes, and playing musical instruments.

Historical and Cultural Appreciation. Learning calligraphy can provide an appreciation for the history and culture of different writing systems.

It can help kids develop their appreciation for language. When kids learn about the history and traditions of calligraphy, they gain a greater understanding of the written word.

There are endless possibilities and kids can experiment with different styles and techniques to create their own unique works of art.

Then, look at some fun ways to practice calligraphy.

CALLIGRAPHY RESOURCES

MORE HOMESCHOOL WRITING CURRICULUM & TIPS

How To Choose Writing Curriculum For Struggling Writers & Recommendations

Finally, look at this gorgeous writing kit that will breathe life into your writing day.

CALLIGRAPHY WRITING FOR KIDS REVIEW

I found this beautiful calligraphy writing set for kids on Amazon that includes not only the calligraphy basics but more,

It has a feather dip pen but also a glass dip pen, a wooden dip pen as well as 6 different colored bottles of Ink.

And an ink and pen holder, metal wax seal stamp, 2 bottles of wax sealing beads, glass cup, wax melting spoon, letter opener, and 17 different sizes stainless steel replaceable nibs.

Also, it has 1 round white wax, a vintage envelope, and vintage writing paper all in a lovely gift box.

I am by no means a calligraphy expert and just began learning myself but did learn a few things along the way to help me.

Hold your pen at a 45℉ angle to the paper.

Start with simply practicing making lines and squiggles just to get used to the weight and shape of the pen and the way the ink moves on the paper.

Write your words or phrases in pencil so that you don’t have to worry about the letter formation.

Clean your nibs in a cup of warm water and then wipe dry with a cloth or paper towel.

Test out different nibs to see what each does and its thickness.

Use a light hand on the upward strokes and press harder on the downward strokes.

You can practice with regular pens or markers by writing your words and going back to thicken what would be the downstrokes to give it the look of calligraphy.

If your child takes to calligraphy writing, invest in some good paper, pens, and maybe some tutorial books to encourage that new interest.

You will see above I linked wonderful resources for practice, instruction, and some supplies as well.

How To Choose Writing Curriculum For Struggling Writers & Recommendations

April 2, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have tips on how to choose writing curriculum for struggling writers. Also, look at my page Practical Homeschool Writing Curriculum from Pre-K To High School for more tips.

Let’s look at some of the possible reasons for your struggling writer.

And how to choose a curriculum to address those needs so that they can succeed.

How To Choose Writing Curriculum For Struggling Writers & Recommendations

Math and writing are the two subjects that most homeschool families say cause the most grief on a daily basis.

Writing can be a challenging skill for many students, but it is an essential skill for success in school and beyond.

Struggling writers will need extra support to develop their writing skills.

UNDERSTANDING THE WRITING PROCESS

Writing is a complex process that involves many skills and brain functions, including:

Conceptualization
Fine motor skills
Language processing
Spatial perception
Working memory
Organization.
Orthographic coding

There are many reasons why a child could be struggling with writing.

For example, it could be a lack of understanding of grammar and structure, poor grasp on vocabulary, writer’s block, lack of ideas, and lack of interest in the subject or topic.

But sometimes it is more than a child who isn’t trying or needs a little extra lesson in grammar, creative writing, or vocabulary.

HOW TO CHOOSE WRITING CURRICULUM FOR STRUGGLING WRITERS

For example, it can be a learning disability.

Children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia or dysgraphia may have difficulty with reading, writing, and spelling. They may also have trouble with memory and organization.

Dysgraphia is a neurological condition where someone has difficulty turning their thoughts into written language for their age and ability.

And to think even with consistent exposure to adequate instruction and education.

It is very common to come hand in hand with adhd, autism spectrum disorders, dyslexia, selective language impairment, and developmental coordination disorder.

Symptoms of dysgraphia can include:

Difficulty forming letters and words.
Poor handwriting.
Difficulty with spelling.
Difficulty organizing thoughts on paper
Slow writing speed.
Lack of fine motor coordination in general.
Avoiding writing activities.

Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects how a person reads, writes, and spells. It is caused by differences in the brain that impact how language is processed.

People with dyslexia are often bright and creative, but they may struggle with traditional methods of teaching.

This obviously makes writing a challenge!

