Primary school movement foundations
Handwriting warm ups can start with the whole upper body
When a child is about to write, we often think first about pencil grip, letter formation and finger strength.
But handwriting also relies on what is happening further up the body. The shoulders need to provide stability, the arms need to move with control and the hands need enough freedom to complete smaller, more precise movements.
A short movement warm up before handwriting can help prepare the body for the task without turning handwriting into another long therapy session.
Start further up the body than the fingers
Sometimes children are working very hard at the hand because the shoulder and trunk are not providing enough stability underneath the task.
A quick upper body warm up can give the shoulders, arms and hands a chance to prepare before more precise pencil work begins.
What can sit underneath handwriting?
Shoulder stability
The shoulder provides a stable base so the hand can complete smaller and more controlled movements.
Postural control
Children need enough trunk stability to sit and use their arms without constantly collapsing or leaning for support.
Wrist control
The wrist needs to remain stable enough for the fingers to move efficiently during writing.
Finger movement
Fine motor control becomes easier when the larger joints are providing a stable foundation.
Bilateral coordination
One hand may be writing while the other hand stabilises the paper or supports the task.
Crossing the midline
Writing across a page requires children to work into space on the opposite side of their body.
What might teachers notice?
A child may frequently change hands, lean heavily on the table, hold their pencil very tightly, shake their hand after writing, move the paper instead of writing across it or become tired much earlier than other children.
These observations do not tell us one specific cause, but they can help us notice when handwriting is requiring much more physical effort than we might expect.
Keep the warm up short
The goal is not to complete a long exercise routine before every writing task.
A few movements involving the shoulders, arms, wrists and hands can be enough to wake up the upper body and give children a clear transition into handwriting time.
These warm ups can also work well for drawing, cutting, colouring and other fine motor tasks.