Handwriting refers to the mechanical parts of the actual act of forming letters, numbers, strokes, lines or simple/complex figures to demonstrate graphomotor skills. Below outlines the mechanical aspects of handwriting.
- Memory: Remembering and writing dictated letters
- Orientation: Orienting or facing letters in the correct direction.
- Placement: placement refers to a child’s ability to place their letters, numbers, words or sentence on a baseline or whether they float his/her letters and numbers well above the bolded 1/8 or 1/16 of an inch margin of error depending on their respective age or grade expectations.
- Size: A sizing error occurs when a letter or number is formed larger than the margin of error, which is 1 grade level below the current.
- Start: A start error is noted when a letter or number is not initiated in the appropriate top-down form.
- Sequence: A sequence error is noted when a letter or number is not constructed in the appropriate order. The above start and orientation errors are automatically a sequencing error as well.
- Control: Control errors occur when a child over-strokes, rounds, gaps and points letters and numbers in the incorrect location. Control errors may also include when mid-point positioning as well as identical parts of letters and numbers are uneven.
(The Print Tool, 2021)