Here are some of the common symptoms of dyslexia:

Poor handwriting
Difficulty with reading, writing, and spelling
Slow and labored reading
Difficulty sounding out words
Confusing letters and words
Difficulty with rhyming
Difficulty with following directions

MORE HOMESCHOOL WRITING CURRICULUM & TIPS

How To Choose Writing Curriculum For Struggling Writers & Recommendations

Writing Curriculum For Struggling Writers

Are you looking for a writing curriculum for struggling writers when it's more than just a lack of effort and interest in writing?

Dyslexia Games

Dyslexia Games by Thinking Tree breaks it down to the very basics and takes the approach of using logic and puzzle games to “trigger” the "artistic" right side of the brain into reading and writing.

Learning with Literature

Intelligent children, while they want to be obedient, often have a hard time writing if they don't find the topic relevant to their life or just plain interesting. I love to customize each part of a child's homeschool curriculum to their unique personality and interests when possible.

This includes handwriting, creative writing,grammar lessons and all other parts of solid writing instruction.

For handwriting here are many workbooks that are topic specific like Cursive With The Hobbit, Anne of Green Gables and more.

Growing with Grammar: Grade 3 (Student Manual)

Growing With Grammar lets children work independently to improve grammar skills, it is easy to check for parents, and can be incorporated 3 times a week.

Gross Me Out Mad Libs: World's Greatest Word Game

We have used Mad Libs many times over the years to make learning parts of speech fun and yes just downright silly. It really helps the lessons stick with repetitiveness and creates a core memory too with all the laughter.

Daily Word Ladders: Reproducible Word Study Lessons That Help Kids Boost Reading, Vocabulary, Spelling & Phonics Skills--Independently!

Word Ladders are a fun daily practice tool to boost reading, vocabulary, spelling & phonics skills. A sheet a day also helps with critical thinking and decoding skills which will give them confidence and in turn help with writing.

Word of the Day: 366 Elevating Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus

A word of the day calendar for kids is something fun for them to look forward to each morning while building their reading and vocabulary skills.

Photo Credit: www.goodandbeautiful.com

Creative Writing Notebooks

I love how The Good and The Beautiful Creative Writing incorporates creative writing exercises in a simple and non overwhelming way. Created for grades 3-8 it covers a wide age range and teaches skills like adding sensory descriptions, generating ideas, using gestures to show emotion, creating engaging characters and plots, writing dialogue, overcoming writer’s block, and much more! The notebook contains five sections: Descriptive Writing Practice, Writing Exercises,Story Starters,Poetry, and Full Stories.

Learning Without Tears

It may just be that your child is struggling with print or cursive writing and is so focused on getting that right they are struggling with getting their thoughts down on paper.

Give them confidence in their writing with a curriculum that helps them develop the skill.

Handwriting Without Tears has been a staple for many families for years for good reason, for its structured format, multisensory approach, and engaging activities.

It is intended for Pre-K through 5th grade but I think it would still have benefits in the older grades for a child that needs more handwriting instruction, their books cover print and cursive instruction.

The Best Writing Tools For Students: Improve Their Writing Efficiency

April 1, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Improve your child’s writing efficiency with the best writing tools for students. Also, look at my page Practical Homeschool Writing Curriculum from Pre-K To High School for more tips.

No matter what the challenge is there are tools to help.

There is no magical item that will suddenly make your child enjoy writing or improve it overnight.

The Best Writing Tools For Students: Improve Their Writing Efficiency

However, there are many more aids now than ever before. Many were not available when I first started.

There are so many wonderful aids that can be used to help over time.

Writing requires visual coordination, core strength, fine motor skills, and hand strength.

Is your child’s handwriting sloppy, they struggle forming letters correctly or holding a pencil properly after much instruction?

They may benefit from occupational therapy for handwriting problems. But before you do that, try some of my tried-and-true tips.

But the right tool may be as simple as enticing them with new pens, paper, or they may need a little extra help with grip or the angle of the paper.

MORE HOMESCHOOL WRITING CURRICULUM & TIPS

How To Choose Writing Curriculum For Struggling Writers & Recommendations

Take a look at the key items below that I think can help make a difference for your struggling writer.

WRITING TOOLS FOR STUDENTS

10 Writing Tools For Kids

Using the right tools when teaching handwriting or composition is important. Add some of these to your writing day.

