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Handwriting and Fine Motor Skills in Children
Trouble with handwriting and fine motor skills is one of the most common things parents mention to me. A child who is bright and has plenty to say can still find it exhausting to get words onto the page, and that can be frustrating for everyone. You might notice messy or slow handwriting, difficulty holding a pencil, poor letter formation or a child avoiding drawing, colouring and other tasks requiring precise hand movements.
Handwriting relies on much more than the fingers. It involves postural control, core stability, shoulder strength, hand-eye coordination and the brain’s ability to plan and coordinate movements. Primitive reflex patterns can also be worth exploring as part of a broader developmental assessment. Through my work, I look beyond the pencil grip to understand the underlying skills that may be making writing difficult and use targeted movement-based activities to support more efficient, comfortable and confident participation.
Does your child find handwriting exhausting or struggle with fine motor tasks?
Let’s explore the foundations that support writing and identify ways to help your child thrive. Get in touch to book an appointment.
Primitive Reflex Integration Practitioner · Brain Gym® Consultant · Qualified primary school teacher · Mum of three
I’m Michele, a Primitive Reflex Integration Practitioner and Brain Gym® Consultant in Perth. I am also a qualified primary school teacher, and I taught for 15 years before moving into this work. This page explains what can sit underneath handwriting and fine motor difficulties, and what helps.
What are fine motor skills?
Fine motor skills are the small, controlled movements of the hands and fingers: holding a pencil, using scissors, doing up buttons, using cutlery. They depend on a lot that happens further up the body, including posture, shoulder stability and how well the eyes and hands work together.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
What it can look like at home and at school
Messy handwriting, or letters that vary a lot in size
A very tight or awkward pencil grip, and hands that tire quickly
Avoiding drawing, colouring or writing tasks
Slumping at the desk, or propping the head up on a hand
Trouble with buttons, zips, shoelaces or cutlery
Sloppy and messy eating
Why some children find it hard
There can be many reasons, and often more than one. In my work I often see fine motor and handwriting difficulties alongside retained primitive reflexes. Two come up most often:
Palmar reflex: the grasp reflex. Retained, it can affect fine motor skills and pencil grip. As children grow, they need to develop the ability to open and close their hands independently, isolate finger movements and coordinate their hands for everyday tasks.
ATNR (asymmetrical tonic neck reflex): turning the head moves the arm on that side. Retained, it can make handwriting, reading and crossing the midline harder.
Posture matters too. A child who finds it hard to sit upright at a desk, or who prefers W sitting on the floor, is using a lot of effort just to stay stable, which leaves less for the hands.
- Fine motor activities that build hand strength: playdough, pegs, tongs, threading and building blocks
- Big movements before small ones: crawling games, animal walks and climbing build the shoulder and core stability the hands rely on
- Drawing on a vertical surface like a whiteboard, easel or window
- Lying on the tummy to read or draw
- Keep writing practice short and positive. More of the same practice rarely helps if the body is finding it hard
When messy handwriting is worth getting checked
If handwriting is holding your child back at school or causing real upset, talk to their teacher, and check in with your GP or paediatrician if you have concerns about their development. An assessment with me can show whether retained reflexes are part of the picture. My work is movement based and sits alongside other support, not instead of it.
WORKING WITH ME
How I can help
In an initial appointment I assess which primitive reflexes are still active, along with brain and body organisation and side dominance. We then work through simple, playful movements in weekly sessions, with “home play” in between. You can see the full process and prices on my services page.
Positive results are usually seen after 5 or 6 weeks, and sooner when the home play is done regularly.
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Related challenges
Dyspraxia: A child with dyspraxia is often bright and capable, but everyday tasks like getting dressed, handwriting, riding a bike or catching a ball can take far more effort than they do for other children. They may know exactly what they want to do, but struggle to get their body to do it efficiently.
Coordination, balance and clumsiness: These challenges are not laziness or a lack of trying. Often, a child’s body is working much harder than it looks, making everyday activities more tiring and frustrating than they should be.
Hand-eye coordination: Hand-eye coordination is how well the eyes and hands work together. The eyes take in information about where something is, and the brain uses that information to guide the hands.
WHAT PARENTS SAY
Rated 5.0 by the families I work with
★★★★★ 5.0 from 3 Google reviews
“We visited Michele for our 4yo little girl who struggled to stay on task, sit still, lacked coordination and struggled with separation. … By week 3 we had visitors comment on the changes to our household. By week 12 we had a completely different little girl, shes relaxed. She still has her beautiful spark, amazing imagination and sense of humour, life is just slower now.”
SARAH ANDERSON · GOOGLE
“From the very first session, she created such a calm, supportive, and understanding space … The strategies and tools we’ve learned have made a real impact on his ability to regulate, connect, and thrive both at home and school.”
NATASHA WEIR · GOOGLE
“Michele identified some unintegrated reflexes and gave us some simple, easy to do at home exercises … From the first session we saw less reactivity; and from consistently doing the exercises at home my daughter can now remain calm in situations that would previously have caused a lot of distress.”
ANALISE MONGAN · GOOGLE
QUESTIONS
Common questions
Will more handwriting practice fix it?
Practice helps when the body is ready for it. If posture, hand strength or a retained reflex is making writing hard work, it usually helps more to work on those first.
What helps a tight or awkward pencil grip?
A pencil grip depends on more than the fingers. Hand strength, posture and shoulder stability all play a part, and in my work I often see a retained palmar reflex, the grasp reflex, alongside a tight grip. Play that builds hand strength, drawing on a vertical surface and lying on the tummy to draw can all help, and an assessment can show whether a retained reflex is part of the picture.
Can my child see you alongside other professionals?
Yes. My work is movement based and looks at the whole brain and body connection, and many families see me alongside other professionals.
What age do you work with?
Children from 2.5 to 15 years, and preventative exercises for babies from birth up to 2.5 years.
Do you only see children in Perth?
I see children face to face in my home office in Perth, which creates a safe and comfortable environment, and I also offer online appointments.
Not sure where to start?
You are welcome to get in touch for a free phone chat about what you are noticing in your child.