15 Skills Needed for Handwriting

1. Fine motor coordination: small motor skills that build upon and influence each other, leading to gradual refinement of skilled hand and finger movements.
2. Visual focusing: the ability for the eyes to work together
3. Mental attention: the ability to screen out distractions
4. Organized physical movements: the ability to maintain posture and hold the writing tool
5. Receptive language: the ability to perceive abstract concepts and follow verbal directions
6. Inner expressive language: the ability to think clearly, organize ideas and concepts, and communicate through writing
7. Memory recall: the ability to remember letter formations and the required movements necessary to make each letter and connection.
8. Concentration with awareness: the ability to maintain consistent awareness of details and form over a period of time
9. Spatial perception: the ability to utilize space.
10. Organization: the ability to organize mind, body, and space to produce meaningful responses
11. Integration: the ability to unite the mind, body, and space to create meaningful written expression
12. Eye-hand coordination: the ability to use the eyes and hand together as a unit.
13. Motor planning: the ability to plan and carry out an action
14. Tactile input: the ability to feel the pencil in the hand and apply the appropriate pressure to write
15. Crossing midline: the movement of the eyes, a hand, or forearm to move across the midsection of the body without moving any other part of the body