Glossary for Handwriting Instruction-2

Definitions for terms referenced in this guide can be found below.

• Basic strokes: vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, circles, cross, curves.
• Bilateral hand skills: using two hands together in a coordinated manner. In handwriting, one hand writes while the other hand stabilizes the paper.
• Crossing midline: crossing the center of the body to prevent switching hands.
• Directionality: knowing top to bottom and left to right concepts.
• Dominant hand: the hand that holds the writing utensil. It is acceptable to have one dominant hand for writing, and the other hand for activities such as cutting. By age 41/2 to 5, children should be using one hand for writing consistently.
• Fine motor skills: using the muscles in the hands and wrists with small graded movement to perform activities such as coloring, cutting, writing, tearing paper, opening markers, beads, etc.
• Forearm stabilization: resting the forearm on the desk to allow writing to come primarily from the fingers.
• Grasp/Grip: holding the writing utensil. There is a developmental sequence for grip:
  • palmar grasp (full fist)
  • digital- pronate grip (palm rotated down on pencil with index finger on top),
  • static tripod (thumb pad, and up to three fingers on shaft of pencil)
  • tripod (thumb & index pads on pencil with pencil resting on side of middle finger).
• Handwriting skills: ability to use a writing utensil to produce letters, words, and sentences with comfort and efficiency.
• Kinesthetic sense: knowing the position and movement of the limbs in space without vision.
• Multi-sensory approach: using many senses such as touch, vision, auditory, and kinesthesia.
• Non-dominant hand: is the hand that stabilizes the paper.
• Posture: the position the child is using during pre-writing/writing activities. During most handwriting activities, a child should sit at the desk with feet flat on the floor, hips back in the chair, with desk about 2” above elbow.
• Retrace: writing over a previously written line such in the letters ‘d’ and ‘p.’
• Reversals: changing the direction of the letters such as making a d instead of a b, or making a letter backward.
  • It is felt that letter reversals are developmentally appropriate in the early writer and by second grade should be minimal or nonexistent.
• Sky writing: using large arm muscles to trace a letter shape in the air before writing it on paper.
• Top down letter formation: starting a letter at the top of the line. All capital letters start at the top line.
• Visual motor skills: using the eyes and hands in a coordinated manner such as in handwriting, tracing, and coloring.
• Vertical surface: sometimes used in handwriting as an alternative position allowing for better wrist stability (e.g. chalk board, slant board).
• Visual perceptual skills: understanding and interpreting designs and forms and making sense of the relationship of these shapes.
• Web space: the area on your hand between your thumb and index finger. Ideally, when holding a pencil this area should be rounded allowing the thumb and index finger to move.