Handwriting Paper



Handwriting Paper

1. Lined paper encourages legible handwriting. However, depending on the task, provide young students with access to both lined and unlined paper.

2. Kindergartners should be provided with wide-lined paper. The paper should have a middle guideline when correctly aligned lower case letters are expected.

3. For kindergarten and beginning first grade students activities such as making large letters in the air, on the chalkboard or whiteboard, or in various media such as finger paint, shaving cream or clay trays are helpful.

4. Paper with a middle guideline comes in a variety of line sizes. For first graders it is beneficial to use the type of paper with the extra space below the baseline so that letters with tails do not extend into the tall letters of the lines below. Color-coded paper, such as Zaner-Bloser or Smart Start may also be helpful.

5. For students who are having problems with letter alignment color coding can be added to paper or worksheets by using highlighting markers. It’s often helpful to use blue for the top line and pink for the bottom, since that’s how commonly used paper, such as Zaner- Bloser, is made. Green may also be used for the baseline, if verbal cues such as “grass line” are used. Yellow seems to work well for the dotted middle line, but this is arbitrary.

6. Generally, as students progress from first grade into second, they are given paper with lines closer together and without a middle guideline. However, some students are not ready for paper with narrower lines and no middle line, at least at the beginning of second grade. It is important to match the paper to the needs of the child.

7. It will be beneficial, and necessary for some students, to teach them how to align letters correctly when changing from paper with a middle guideline to paper with top and bottom lines only. Have students practice this skill. If students are having difficulty with this transition, temporarily highlight from the bottom line halfway to the top line to help with correct letter alignment.

8. If students in third grade and up are experiencing difficulty with traditional notebook paper with only top and bottom lines, loose-leaf or notebook paper with a middle line can be beneficial. Spiral notebooks with paper with a middle line are available online from Discount School Supply, or at stores such as Mardel or School Crossing in Colorado Springs.

9. A CD with software to create handwriting paper with colored lines and colored shading is available. Here’s the purchasing information.

The Handwriting Paper CD:  Webber Handwriting Paper Printable CD-ROM

It is available from Super Duper Publications at 800-27-8737 or

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