Slant Board for Writing Adjustable Tilted Writing Board Sloped Surface to Improve Handwriting Legibility

Metal clip and portable design: equipped with metal clips to fix book paper, convenient for writing and painting; The writing board surface and support frame can be separated, making it easy to carry and allowing you to learn or create anytime, anywhere.

Micron Fineliner Pens - Archival Black Ink Pens - Pens for Writing, Drawing, or Journaling

Precise archival pens create fade resistant, waterproof, bleed free marks for drawing, artwork, journaling, and more

LEGO Stationery Pen Pal - LEGO Black Gel Pen and Classic Minifgure

Some pens are more comfortable to hold and write with than others. This can make a big difference for reluctant writers who may be more likely to give up if their pen is uncomfortable.

One Page A Day Handwriting Practice Paper for Kids

Your child or student will love to practice and learn their English printed letters and numbers on this lined and traceable manuscript paper made for basic language, printing, teaching, and learning. Created for grades one, two, and three, manuscript writing, they’re perfect for the classroom or home use and simplify handwriting, teaching, and learning through a visual format and self-correction. Put your school-age child on the path to consistent and quick development of standard printing with daily participation and education in handwriting exercises. You’ll likely see fast improvement in just a few weeks. This method works! In no time at all, your child will move from beginner’s status to improving to excellence.

Graph Paper Notebook 1 Inch Squares:

Occupational therapists use it for promoting spatial use, line use, helping children develop consistent letter size, and slowing down.

Special Supplies Egg Pen-Pencil Grips for Kids and Adults Colorful

Grips can help to reduce stress and anxiety related to writing because they can make writing more comfortable and easier,which can lead to a more positive experience.

Pencil Holder Grip Posture Correction Training Writing Aid.

Ergonomic Design: Three-finger grip for correcting faulty pen grip.

Pen or Pencil Weights | Handwriting Aid for Children, Elderly, or Special Needs. Assists with Penmanship Issues Due to Autism, Tremors, Grip Strength or Fine Motor Skill Disability

Fix Handwriting Problems: Adding 1.5oz weights to your pen or pencil can assist with various handwriting issues. The weighted pencil can help control its direction and stabilize your handwriting.

LCD Writing Tablet with Stylus

A simple LCD Tablet is erasable and makes a great on the go practice tool while driving in the car, waiting at the doctor, or for dinner.

Desk Chalkboard Wood Sign Chalkboard Double-Sided Chalkboard with Wooden Base

I always keep a personal chalkboard for morning time, travel, and random practice times.

The Best Homeschool Handwriting Curriculum: Tips And Recommendations

July 21, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Looking for a solid homeschool handwriting curriculum? Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter for more tips!

There are lots of choices of handwriting curriculum.

And I want to help you navigate them all whether you are looking for writers who are just starting out or a child who struggles with dyslexia or dysgraphia.

The Best Homeschool Handwriting Curriculum : Tips And Recommendations

One more important thing before you read on is for you to understand the difference between teaching handwriting and composition.

They are overlapping skills, but not in the beginning.

The focus with young writers is penmanship prior to composing thoughts.

I have rounded up 8 solid handwriting curriculum.

Look at the list and decide which one works the best for your child’s learning style, interests, and abilities.

Handwriting is an important foundational skill.

It has been proven that the brain engages differently when something is written by hand as opposed to typing it or by touching a screen.

Writing improves memory and teaches the alphabet faster as the learner interacts with each letter in various ways.

Too, it helps to slow down and engage with our thoughts, and handwritten letters are so personal and special!

Besides the handwriting curriculum there are different techniques you can do with your learner to practice while always keeping it fresh and fun.

7 Tips and Recommendations for Homeschool Handwriting

Of course, I am going to share these ideas with you as well.

1. Do not mistake teaching handwriting for composition.

As I mentioned earlier, budding writers need to know how to form letters before you introduce composing thoughts.

If a child has not spent enough time doing handwriting where letter writing comes naturally, they will struggle with both motor skills and the mental process of composition.

2. Before you ever begin teaching handwriting, spend a lot of time in pre-writing activities.

These activities build fine motor skills and help children learn to recognize and form letters.

This can be writing in a salt tray, forming letters with playdough, painting with cotton swabs or drawing with their fingers in shaving cream.

3. Repetition is key to success.

I think the most important part of learning handwriting is repetition.

It is a muscle that must be exercised regularly to make it strong.

Daily practice is important, but you can introduce different tools to make it fun.

