The Language of Handwriting

The importance of directional language in handwriting is becoming more apparent with more research being done on how it positively benefits the child. This method uses terms like "up," "down," "around," "left," and "right" to describe pen movements, guiding stroke order and letter formation. 

According to Dr. Angela Webb’s research (a Child Psychologist who specialises in the needs of children with motor coordination difficulties), using spatial and directional language, has been found to increase the child’s understanding of written text as well as helping to direct vital motor activity.

Nexus Learn Play are a leading international supplier of products for schools where children learn through play.  They have partnered with renowned Dr Angela Webb to design “Pegs to Paper” to assist this process. The basic principles of handwriting are addressed with “Pegs to Paper” and the exercise can simply be broken down as follows:

Listen: The teacher instructs using positional language
Do: The child produces the pattern onto a peg board
Say: The child describes what they have done using language
Draw: The pattern is then transferred onto paper using pens

This exercise focuses on strengthening the skills which underpin reading and writing using a simple yet effective method. This combination of physical and cognitive approaches to learning, using spatial and directional language, has been found to increase the child’s understanding of written text as well as helping to direct vital motor activity. Because all the patterns are copied onto paper, the child experiences a direct link between actively forming the lines, shapes and patterns on the pegboard and reproducing them as marks on the page. Most importantly, the exercises are fun and engaging!

Using consistent verbal instructions avoids confusion and helps to assist writing fluency. Students can associate with consistent verbal pathways such as “down and around” for c or “down, up, over” for R. Other Examples are: 

“Make a line of five red pegs going down the left of the pegboard from top to bottom”.

“We call this kind of line which is going from corner to corner a diagonal line. Make this diagonal line starting from the top left and ending at the bottom right.”

Nexus Pegs to Paper offer a range of options from beginner to advanced, the following resources are available on our website.  

 

Introducing Pegs to Paper: SEN Exercises for Handwriting - the ultimate resource for developing and evaluating the essential skills children need for speech, reading, and writing – featuring the unique ‘Grippy Peg’ for establishing an ergonomic handwriting grasp.

Introducing Pegs to Paper: Early Years Exercises for Handwriting - the ultimate resource for developing and evaluating the essential skills children need for speech, reading, and writing – featuring the unique ‘Grippy Peg’ for establishing an ergonomic handwriting grasp.

Pegs to Paper: Pattern Pursuit – Nexus - For young children, it’s a colourful, hands-on way to develop pattern recognition, spatial awareness, and fine motor skills.  The set includes: 4 Linking Pegboards, 1 Giant Pegboard, 2 Sets of 5 Pots and 50 Pegs (in 10 colours) and 1 Instructions and Work Cards Folder

The use of directional and spatial language in handwriting is far more than a teaching aid-it’s a bridge between thought, movement, and written expression. Through engaging, hands-on activities like Pegs to Paper, children not only learn to control their fine motor movements but also develop the cognitive understanding that underpins fluent writing and reading. By combining listening, doing, speaking, and drawing, this approach connects language and motor skills in a way that is both structured and enjoyable. With tools designed in partnership with experts like Dr. Angela Webb, Pegs to Paper empowers the tutor to create meaningful, multi-sensory learning experiences that make handwriting a confident, coordinated, and creative skill for every child.