Preschool teachers and homeschool moms sometimes wonder how important is proper letter formation. After all, as long as a child puts forth effort to write, then we should give them credit and not worry about perfection, some would say. As long as he/she can recognize upper and lower case letters, and understands the sounds they make,  that’s all that really matters, right? Well, not really. Here are some reasons why letter formation is important, and some strategies for you to help children practice the skill.

How Important Is Proper Letter Formation?: Strategies to Help You Teach

Proper letter formation is important for children to learn. When preschoolers first begin learning letters, it’s vital to have them learn how to write these letters the correct way. By learning proper letter formation, kids will have an easier time with letter recognition, as well as writing fluently. Here are a few strategies you can use to teach proper letter formation to your preschooler.

Learn the Movement First

Before you even think about going for perfect handwriting, teach the movement for each letter first. The goal for proper letting formation is to use the least amount of strokes per letter, which means that kids need to know where to start to achieve this goal. Practice the movement needed to make each letter until it becomes second nature.

Learn Like Letters Together

Learning similar letters together can help make it easier to practice the movement needed to form these letters. By grouping like letters together, your preschooler will get the practice they need to successfully make the movement without thinking.

Seeing Properly Formed Letters

There’s something to be said about seeing correctly formed letters. It’s so important to expose your preschooler to letters that have been properly formed. The more they see the correct way to write letters, the easier it will be for them to properly form the letters themselves.

Focus on Neatness and Speed

Once a preschooler has learned the correct movement for each letter, it’s time to focus on neatness and speed. Have your preschooler start to write the letters smaller so they fit on a handwriting line. Your preschooler should also focus on speed, writing letters and words fluently without thinking about it.

Make It Fun

Just because proper letter formation is important doesn’t mean it has to be boring. The best way to get your preschooler excited about writing letters is to make it fun. You can do this with coloring pages, letter searches, and even letter mazes. The more fun your preschooler has, the better their attitude will be about learning proper letter formation!

Learning proper letter formation is important to writing fluently. Since writing is used in all subjects and all grades, this is a vital skill to learn! What are some strategies you use to teach preschoolers proper letter formation?