For very young, beginning writers draw the letters on handwriting paper with a highlighter and let them trace over it in pencil.

4. Use different writing surfaces to bring learning to life.

Use different surfaces other than paper- chalkboard, dry erase, or an LED board, these are just so fun and different that it makes it exciting.

For pre-writing, when your child is almost ready to write or just beginning, consider using technology like the Wet Dry Try app from Handwriting Without Tears.

5. Technology has a place.

It is designed for kids to repetitively practice writing on a tablet with their finger or a stylus to teach how to form letters.

6. Copywork is another successful teaching method.

Modeling for a child has always been a superior method of teaching.

Copywork is simply what is implies. Teaching a child to copy write what he sees.

A child must pay attention to the details of capital letters and punctuation.

In addition, a child reads and writes well-formed sentences because copywork resources should be superior writings.

For example, use nature books, scripture, history resources and poetry.

Further, copywork is a great resource for handwriting as it is a way to encourage repetition.

But also it works in other subjects, teaches punctuation, and develops spelling skills.

7. Match to your child’s learning style.

Finally you want to move on to a good solid homeschool handwriting curriculum that matches their learning style and meets any challenges they may have.

More Homeschool Handwriting Curriculum Tips!

Keep reading for a list of 8 handwriting curriculum and the benefits of each.

Finally, look at these recommendations.

8 Handwriting Curriculum Options for Homeschooled Kids

The 8 Best Homeschool Handwriting Curriculum.

Handwriting Without Tears Kindergarten

Handwriting Without Tears - Has been a mainstay of the homeschool community for years and there is good reason. It is ideal for multisensory learning because it engages visual, audio, and kinesthetic learners. The very hands-on tools begin to build vocabulary, fine motor, and alphabet knowledge prior to writing letters.

Photo Credit: dashintolearning.com

Dash into Handwriting:Print [Hardcopy}

The aesthetic of these books is just so appealing but more than that it builds on itself going from letters to words to copywork of phrases and is available in either print or D'nealian. To keep it interesting while still practicing it includes mazes, games, races, and puppets.

Photo Credit: www.goodandbeautiful.com

Handwriting: Level 1 Workbook

Teaches 2 to 3 letters at a time and goes in order of the most used letters to short words and sentences as it advances. This is level one, but the program runs from Pre K prewriting to level 7.

Writing in the Wardrobe: Print Handwriting Workbook

This particular volume is copywork using the words and quotes of the Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe but there is a wonderful selection of other literature to choose from as well, including print and cursive.

Cursive Handwriting for Kids with Dyslexia.

Many kids, especially those with learning challenges find it easier to begin with cursive rather than print.

Reusable Grooved Handwriting Workbooks

This set includes Alphabet,Addition Subtraction,Multiplication Division,Number 1-100, Drawing) + 2 Pens + 2 Pen Holding Aids + 10 refills and instill muscle memory, neatness, and the ink fades within 30 minutes to they can practice all over again.

Photo Credit: www.handwritingpractice.net

Handwriting Practice.net

Not only is this site free but you can create your own printable worksheets with any letter or words you like in several different fonts. If you don't mind spending a little more time putting everything together this is a great option.

Draw Write Now Boxed Set of 8

A drawing and handwriting course for kids that is challenging, motivating, and fun! This book contains a collection of beginning drawing lessons and text for practicing handwriting based on the philosophy of author Marie Hablitzel. An elementary teacher for more than 30 years, Marie believed that drawing and handwriting require many of the same skills, and intertwined her daily drawing and handwriting lessons with math, science, social studies, geography, reading and creative writing. This series separates these lessons into common themes in eight instructive books that can be used in any order. Books are colorful and non-consumable, with an accompanying workbook to record the student s work. Children will improve their drawing skills, refine their handwriting clarity, and enjoy learning in the process

Why It Is Hard to Teach Homeschooled Kids Writing But Not Impossible

April 23, 2015 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, in sharing why it is hard to teach homeschooled kids writing but not impossible I will share some background information on how to teach writing. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter for more tips!

First, let me tell you my story.

In public school, I had a middle school teacher that I adored.

She understood my preference of communicating orally where I could look into the eyes of the person I was talking to, give them a gentle pat or flail my arms out long when talking fast.

But she also encouraged me to give my written words the same gravity.

It wasn’t until I started teaching my boys how to write that I truly appreciated what a difficult task it is to teach my boys how to write.

