A starting card
Choose one thing to practise
“Write neatly” leaves a lot to decide. A more specific starting point is: “Let's leave a clear gap between these words.”
Scholastic's parent article, labelled for ages 6–7, suggests looking separately at letter formation, size, word spacing and alignment. [S1] Use this original starting card to choose a practice task, not to score your child.
| What you notice together | One focus to choose | A practice task |
|---|---|---|
| You want to check how a particular letter is written | Formation | Use the teacher's model for that letter, then put it in a familiar word |
| The same letter changes size within a line | Size | Compare two examples of that same letter with the classroom model |
| It is hard to see where one word ends | Word spacing | Write a short sentence and point to each word separately |
| A word drifts away from the writing line as it continues | Alignment | Copy a short label on the same kind of lines used at school |
Pick the row that fits what you are looking at. You do not need to work through all four.
Use the classroom model
Check the letter style taught at school
Look at an example supplied by the teacher before changing letter shapes or adding joins.
Oxford Owl recommends matching the style taught at school. [S2]
If you are unsure about a letter, ask:
A question for the teacher
Ask for the classroom example
For formation practice, keep that example beside the page. Choose a word containing the letter, rather than switching between several handwriting alphabets. Don't use the printed letters in this article as a tracing alphabet; they are typeset examples.
Look at word boundaries
Work through a spacing example
These invented print examples show only word boundaries. They are not samples of a child's handwriting or before-and-after results.
Invented print example
Words running together
Invented print example
Words separated
Read the second line and point to its four words. Now let your child choose a short sentence of their own. After writing it, ask: “Can we point to each word without guessing where it starts?”
You could turn it into a label for an imaginary kite shop:
Invented print example
A label for an imaginary kite shop
Keep the focus on the gaps for this task. You can choose a different focus another time; there is no need to turn this one sentence into a list of everything to correct.
Two more focus examples
Try an example for size or alignment
Use the paper and letter model the teacher has shown you.
For size
Write the made-up shop name Moon Room. Compare its lowercase os with each other. Use the classroom model as the reference rather than trying to make every different letter equally tall.
A simple parent prompt is: “Which o would you like to use as your example for the next one?”
For alignment
Write My kite is purple. on the school's usual ruled paper. Look at how the teacher's model uses the line. Compare where the y and p cross or extend past the line in that model.
Try: “Let's find the line in the example first. Where does this letter sit?”
You can try the focus in a new word without rewriting the whole page.
An optional sequence
Put a small practice session together
Here is one optional sequence. Fit the amount of writing to the task and your child; there is no timer or number of repetitions to meet.
Choose
Pick one focus from the starting card.
Look
Put the relevant school example beside the page.
Write
Choose a word, sentence or label that uses the focus.
Notice
Ask what your child would keep or try differently next time.
Finish
Keep the piece if they want to, or put it aside. It does not need a score.
Instead of “That whole line is wrong”, a specific observation could be: “I can see the gap between these two words.”
If the activity is not working today, leave it there. Repeating the task is a choice, not a condition for completing homework or earning something else.
Three original activities
Give the writing a purpose
Choose an activity that connects with your child's interests.
Oxford Owl suggests connecting writing opportunities with a child's interests. [S2] Here are three original activities to choose from:
Open a pretend café
Invent its name and write two menu items. “Moon Café” could serve “cloud toast” and “star soup”.
Label an invented creature
Draw a creature and add labels such as “striped tail” or “tiny wings”. Choose spacing or size as the focus.
Write a paper spaceship instruction
Add one instruction for its imaginary pilot, such as “Park beside the moon”.
Your child can change the theme or write a different message. Choose one activity that appeals to them.
A paper practice sheet
A handwriting practice sheet to keep
Copy this sheet onto paper, or print this section. Use the school's preferred writing lines for the writing space. The sheet is an original Schylva example, not a school-issued form.
Original Schylva practice sheet
One thing to practise
Keep the sheet on paper; it does not need a name or a school identifier. Do not enter, upload or share student information, passwords or other credentials, payment details or confidential family information on this public resource.
A specific school question
Ask the teacher a useful question
If you are unsure what to practise, take one specific classroom question to the teacher through the school's usual communication route:
- “Which letter model and writing lines should we use at home?”
- “Which part of the writing would you suggest we focus on first?”
- “Could you show us one example of what you mean by more readable?”
You do not have to turn the conversation into a comparison with another child. If you are preparing for a meeting, the PTM questions guide can help you organise your separate questions about classwork.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Should my child practise print or cursive?
Follow the style their teacher is using, rather than choosing a new alphabet from a worksheet. Ask for a classroom example if you are unsure about a join or letter shape. [S2]
How long should handwriting practice take?
This guide does not set a daily time target. Choose a manageable task, such as one label, and decide whether to continue once it is done.
Do we need a special handwriting workbook?
You can try this guide's original labels, sentences and practice sheet on paper using the school's preferred lines.
Is this guide suitable for Hindi or another script?
The examples here use English letters. For another script, ask the teacher for its letter models and practice material rather than treating the English shapes or spacing examples as a complete guide.
Primary sources and further reading
Sources and correction note
Scholastic Parents Staff
5 Ways to Improve Your Child's HandwritingUndated page, labelled ages 6–7. Retrieved 8 October 2026.
Oxford University Press
Handwriting guidance from Oxford OwlUndated UK primary-school guidance. Retrieved 8 October 2026. Its school-year targets are not Indian class requirements.
The practice examples and sheet above are Schylva's own suggestions, not publisher-endorsed exercises. Follow your child's school model where it differs.
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