Buzz
Before preparing your child for first grade, mothers should take some time to instill and cultivate the habit of writing neatly from the beginning.
Training children to write beautifully is not as difficult as many might think. However, to achieve beautiful handwriting for your child, parents need to lay the foundation from the outset. For example, it's challenging to teach a child to hold the pen correctly if they already have the habit of gripping it tightly between their index finger and thumb. Therefore, to ensure your child develops beautiful handwriting, parents need to pay attention to guidance and correction right from the early days of holding a pen. Once the correct posture is established, teaching children to write beautifully will not be time-consuming.
5 Standard Rules for Teaching Children to Write Neatly
Rule 1: Hold the Pen Correctly
- Hold the pen with three fingers: index finger, thumb, and middle finger. The thumb and index finger grip the pen firmly on both sides. The middle finger rests underneath to support the pen.
- Tilt the pen towards the right shoulder at a 60-degree angle. Absolutely avoid holding the pen upright at a 90-degree angle.
- The palm and arm form a straight line
- The distance between the fingertips and the pen nib is 2.5cm
Parents should promptly correct their child's incorrect pen grip with patience, avoiding scolding or threatening to hit or punish the child. This will only create pressure and fear in the child when holding the pen. Developing the correct pen grip habit will help children write neatly and accurately.
Rule 2: Maintain the Correct Posture
Writing in the correct posture not only helps make the handwriting beautiful, but more importantly, it benefits the normal development of the spine and protects the vision for children.
The proper sitting position should be:
- The desk should be at chest level, but not touching the chest
- Legs should be positioned shoulder-width apart, with the body weight concentrated on the hips and thighs.
- Keep the back straight
- Keep the arms open comfortably, with the hand and wrist placed on the desk without being obstructed by computers, books, rulers, or any other objects. Try to prevent the child from moving their entire arm while writing.
Rule 3: Master the basic strokes before learning letters
To teach first graders to write correctly and beautifully, the first step is to guide them in mastering the basic strokes: including straight lines (vertical, horizontal), diagonal lines, hooks, and curves (left curves, right curves, closed curves).
Some parents often wonder why their child has been going to school for several days but can only write a few basic strokes, without being able to write any letters yet. Mothers should not worry because once children master these 'roots,' writing letters will become extremely simple, and their handwriting will rarely be poor.
Rule 4: Spend time practicing writing every day
Handwriting, like character, is easily forgotten without repetition. However, once it becomes a habit, it's hard to give up. In the initial stages of teaching children to write, mothers need to spend time practicing with their children every day. Practicing handwriting may only require 30 minutes each day.
Rule 5: Avoid putting pressure on your child
The hand of a child at this stage is only developed enough for short-term focused activities, so mothers should not force their child to practice writing for too long. Let the child gradually become accustomed to practicing beautiful handwriting at appropriate times, and gradually increase it. Avoid letting the child lose interest in this subject, which could result in worse outcomes.
Mothers can also turn this dry subject into an interesting game for children, such as writing competitions, drawing competitions of alphabets, or competitions to write beautiful letters on the ground or in the sand...children will be much more interested.
(According to exploration)
How to practice beautiful handwriting
If you find my process appealing, feel free to continue reading. Many tips in this article apply to calligraphy as well, so if followed correctly, it can benefit both paths.
1. Why bother with beautiful writing?
Some Westerners taught me that you should have a purpose for everything you learn, otherwise, why bother learning? Before practicing, you need to determine why you're learning, whether you gain more than you lose, and if not learning affects world peace. Some people like to learn to take notes, they know what they wrote when they open their notebooks at home, but those who spend all day on computers don't see the point. Some learn to impress others, but those who are already married don't find this reason very convincing. In the end, everyone has their own reasons, but everyone needs a legitimate motive to start practicing.
For me, handwriting is like an accessory on my body, it's what others judge me by, so I want it to be beautiful. Besides, I don't want technology to disconnect me from real life and the people around me. Sending an email is too simple nowadays, looking at emails just feels boring; but receiving a handwritten letter or a few lines of thank-you notes is appreciated by everyone. Thanks to beautiful (or better) handwriting, I'm motivated to write more for both myself and my loved ones. That's my reason, what about yours?
