Handwriting is the style of writing. As the computer uses different fonts for displaying text, similarly each and every person has a different style of writing. Handwriting can be simply described as writing with one’s own hands. The style of writing is unique for every person. Even the twins who share the same appearance and genes have different handwriting. A person may be able to copy someone’s handwriting but it will never be a perfect copy. No one can become fluent in writing in someone else’s style. The characteristics of handwriting include:
- Shape and formation of letters
- The spacing between letters and words
- Slant or slope of letters
- Pressure applied on the paper while writing
- The average size of the letters
- Thickness of letters
These are also the characteristics which define good and bad handwriting. The handwriting in which the letters are properly formed and spaced, size and thickness of letters is proper and it can be read by anyone without much effort, this type of handwriting can be classified as good handwriting. On the other hand, the bad handwriting needs a lot of effort to be understood. In a bad handwriting, the letters are not properly formed or shaped.
Importance of Good Handwriting
It is very important for everyone to have a good handwriting whether the person is a child or an adult. Handwriting is the most basic tool used for taking notes, doing homework, taking tests, doing classwork and for many other tasks. Therefore handwriting is a very essential skill.
- Helps in Brain Development: Writing improves understanding. A good handwriting can beautify the whole text material. The material which is beautiful enough pleases our eyes and brain. Obviously, we will understand and remember things which we find beautiful. If we consider the younger children which have just started to learn the basics of reading and writing even they are taught to write beautifully. The teachers who teach them also have to write in a good handwriting. This is so because when the children see the text written in good handwriting they understand the formation of letters and how they are shaped. They understand the correct way of shaping the letters. Moreover, the children try to copy the handwriting of the teacher. When they do this, they are indirectly improving their handwriting. Therefore, we can say that a beautiful handwriting can make the students interested in studies which indirectly develop their brain.
- A Good Handwriting attracts Good Marks: As already stated above, good handwriting beautifies the text. This fact plays a very important while taking a subjective test. When we give a subjective test, the teacher has to go through all the answers written by us thoroughly. This is a very difficult task for the teacher. The teacher will give good marks to those students whose answers will impress the teacher. In such a situation good handwriting plays a very important role. The answers written in a good handwriting automatically impress the teacher. A neat and clean paper with minimum cuttings will get more marks than the others. On the other hand, an answer written in bad handwriting will be the reason for fewer marks. Bad handwriting is difficult to understand. In this case, the teacher will not get to know what the student is trying to say through his answers. Maybe, the teacher will interpret the answer wrong due to the absence of neatness or improper formation of words. Therefore, if a student wants good handwriting he must work on his handwriting.
- Improves writing Skills: When a person has a good handwriting, he will enjoy writing. Whenever a person writes in a good handwriting, he enjoys writing. Whenever he sees his beautifully written and neat handwriting he becomes more motivated to write more. The person wants to decorate more pages with his handwriting. In this way, when a person is writing an essay, article or a story, he tends to write more. In this way, his writing skills are improved. His capability of writing in terms of length of the text increases to a great extent.
- Boosts Confidence: Handwriting may become the criteria for evaluating performance in many cases. The person with good handwriting achieves more. He becomes more confident in his work. Therefore, we can say that sometimes good handwriting may become the key to success.
- Helps in Personality Development: It has been scientifically proven that the people with good handwriting have a better personality. They can accurately judge people. They have a positive approach towards life. They also have a bigger ambition.
- Help in getting a Good Job: There are many companies which take written tests before conducting a personal interview. The companies hire handwriting analysts. These expert people have the ability to judge the person from their handwriting. They guess the qualities of the person just by looking at their handwriting and how they form their words or the neatness in their text. In this case, the person with a good handwriting is definitely at an advantage.
How to Improve Handwriting?
Due to such importance of good handwriting, everyone should try to improve their handwriting. Improving your handwriting is not a difficult task. It just needs time and practice. Here are some tips which will help you to improve your handwriting.
- Choose right Material: Investing in the right kind of stationery is very important for improving your handwriting. Before purchasing any kind of writing materials, keep this in mind that anything which comforts someone else may not comfort you. Everyone has a different style of writing so you should bring the writing material which suits your style. It is a very common saying that if you want to improve your handwriting you should try a fountain pen for writing. But this is not true. A fountain pen is not suitable for everyone neither it improves everyone’s handwriting. Consider that you write very fast, in this case, fountain pen will not suit you because if you write too fast it will eventually spoil the pen’s nib. In this case, go for a gel pen. Note that ball pen may spoil your handwriting because while using a ball pen, you will lack in fluency. If you are beginner then you should use a pencil instead of a pen because pencil gives you thin lines and a fluent writing. Tri-sided pencils are a good choice for improving handwriting as they are comfortable to hold. Paper or notebooks should also be chosen carefully. If you apply too much pressure while writing on the paper then avoid using thin papers which will tear of easily.
- Stretch your Hands: Before starting writing get your hand’s muscle in working condition. A tired hand cannot write a good handwriting. This is similar to the fact that when we do any work when we are tired, it will be less than our potential because our body is not fully helping us to do the work. The same goes for writing. So we should stretch our hands or roll our fingers before starting writing. This should especially be done when you are writing for a long time. When you write after a long time your hands lose their form and fluency needed for a beautiful handwriting. The speed of writing also gets decreased. So before starting writing, always stretch your hands.
- Sit Properly: When writing, develop a good posture. Sit up straight. Place the hand which you are not using for writing on the notebook or paper. This will give you a balancing effect. Your handwriting will automatically turn out to be good if you sit this way while writing. Remember, writing while lying down on the bed is not at all right. This is not the correct posture for writing. You can yourself see the difference in your handwriting when you write while sitting and while lying on the bed. the A table and chair is necessary for a good handwriting.
- Hold the Pen Properly: Choose a pen which will give you a nice grip for holding. Hold the pen with your thumb and index finger and the middle finger such that the pen rests on the ring finger. This will provide you with the maximum grip on the pen. But this is not necessary that everyone will feel comfortable while holding the pen in this way. If you do not feel comfortable in holding the pen like this than choosing your own style for holding the pen, the style which will give you the maximum grip. Do not hold the pen too tightly, otherwise, your fingers will pain.
- Manage your Speed: When you are writing you are not participating in a race. There is no need of writing very fast. When you write fast, the formation or shape of the letters is affected. The letters are not formed in a neat and clean way. The round letters may become sharp and the sharp letters may become round. This directly affects the readability of the text. So try to write slowly. Devote your full concentration on the shape of letters. Shape them to look beautiful and understandable. Try to put equal spacing between the letters and words make the length and width of the letter equal to give them a neat look.
- Practice Hard: Practice makes a man perfect. So practice, practice and practice. The more you practice the perfect you get. While practising follows all the points mentioned above. Remember that you cannot improve your handwriting in one day. It will take time but you have to practice constantly.
Conclusion
A person’s handwriting plays a very important role in his life. For a student, a good handwriting can fetch him god marks. For an adult, it can give him a great success. Good handwriting can also make a person an artist. The person may become a calligrapher or a writer. Some people are gifted by the god a good handwriting. But those people who are not god gifted should not lose hope. They can try to improve their handwriting by using the tips mentioned above. Constant practice will definitely help you in improving your handwriting.