Understanding the process of any skill that I am teaching has always helped me to find a solution to any problem we are experiencing.

More importantly, I have a direction to follow.

For example, it’s easy enough to understand that when teaching reading we need to start with a set of letters that express sounds.

After that, we build words, sentences and we are off to teaching our kids how to read.

Finding a starting point for writing, however, can be more elusive.

Why It is Hard to Teach Homeschooled Kids Writing But Not Impossible @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Word Writing Scramble

One reason I found writing hard to teach was that I didn’t appreciate that it is a learned art to fashion words on a page that are appealing.

It’s almost like playing word scramble or in this case sentence scramble when teaching our kids to write.

Immature readers can create awkward sounding sentences because of their lack of experience in life.

For that matter, awkward sentence that don’t flow smoothly can happen to even the most experienced writer too.

That is why it is important in the early stages of writing that children have plenty of time to mull over words, thoughts and arrangement of ideas.

Ideas like creating and writing in daily journals, playing word games and vocabulary games are important to arming children with the creativity they need to write.

When I started teaching writing, my oldest son felt almost paralyzed when I would ask him what topic he wanted to write about.

That was my first ugly encounter with writing after teaching him how to write his ABCs.

Mature Writers Born?

I taught him how to write his ABCs, how could this not be just as easy or so I thought.

My next mess up came because I was expecting maturity and experience with writing topics from a 5 year old.

Experiences and maturity come just from that, age and life experiences.

How could I equip my 5 year old with opportunities for writing experiences?

It is the same answer that equipped him at 15 years old, which is reading to the rescue.

I had heard many times that a reader is a writer and we read every day.

But other than pleasure and reading to find out what we wanted to know about, I under estimated the value of it in gaining experiences outside of what we were learning each day.

There was a connection between the books we were reading and writing topics that swirled around in my son’s mind.

I didn’t have to rush childhood, nor would I want to so that he could learn the art of self-expression.

Drawing out of him experiences that he read about either in his books and daily living were the keys to overflowing topic ideas.

Are You Making this Mistake?

There is just no rushing content, facts, ideas and details, which is the foundation of writing.

Content is the next biggie that kids are afraid of.

As if struggling with the structure of creating delightful sounding words is not enough, they have to think about content, topic sentences, details and a strong conclusion.

There is no getting around it, our kids needs our expertise when it comes to helping them with their writing.

In the early stages of writing especially, our kids need us to supply content and it is okay to do this.

We don’t want to ever put our kids in a sink or swim situation when writing.

It does absolutely no good and it can create a kid who hates writing and carries that feeling to high school.

It is important to continue these building skills through to middle school.

That is the time to continue to reinforce what was learned at the foundational level and to hone outlining and note taking skills.

Though I didn’t know as much then when I started teaching my kids to write as I know now, I did know that certain valuable skills could not be overlooked.

Look at these basic things to include in teaching everyday writing.

Copywork
Dictation
Outlining
Constantly reading back what they wrote
Journal writing to not be corrected but to use as practice for self-expression.

More Homeschool Handwriting Curriculum Tips!

Keep reading for a list of 8 handwriting curriculum and the benefits of each.

hand writing

BENEFITS OF CALLIGRAPHY FOR HANDWRITING

CALLIGRAPHY RESOURCES

MORE HOMESCHOOL WRITING CURRICULUM & TIPS

CALLIGRAPHY WRITING FOR KIDS REVIEW

UNDERSTANDING THE WRITING PROCESS

HOW TO CHOOSE WRITING CURRICULUM FOR STRUGGLING WRITERS

MORE HOMESCHOOL WRITING CURRICULUM & TIPS

MORE HOMESCHOOL WRITING CURRICULUM & TIPS

WRITING TOOLS FOR STUDENTS

7 Tips and Recommendations for Homeschool Handwriting

1. Do not mistake teaching handwriting for composition.

2. Before you ever begin teaching handwriting, spend a lot of time in pre-writing activities.

3. Repetition is key to success.

4. Use different writing surfaces to bring learning to life.

5. Technology has a place.

6. Copywork is another successful teaching method.

7. Match to your child’s learning style.

More Homeschool Handwriting Curriculum Tips!

Word Writing Scramble

Mature Writers Born?

Are You Making this Mistake?

More Homeschool Handwriting Curriculum Tips!

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