2. Start from the smallest detail: Pen grip.
This smallest detail happens to be the toughest and most time-consuming to fix. If you're reading this, chances are you're holding the pen incorrectly. What's the right way? The most common method is holding the pen with the thumb, index, and middle fingers, with the other two fingers slightly folded to lean on the paper. If you're using four or five (?) fingers to hold the pen, it's a sign that your motor cortex hasn't fully evolved yet. If that's the case, don't be sad; it's fixable.
Now, observe how you hold the pen with three fingers. Are your index fingers bending down or up? If it's bending up, it's the wrong grip due to either holding the pen too low or gripping it too tightly. The pen should be held high enough to create a 45-degree angle between the pen nib and the paper. If your angle is greater than that, please don't try a flex nib pen; it'll break in just a few days. Additionally, your fingers only need to grip the pen firmly enough to keep it in the right position, meaning just the tips of three fingers are enough. Imagine holding a lump of clay. Hold it in a way that when you release your hand, it remains unchanged; no squishing or warping, that's the correct grip. How to hold the pen securely and gracefully is the key.
But what if you hold the pen loosely? Can you still write? Yes, you can. The habit of gripping the pen tightly comes from using ballpoint pens. Unlike fountain pens, ballpoint pens require strong pressure to release ink, so kids learn to write with a ballpoint pen struggle. But now that you've seen the light and switched back to fountain pens, which don't require pressing to release ink, try relaxing your grip and then write.
Still can't write? Then it means your hand movements are wrong. This is harder to fix, so I'll emphasize its importance by keeping it separate.
3. Seemingly impossible: Writing with the shoulder.
Since childhood, before learning to write, we all practice drawing because it's easier than writing. That's why if no one teaches us, we tend to use drawing skills to write. Unfortunately, writing is very different from drawing, so these skills don't help much and often make handwriting worse.
I'm talking about using fingers and wrists to write. This is wrong, entirely wrong because writing with fingers means your hand is stuck in one place on the paper. The distance from the wrist to each letter varies, so it's impossible to write evenly. Short Vietnamese words mask this issue, but try writing 'Government' and you'll see. Also, finger and wrist movements, along with using the hand as a support point, make the hand tired quickly. This habit needs to be corrected.
... And instead, use the shoulder. Or more accurately, use the shoulder muscles to write. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, shoulder muscles are stronger than others, so they tire less. Secondly, because the shoulder is farther from the pen, it requires less movement to control the pen (lever principle, although I didn't study Physics since grade 8, I still remember ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)). Lastly, using the shoulder ensures that all fingers, wrists, and the lower half of the arm maintain a consistent distance from the letters, resulting in more uniform writing, making your writing larger and clearer. Thanks to writing with the shoulder, I comfortably take notes using a stub nib, even a 1.9, not to mention a 1.1.
Writing with the shoulder is particularly important in calligraphy. Often, decorative strokes need to extend from one end of the paper to the other, and using fingers doesn't provide the same elegance. In Copperplate, the curved strokes of letters like H and G extend for 3 to 4 lines, and it's impossible to achieve this without using the shoulder. Before starting calligraphy, I hope Ducati masters this skill first.
The method is quite simple, but breaking a long-standing habit isn't easy, so you need patience. First, you'll need paper, lots of paper, and practice drawing circles with the only support point being the nail of your pinky finger and ring finger (slightly lifted from the desk). Since men are strong and sturdy, eat a big meal, so go big with your drawings, allocating a quarter of a sheet of paper for each circle. There's plenty of paper, so don't worry about running out (if not, I heard rumors that Lao Ngo provides free paper for everyone...). The purpose of this exercise is to get used to how to use the shoulder, how the fingers feel, so that when you write smaller, you won't wonder if you're using your fingers or your shoulder. As a precaution, I'll remind you again to hold the pen loosely; the force of the shoulder is stronger than that of the fingers, so be careful not to damage the nib.
