Upon looking at the image above of this child writing with their pencils, do you notice anything wrong with the image?
It may be obvious to some people that this child has a very poor pencil grip. Indeed, look at how they are gripping the pencil tightly and the awkward positioning of their index and middle finger. Not only will this make writing painful and slow for them but it will also make it difficult for them to be able to master legible handwriting.
But do you notice anything else? Do you see what I see?
This image has been used by both the Government and within education stories discussed in the media and it always makes me feel a sense of despair.
We have even used this image previously ourselves to demonstrate what an INCORRECT grip can look like.
Despite this being a poor example of how to write, it is still often used by the Government and the media when discussing education or handwriting, which demonstrates that there is still a clear lack of knowledge on exactly what basic skills and teaching are needed for a child to be able to master legible handwriting.
Unfortunately, I know that many handwriting tutors and teachers would not be able to spot the 2 of the 3 things wrong in this picture nor would they know how to fix them. Instead the focus would be placed on joining up the handwriting: cursive rules right!
So what do I see? Yes, there is a poor pencil grip but I also see that the child has poor shoulder girdle stability and poor bi-lateral integration of motor skills that all require urgent attention to prevent the learning gaps increasing.
As a handwriting expert with over a decade of experience helping children, teachers, and parents, I know how important it is to ensure these foundations are in place first, to then enable a child to go on to master legible handwriting.
This is why when you buy my Morrells Handwriting workbooks, you don’t just purchase a handwriting book (which has all the science needed for handwriting built in), but you also get free support should you require it.
I always look at how a child is writing rather than just the writing itself in order to build strong foundations for beautiful handwriting. My goal is to achieve legible handwriting that will last a lifetime rather than handwriting just for the primary assessments.
In other words, I spend time working on the root cause of the issues rather than just fixing the aesthetics of the writing, as any superficial quick fix is just like putting a sticking plaster over the problem.
My approach to teaching handwriting correctly in this way has helped children of all ages, as well as teenagers and even adults to finally be able to master beautiful, flowing handwriting and this is why my unique WHSmith handwriting workshops have proven so popular.
Take below as an example.
This is a great piece of feedback from a parent whose children I have recently worked with.
It was an absolute pleasure to provide support for their daughters aged 6 and 8-years-old, to improve their pen/pencil grips and provide some tips to help them on their way to beautiful, legible handwriting!
If your child has been struggling with their handwriting and you would like some support, I am always happy to take a look at their writing and share some advice and tips with you.
You can send me an email or drop me a message via our Facebook page and I will get back to you. 
Help support your child on their way to legible handwriting with the help of Morrells Handwriting!