Hi. I am a kindergarten teacher and it sounds like your children are writing their letters correctly. At our school we teach our students that when they write a letter a, d, o ect.. to write the circle part of the letter from right to left. We teach the D'nealian form of handwriting, also called modern manuscript. This will help the students make an easy transition into cursive writing later on. Hope this helps! Also, feel free to ask the teacher how she is teaching them to write their letters so you can reinforce it at home! Have a great day!

oops - kteacher, I stated it wrong in my first message. They start the circle at the top, then go to the right first, and come up on the left. All the printing charts that show arrows for the strokes show starting on the right side, going to the left up and over, and coming up on the right side. That's also how I learned to write (granted, that was a million years ago). They are going backwards.

I'm no expert, but I will tell you my experience. My son, now 12, starting as soon as he first put a crayon in his hand, held the crayon, or pencil so that it was directed with his ring finger rather than his middle finger. He holds forks and spoons the same way. But no matter how many times I showed him the correct way, it would never last longer than a stroke or two. (or a mouthful) I just let it go, figuring that he would figure it out on his own. Later, his kindergarten teacher agreed that he would outgrow it.

Then around 2nd grade, he started making his circle and semi-circle letters starting at about 5 o'clock and moving left, up and around. a, o, c, d, p, every letter with a loop is started this way. S is started at the "end" and swooped up to the top. Same with z's. For n's and m's he makes the curve and then adds the straight line to the front of the letter. I talked to his teachers about it and they all told me that I should let him find his own way and not force it. "the important thing is that he is writing, not how he does it."

Well, I wish I would not have listened to those teachers. His handwriting is horrible. And, becuase he is doing it half-backwards he is very slow at writing. Since it takes so long writing assignments become fustrating to him.

Now, he is an A-B student, active in sports and choir, so I can't say that his writing style has hurt him, but I think it certainly doesn't help. If I had it to do over again, I would have practiced the proper grip and movement with him instead of listening to the teachers.

Now we concentrate on typing. Since most written work is now done on computers, I figure I owe it to him to see that he graduates high school knowing how to type.

Kay.