Once you're fairly comfortable using your shoulder, you can move on to practicing letters. Maintain the same letter size, as practicing smaller won't help. Even the smallest should be three lines; small letters like a, c, m, n should be one line, and big long letters like g, h, k, l should be three lines. When writing daily, try to use your shoulder as much as possible, continuously reminding yourself to use your shoulder for writing.
This is the most crucial step in practicing writing. Completing this step is like completing one-third of the journey.
I've just realized that the previous generations in this community might not relate to what I'm saying. So, I'll pause here and wait for feedback. Thank you for taking the time to consider.
(According to handheld)
Improving handwriting can lead to greater success and luck
Here are 8 simple handwriting tips to help you succeed and accumulate wealth steadily and surely.
(This article has a Feng Shui orientation)
1. Harness power and spirit for handwriting
Write consciously, envisioning your spirit flowing from your hand to your fingers and into the pen. With clear consciousness of this, you'll see your handwriting becoming clearer and sharper. Write with just enough pressure, neither too strong nor too weak, and let your pen flow. Focus on creating energy flow in your fingers.
2. Opt for a quality pen within your means
You don't need to splurge on limited edition pens from top brands. Simply invest in a pen that suits your writing style and budget. A pen carries the spirit and emotions of the writer. The more you use a pen exclusively for your documents and signatures, the more valuable your handwriting becomes.
3. Write in an upright manner
Upright handwriting signifies living in the present. The worst is when handwriting slants backward. People with this handwriting always live in the past, constantly looking back instead of forward. They also lack confidence. This generates energies that lead to more failures than successes. Therefore, strive to write straight. If your handwriting slants forward, it means you often move forward. It doesn't necessarily imply looking towards the future. Slanting forward indicates you often fail to prepare for the tasks at hand. Straight handwriting demonstrates confidence, fairness, and good control of situations.
4. Maintain consistent spacing
Consistent spacing signifies you always stick to the plan. When you strive to write evenly with straight amplitude, it shows your mind is very organized. You will find it easier to make decisions and be decisive. Those who write straight with consistent spacing usually excel at planning ahead and executing on their own. They are often very dynamic and successful.
5. Incorporate a slight slant in your letters
Success requires finesse and adept diplomacy, hence handwriting needs a little curvature. If you have a slant in your handwriting, it means everything you do will have a positive start, so a slant is quite essential in handwriting.
6. Don't skimp on strokes
If you write without enough strokes, it means your work is only half done. This means the project is initiated but will not yield results. Write carefully to succeed.
7. Write letters with high hooks
High hooks are seen in letters like f, t, h... High hooks indicate you have a far-reaching vision. It both sparks divine dreams within you and fuels creativity.
8. The Five Elements in Handwriting
Understanding the elemental factors of your handwriting, you can cultivate energy sources to drive your luck.
Handwriting with Fire elements tends to be angular and tightly spaced, resembling flames burning. Additionally, they are tall and narrow, with many sharp angles in the letters.
Handwriting with Fire elements brings recognition. Many high-level executives and government officials use this style of handwriting. If you are famous and want to lead a certain public style, this handwriting is suitable for you.
Handwriting with Metal elements is round and somewhat chubby. This handwriting style attracts people who influence your life. They will sponsor and protect you. You should also use this handwriting if you want power and influence.
Handwriting with Earth elements tends to be low and angular. It fosters good relationships. This handwriting style also fares well in exams.
Handwriting with Wood elements tends to be tall and angular, with more hooks above than below. Those with this handwriting style tend to enjoy luck in growth because the Wood energy brings growth and expansion. This leads to prosperity and wealth, coupled with good health and a pure soul.
Handwriting with Water elements tends to be flowing and expansive. They have wide spacing and not every letter is written clearly. People with this handwriting style are very wealthy or know how to control their wealth. You should learn to write with Water elements if you want to attract more luck in income.
(According to Feng Shui for Vietnamese)
