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Supporting your child's handwriting skills

  • 5-11 Years
  • SEND
  • Child development and growing up
Young boy dressed in school uniform sitting in a classroom at a desk writing on a piece of paper

Some children can find handwriting very hard. They can become tired or fatigued as they write.

Explore the topics on this page:

Helpful equipment

Chair and table positioning

Helpful equipment

There is equipment available to help your child feel more comfortable with writing. There are lots of pens and pencils designed to be comfortable to use. There are also pencil grips to make it easier to hold pencils and pens. Pencil grips can be used on lots of different pencils and pens. 

Pencils and pens

Pencil And Pens

Different types of pencil grips

Pencil grips these can help your child hold the pencil or pen easier and lessen some of the pain they have when writing.

Pencil Grips Graphic

Chair and table positioning

When your child is working on their handwriting or hand skills, it's important to make sure that your child is using a chair and table at the right height.

You can help your child by making sure your child is:  

  • sitting with their bottom at the back of the chair
  • sitting straight with their back against the back of the chair
  • sitting with their chair tucked in all the way
  • in a chair where their legs are fully supported by the length of the seat
  • placing their feet flat on the floor, they can use a footstool or box
  • using a table that is at elbow height, they can sit on a box or booster seat

It's important for your child to take regular breaks. Try to avoid them sitting in one position for too long. Sitting for too long can make your child's joints stiff. If possible, give them regular stretch breaks every 10 to 15 minutes. Read more about movement breaks.

school children sitting around table talking

Some children can find it hard to stay in a sitting position for a long time. They may appear restless or fidgety, changing their sitting position or getting up and moving around. This is because in order to feel comfortable, they need to change how they sit a lot. 

Chair Line

Sitting position and posture

Learn about how to create the right chair and table set up for your child.


Have you tried looking at our general advice?

You may want to look at our general advice page to read more about:

Painting Icon Blue

Getting ready to write

Making marks is foundation of being able to control a pencil, draw lines and shapes and then being able to draw. Mark making is considered part of ‘pre-writing’. These are the skills learned to enable children to hold pencils and pens and start to write letters and words.

Writing Icon Blue

Handwriting and typing

Read about learning to write letters, the common issues with handwriting and the different handwriting programmes available.

Messy Play Icon Blue

Messy play

Children learn a lot of things through play as it allows them to experiment and understand different things in a fun way.


Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024

Information

Who can help

If your child continues to have difficulties, you can contact the occupational therapy service:

Or you can ask your child's school, nursery, or health professional to complete a referral form and send it to us.

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Looking over the shoulder of a woman writing on her lap in the living room.

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