Q: I have a 5-year-old daughter who started kindergarten at a new school in a new state, and within a week was promoted to 1st Grade! I am so very proud of her, she can read on at least a 4th grade level, probably much higher, and catches on to things so fast it's scary. Since she skipped Kindergarten, her printing is the only thing I really need to work on with her...she likes to write in all caps, and is so sloppy, will not stay in lines, and instead of erasing, just writes over mistakes. Can you think of any thing that will help me to help her with her printing? I had printed out the alphabet worksheets and even got her a tracing pad, but, still, her printing is terrible. I realize she is only 5, will be 6 on Valentine's Day, but, as good as she reads I would love for her to be able to print as well. She is also very good at art & coloring, but the teacher says she gets in a hurry at school & does sloppy coloring. She love challenges & games, any ideas on getting her printing up to par would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time.

Sincerely,
A first-time mom at 39 with lots to learn....

A: Dear Mom,

Although your daughter does need to learn to print correctly, it is important to keep in mind that it is a process that takes patience, practice, and a developmental readiness to "get it". Additionally, the length of this process as well as the child's preferred learning style varies from child to child. Studies confirm that a child who is a capable reader in Kindergarten and a child who learns to read well in second grade may both be reading on the very same level by fifth grade.

You mentioned that the only thing Taylor Anne needs your help with is her printing. This skill requires small motor coordination and takes a certain degree of physical and mental developmental readiness to be able to execute the task. Her reading mastery involves different types of developmental achievement, so it is not unusual that her ability in the two different areas are not the same.

It is the normal developmental process in learning letters that young children recognize capital letters first. Keep in mind that when lower case letters are introduced, they are perceived by the child as a totally different "animal". Therefore, teaching a child to print correctly can become tedious, confusing and frustrating, both to the child as well as to her well-meaning "teacher". Because each letter can be written in two ways and because there are specific times that we must use one instead of the other, this is a process that will require perseverance and time.

It sounds like Taylor Ann is a smart, creative child who prefers more freedom with her artwork that simply coloring inside the lines of a worksheet. I would imagine she finds that boring and somewhat annoying and even "dumb". I had a child that was "failing" coloring in first grade for that very reason and is now an amazingly talented artist (age 18). Please consider feeling OK with fact that coloring on worksheets may not be an enjoyable activity for a good reason. And maybe just compliment what seems well done and as for the general sloppiness…perhaps let it go. However there are positives related to coloring worksheets, like learning how to following directions, learning how to do something you really don't like or want to do, and focusing on something that isn't easy for whatever reason.

Here are some specific suggestions that may help you help your daughter through the process of learning how to print as well as she is able to read:

* Try to make the job of learning more fun, but not as the expense of your sanity! If helping your daughter is driving you crazy, let someone else help her at home.
* Give her some plastic magnetic letters to have "hands on" experience spelling out words on the refrigerator. The kids love to be where you are and all moms spend a great deal of time in the kitchen…right?
* Since your daughter loves art, try some black paper with some "milky pens"…sometimes writing with a new pen or pencil or on different paper makes the task seem more appealing.
* I suggest working with one letter a day, both capital and lower case. You might have your daughter look in one of her books to find words that begin with that letter or have that letter somewhere in it. Be aware that text print in books as far as lower case does vary in style from the hand-printed letter, like "g". We don't write a lower case "G" like that, so you might want to save those letters until she has some mastered that look the same all the time. Then again, some kids get a kick out of spotting the differences and those become their favorite letters.
* Get some primary writing paper and have her make a whole row of "A's" and "a's." When she is finished, ask her to circle which "A" she think is her best in each row. You might also ask her why she chose that one. Consider letting her put a star by that one. In this way you are encouraging her to realize the proper way to form a letter by requiring her to evaluate and choose her own "best" work.
* It is also helpful for her to hear honest specific compliments from you. You might say something like, "That "P" is the perfect size," or "I noticed that the round part touches the line just right (something very specific)" rather than a general comment like, "Good girl!" or even "Good job." Your daughter will hopefully realize that because you are paying careful attention to her work in this way, you are proving to her that this skill is important. And hopefully it will become important to her.
* Get a pail of water and a paint brush and "paint" the letter for the day a few times on the sidewalk, the fence or something else outdoors.
* Get alphabet soup and spell out some words as a snack or at mealtime.
* Make a chart together and place a star for the letters she has mastered both upper and lower case and perhaps for each 5 stars she gets a prize (like an ice cream come from McDonald's.)
* Write your daughter lots of short little notes with exemplary printing so that she gets used to seeing it. For example place a little love note on her pillow or in her lunch box that says, "You are very special"…"Sweet dreams"…or simply "I miss you so much." The more she sees correct printing, the more it will stick in her brain.

Hopefully these ideas will give you a good start. Let us know how it goes.

--Gail