Dot-to-Dot. This is an especially useful technique for older kids who have learned all the wrong habits. Create a series of dots and number from where they start. Your kids need to follow the dots in order. Start with lots of dots and as your child gets more practice, remove dots.
Glittery Letters. Review their name multiple days in a row. Using a stiff piece of paper or cardboard, write their names. Your child traces letters of their name with glue. Cover the glue with glitter. When it has dried you can trace the letters with your fingers.
Scramble and Unscramble the Letters. One of the precursors to writing their name is recognizing it – and deciphering the order of the letters in their name. Practice putting letters in order from left to right with this fun name activity.
Gel Bags. These are brilliant. Fill a giant zip-lock bag with about half a bottle of hair gel and some food coloring. To use, write their name on a page. Lay the gel bag over the paper. Your kids trace the letters to make their name.
Sandpaper letters. Kids love sensory experiences. This one helps your kids recognize that letters need to be formed in a particular order. Write their name on sandpaper. Your child needs to use yarn to form the letters of their name.
Chalk-Board Swabs. If you have a chalk board this is super handy and fun! Write their name on the board with chalk. Give your kids a handful of cotton swabs and a cup full of water. Your kids need to erase the letters using the swabs.
Rainbow letters. Give your child a handful of crayons. They get to trace their name over and over again. Each time using a different crayon. You will be surprised at how fast your kids will become experts at writing letters with this technique.
Highlighter Letters. Write the letters of their name with thick lines using a bright highlighter marker. Your kids trace the letters – their goal is to stay inside the “line” of the highlighter markings. As they become a more confident writer, make the letters thinner and smaller.
Street letters. Form the letters of their name in tape on the floor. Grab the bin of cars. Your kids get to drive around the letters of their name. Encourage them to move their vehicles along the roads the way they would write the letters.
Play Dough Etching. Each your child’s name into play dough using a pencil. Your child can trace the lines. Then roll it flat and trace their name very softly. Your kids need to etch their name deeply following the lines you made. The tension of the dough will help develop the muscle motor control needed to write.