100 Handwriting Tips and Tricks Free Printables

This blog post on handwriting tricks from November 2016 has been updated to include more handwriting tips and tricks that school based OT professionals use every day. You’ll also have a handwriting email series and free handwriting handouts available in this blog post that you’ll want to grab.

Handwriting Tips Handouts

Handwriting is a struggle for many kids.  There are many handwriting tips  and  tips that can work for kids when they are completing written work.  The thing is that some strategies work for some children and something totally different is a success for other children.  Handwriting difficulties can be a result of many different issues.  From visual perceptual difficulties to pencil grasp concerns, to visual motor integration problems…handwriting is a complex task with many skills working together.  


Today, I have an exciting freebie for you.


I have compiled strategies, tips, and tricks for common handwriting concerns.  

You might have seen our easy handwriting series recently.  If not, be sure to stop over and check out 30 easy strategies for helping with handwriting difficulties.


For more information on helping kids with handwriting issues, join us in the Sweet Ideas for Handwriting Help Facebook group.  I would love to see you there!

Free Handwriting Tips and Tricks Printables

These free handwriting printables are perfect for trying different strategies to help kids with handwriting needs.  


Each printable page can be copied and presented to teachers, parents, colleagues, and any one in the classroom or therapy setting who works with the kids with handwriting needs.


Try using these printable strategies to help with many different handwriting concerns.


Handwriting Help in your Inbox


The printables will arrive in your inbox over a 6 day period.  Each day, I will share specific tips related to common handwriting challenges.  There will be lins to address these problems in creative ways and Quick Tips for the targeted handwriting issue and Fine Motor Development.  

This is Handwriting Help for anyone who works with kids!

In the FREE printable pack, you will get:


Tips for Better Line Awareness


Tips for Better Spatial Awareness


Tips for Accurate Letter Formation


Movement Activities to Help with Spatial Relations


Handwriting Self-Assessment


Motivating Handwriting Activities


MORE Motivating Handwriting Activities




Related Read: Try these handwriting accommodation strategies to address a variety of handwriting challenges. 

You can use some occupational therapy handwriting tricks to help with common messy writing issues.

100 Handwriting Tips and Tricks

I wanted to put together a few handwriting tricks that we pediatric occupational therapists (and by that I mean OTs AND OTAs!) use day in and day out to support kids with handwriting challenges. These writing tips are some of the tricks you’ll see a school based OT pull out of “thin air”. Meanwhile, this is just the beginning of the OT tips and tricks we have up our therapy sleeves! I hope these help!

Hand Position and Pencil Grasp

1. Use short pencils or broken crayons to encourage a tripod grasp.
2. Place a small pom-pom under the ring and pinky fingers to promote hand separation.
3. Try triangular pencils to support proper finger placement.
4. Use pencil grips if a child fatigues quickly while writing.
5. Encourage holding the pencil closer to the tip for better control.
6. Practice picking up small beads to strengthen finger grasp.
7. Use tweezers to build finger strength for handwriting.
8. Draw small circles with fingertips to warm up writing muscles.
9. Practice rolling small balls of play dough between fingers.
10. Use clothespins to strengthen finger muscles.

Posture and Positioning

11. Sit with feet flat on the floor for stability.
12. Keep hips all the way back in the chair.
13. Maintain a straight back while writing.
14. Adjust chair height so elbows rest comfortably on the table.
15. Use a slant board to support wrist positioning.
16. Try writing on a vertical surface like a wall or easel.
17. Encourage forearms to rest lightly on the table.
18. Use a foot stool if feet don’t reach the floor.
19. Practice writing on a clipboard while standing.
20. Ensure the paper is placed slightly tilted.

Paper Position

21. Tilt paper slightly left for right-handed writers.
22. Tilt paper slightly right for left-handed writers.
23. Stabilize paper with the helper hand.
24. Use tape to keep paper from sliding.
25. Use clipboards for stability.
26. Draw margins to support spacing.
27. Add highlighting to the writing line.
28. Use raised line paper for tactile feedback.
29. Practice writing inside boxes before writing on lines.
30. Use graph paper for consistent letter sizing.

Letter Formation Tips

31. Teach letters in developmental groups.
32. Start letters at the top when possible.
33. Use consistent starting points for letters.
34. Practice large letters before small letters.
35. Use verbal cues while writing letters.
36. Practice tracing letters with fingers first.
37. Write letters in shaving cream or sand.
38. Trace letters on textured surfaces.
39. Use chalk on sidewalks to practice letter shapes.
40. Practice forming letters in play dough.

Motor Planning and Warm-Ups

41. Do finger stretches before writing.
42. Shake hands gently to loosen muscles.
43. Trace shapes in the air with large arm movements.
44. Practice drawing big shapes on a whiteboard.
45. Use finger painting to warm up hands.
46. Practice drawing loops and spirals.
47. Do wall push-ups to activate arm muscles.
48. Roll therapy putty before writing tasks.
49. Practice drawing zig-zag lines.
50. Do hand squeezes with a stress ball.

