As a first grade teacher, I understand the importance of proper handwriting technique. I’ve seen the total gamut of pencil grips over the years I’ve spent teaching kindergarten and first grade.
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With so much technology in our student’s hands daily, you might be wondering if handwriting practice serves a purpose anymore. No matter how much technology our students use daily, I’m here to tell you that handwriting is just as important today as it was 50 years ago. In the primary grades, students are practicing fine motor skills when they learn how to hold a pencil and form their letters correctly.
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Letter identification is a skill that involves being able to say the names of both upper and lower case letters of the alphabet quickly, without having to think very long about each letter.
In an ideal world, kindergartners would come to school having this skill.
Is it necessary? No. They’ll absolutely learn this skill in kindergarten.
One caveat: kindergartners who already know their letters and sounds, start reading faster than kids who don’t. This has been my experience as a kindergarten teacher for many years.
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