In kindergarten your child will learn the fundamentals of spelling, including name writing. When a child can successfully print his own name, it brings praise from the teacher and builds your child's self-esteem. You can help your child be ready for name writing in kindergarten by following a few simple measures at home.
Instructions
1. Teach your child basic writing concepts. These will help him get ready for letter formation and lined paper. Explain the directional terms of right and left, up and down, top, middle and bottom. Help your child distinguish between rounded and straight lines.
2. Print the letters in your child's first and last names. Help him practice them one at a time in a fun way. For example, encourage your child to print the letters with his index finger in the air or in a sand box. Teach him that when he writes his name, the first letter is always a capital, and the remaining letters are lowercase.
3. Guide letter formation. Hold your child's hand at first to demonstrate proper name writing mechanics. Emphasize that letters are formed from top to bottom. Sound out each letter in your child's name while he is writing it.
4. Show your child hold a pencil. Use a thick writing instrument such as an oversized pencil or crayon. These afford little hands better control. Proper form is important. It is difficult to unlearn poor pencil posture.
5. Introduce unlined paper. Ask your child to print his name several times. With each repetition ask him to reduce the size of the letters. This will provide practice in controlling the pencil and ready him for lined paper.
6. Transition to lined paper. Ask your child to practice printing his name inside the lines. Encourage him to leave adequate space between his first and last names. In general, kindergarten teachers want children to leave a space equal to two child-sized finger widths between words.
Tags: your child, lined paper, name writing, child print, first last, first last names