Visual Motor and Visual Perception

51. Copy simple shapes before letters.
52. Practice connecting dots to form shapes.
53. Use mazes to build visual motor skills.
54. Play “I Spy” games to build visual scanning.
55. Complete puzzles to support visual perception.
56. Practice tracing paths and lines.
57. Use visual models for letter formation.
58. Practice copying patterns.
59. Draw shapes that gradually become letters.
60. Use highlighting to guide writing lines.

Sensory Strategies

61. Try writing in sand trays.
62. Use textured writing paper.
63. Write with chalk or crayons for resistance.
64. Use weighted pencils for proprioceptive input.
65. Do heavy work before handwriting tasks.
66. Practice writing on vertical surfaces.
67. Write with gel pens for smooth movement.
68. Use vibrating pens for sensory input.
69. Practice squeezing putty before writing.
70. Try writing on a textured mat.

Motivation and Engagement

71. Write secret messages to friends.
72. Use fun colored pens.
73. Write jokes or riddles.
74. Create comic strips.
75. Write lists about favorite things.
76. Practice writing in games like “hangman.”
77. Write treasure hunt clues.
78. Make greeting cards.
79. Write stories about favorite characters.
80. Use stickers as rewards.

Classroom and Homework Strategies

81. Break writing into short sessions.
82. Use visual reminders for letter formation.
83. Allow brain breaks during writing tasks.
84. Provide examples to copy from.
85. Encourage slow, controlled writing.
86. Provide extra time for written work.
87. Use checklists or desk letter strips for letter formation and self-correction.
88. Encourage editing after writing.
89. Reduce copying demands when needed.
90. Provide alternative writing tools when appropriate.

Independence and Practice

91. Encourage journaling daily.
92. Practice writing grocery lists.
93. Write notes to family members.
94. Label drawings with words.
95. Write directions for games.
96. Practice writing menus for pretend restaurants.
97. Write short thank-you notes.
98. Copy favorite song lyrics.
99. Write captions for photos.
100. Practice handwriting during fun activities, not just schoolwork.

Even MORE handwriting tips and tricks that we share in OT consultations include:

• Teach letters in groups, or families of similar letters. We talk all about letter families in another blog post. It makes total sense to teach letters this way because of the handwriting motor plan that is established in pencil movements.
• Use consistent verbal and visual cues.
• Use consistent patterns to form letters. By this I mean you should promote the automaticity and fluidity that kids establish when they are using the same models for letter formation.
• Use progressive steps of handwriting instruction. This means that you will want to follow a predictable teaching pattern in handwriting. This will look like modeling the letter, tracing, fading of cues, copying, dictating letter formation, composing letters, and self monitoring the formation of letters.
• Speaking of tracing, it has it’s time and place. Don’t just plop down a handwriting worksheet and expect kids to trace the letters correctly and then establish good handwriting skills. There’s more to it than that!
• Match the size of lined paper with the student’s handwriting abilities. Here is a list of free handwriting paper to browse.
• Use pictures or images as a visual cue on the writing lines. This gives a prompt for letter placement and letter size. Some examples are drawing a house in the double rule writing space. You might also see a cloud on the top line of writing paper and grass on the baseline. Or another example is a worm below the ground or baseline for tail letters.
• Another example of a writing trick that offers a visual cue is to use a highlighter for the writing space for letter size and spacing. Or, you might see a school based OT practitioner use a highlighter to draw a rectangle for the word.
• Position a visual cue like a letter strip, or the material the student is copying right above the writing paper so the student needs to shift their eyes up and down, and not their eyes and whole head. This is a near point copying trick.
• Use our DIY letter strip hack to place the model very close to the writing area.

For more tips and tricks, check out our book, The Handwriting Book. We tried to cover all aspects of handwriting by addressing the underlying skills that play into writing.

The Handwriting Book covers everything you need to know about handwriting, guided by development and focused on function. This digital resource is is the ultimate resource for tips, strategies, suggestions, and information to support handwriting development in kids.

The Handwriting Book breaks down the functional skill of handwriting into developmental areas. These include developmental progression of pre-writing strokes, fine motor skills, gross motor development, sensory considerations, and visual perceptual skills. Each section includes strategies and tips to improve these underlying areas.

• Strategies to address letter and number formation and reversals
• Ideas for combining handwriting and play
• Activities to practice handwriting skills at home
• Tips and strategies for the reluctant writer
• Tips to improve pencil grip
• Tips for sizing, spacing, and alignment with overall improved legibility

Click here to grab your copy of The Handwriting Book today.

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.