Mary Koska shows how to position paper for better handwriting: tilt it to match your forearm so your arm can pivot from the elbow and you can see what you're writing. Left-handed writers especially benefit. Use tape on the desk or a non-slip clipboard to keep it in place.
Aloha Mary Koska here with Ohana Ot and our how to improve handwriting course. This lesson is all about paper position. It is another common problem with easy solution. So here we go. So the proper paper position is that it is in line with your arm. And I'm left handed. So I really notice this a lot because every time I'm handed a receipt to sign, they hand it to me as if I'm right handed and I have to turn it around so that I can fill it out because most people are right handed but there's a bunch of us that are left handed and we like to have the paper that going the other way. So that is also a reason that a lot of left handed folks develop the hooked wrist because they're trying to write so they can see. And all you really have to do is turn the paper the other way. So the proper way is that the paper is in line with the arm. I'm going to tip this up so you can kind of see what I mean. So it's right in line with the arm and that allows the arm to pivot from the elbow as you're writing and you can see what you're doing. So if you're right handed it's going to be this way. Most teachers and parents put the paper this way for the kids and really it should be at an angle. So an easy way to help know the position for the paper is for the kids is to make them a little, a little mark it with some tape. So you put the paper in the right position, then you get some tape, any kind of tape, it can just be masking tape. I just happen to have some yellow electrical tape on my desk so I'm using that. So you're just going to give them a little place on their desk where they can see if you can see that where to put their paper and then they'll be in the perfect place every time. Another thing that you can do is to simply put the paper in the correct position and then tape it into place for them. And third solution is to use a clipboard. And I don't have it on this one but I like to put that non slip RV shelf paper on here that's sticky and bubbly. The same stuff that I was talking about putting on the chair. You can tape some on here so it doesn't slide around. And that's another way to hold the position, the paper position in place. I'm just seeing if there's any other things that I forgot to mention. Oh, the other thing that, especially with younger children, you need to teach them is that they need to use their other hand to hold the paper in place. So when they're writing, a lot of times the paper starts moving around and they don't realize that the other hand has a job to do. And that is to hold paper in place while they're writing. And that's it. Solutions to Paper Position if the paper is moving around or if it's not in a good position, it really affects how well you can read the writing. So, easy solution. Just make sure that the paper is in alignment with their arm, which means it's not straight, it's tilted. So if you're right handed, it's this way, and if you're left handed, it's this way. That's it. Aloha, mahalo.
