7 Foundational Motor Skills Every Child Needs Before Writing Letters

Most often when parents think of teaching their child to write they search for letter worksheets and have their child practice tracing their name. Writing letters and names may seem like a great place to start—but you’re missing a few key steps.

Does your child have the physical skills necessary to write letters? Before your child writes letters they will need to be able to draw the lines and shapes that letters are composed of. In order to successfully write lines and shapes they need strength and coordination. When kids begin writing letters before they are ready, they tend to learn bad habits and feel more frustrated down the road.

In this post, we’ll walk through 7 key motor skills every child needs before they begin forming letters, along with playful ways to practice each one.

1.Large Arm Movement. Big Movements Control Little Movements.

As kids grow and develop, they gain gross motor and fine motor skills. In order to successfully write, kids need shoulder and arm strength and stability. Being able to control their arm movements will help them control their hand movements which are necessary for writing.

You can help your child develop shoulder and arm stability and strength through gross motor play (i.e. crawling, climbing). Encourage playing on playground equipment.

2. Wrist Control. The wrist controls the hand.

In order to write, kids need to be able to control their wrist. Strong wrists help kids hold and move their pencil.

You can help support your child’s wrist strength and control by having them work on vertical surfaces like painting on an easel or drawing on a paper taped to the wall. 

3. Hand Strength. The hand controls the fingers.

Your child needs proper hand strength to hold and manipulate a writing tool. Holding and moving a pencil with control and stability requires hand strength.

Encourage your child to play with play dough, manipulating clothespins, use tongs or peel off stickers to help strengthen their hand strength. 

4. Pencil Grasp.

Manual dexterity is the ability to use your hands and fingers to grasp something, manipulate objects, and make precise movements. This develops over time. Kids need to be able to move from a fist (palmer grasp) to a proper writing grasp (tri-pod grasp) in order to effectively write.

You can encourage your child to play and manipulate small objects like threading beads, peeling stickers, using eye droppers, or pushing toothpicks in marshmallows or pool noodles. Typically develops 9-12 months

5. Bilateral Coordination. Using both sides of the body.

In order to effectively write, kids need to write with one hand and stabilize the paper with their other. Writing involves using both hands at the same time.

To help your child build their ability to use both sides of their body at the same time (bilateral coordination), you can have them string beads, tear paper, button, use scissors, clap their hands, catch a ball, etc.

6. Crossing the Midline. Crossing over the imaginary line cutting their body in half, separating the right side from the left.

Crossing the midline is an overlooked skill in writing and reading. In order to write, kids need to be able to write from left-to-write, crossing the middle of their body to do so.

You can support your child in this by incorporating songs and movement that encourages kids to move their hands across the midline, or by passing objects across their body. Typically develops around 4-6 months

7. Hand-Eye Coordination.

Kids need to be able to use both their eyes and their hands to trace, copy, and write lines, shapes, and letters.

You can help strengthen your child’s hand-eye coordination by incorporating any activity that combines visual with motor movement like stacking blocks, catching a ball, puzzles, threading beads, scooping etc..

Kids develop motor skills from birth (read more here). For a variety of reasons kids may be deficient in one or more skills and need more practice to be able to successfully write. Many kids struggle with hand strength because much of today’s play does not include a lot of fine motor movement. An i-pad requires very little fine motor movement. A TV even less. Incorporating more fine motor play into your child’s day, will help strengthen their fine motor skills and ensure they have the necessary skills to be a successful writer.