4 tips for improving handwriting in the Junior and Leaving cert

RTÉ News​

26-05-2025

Analysis: At this point in the academic year there is little that can be done to improve your speed, but there are quick ways to increase legibility
It is that time of year again when approximately 120,000 students will sit the Irish Leaving and Junior Certificate examinations. Like in many countries, students in Ireland continue to write their State examinations by hand despite the huge surge in technology. This is not a bad thing as there are many benefits to writing by hand including better recall and learning.
However up to 15% of students (12,000-15,000) heading into their exams will have a handwriting difficulty of some sort characterised by either reduced writing speed, poor legibility or both. Some children may present with handwriting difficulties due to a developmental disorder such as Developmental Coordination Disorder/'dyspraxia, dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorder, ADHD or Autism. Other children may find it challenging due to environmental factors such as lack of practice or explicit teaching of the skill.
Handwriting speed (or typing in the case of keyboarding) is crucial to writing performance. We know from research that the number of words a person can handwrite or type per minute predicts not only how much they will write in a free writing task (such as an exam) but how good that piece of text will be ie grammar, punctuation, spelling, idea development and cohesion. This is because when handwriting or typing is laboured, the individual must divert valuable cognitive resources away from generating content and toward the mechanics of writing—such as forming letters or locating keys.
From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Novelist Ally Bunbury reacts to new research which shows that handwriting may boost brain connections more than typing does
For most people handwriting begins to become speedy from eight to nine years of age at which point they can start to devote cognitive resources to higher-level processes of writing such as planning, generating and reviewing text. They will no longer need to focus on producing letters on the page as this process should now be automatic. However for children who have not yet developed handwriting speed this can impact on overall productivity and the quality of their written communication.
At this point in the academic year there is little that can be done to improve handwriting speed as it takes time to rectify and develop. However there are quick wins for increasing the legibility of writing which just as important as speed though for a very different reason – to ensure the exam text is readable.
Unlike handwriting speed, legibility does not develop in a linear way and does not increase with age or experience. Many of us will have our own unique style despite being taught (or not) to form letters in a particular way. Handwriting legibility is important for examinations in particular due a phenomenon known as legibility bias where text that is easier to read may yield a more positive evaluation.
While examiners are very experienced with navigating text that is difficult to read there are some strategies that can be implemented by students to make their text more readable in time for the June exams.
Spacing: Letters and/or words that sit too closely together or overlap can be difficult to read. To improve this, take a look at something you've written recently. Are your letters crammed together, overlapping, or stacked on top of each other? If spacing is an issue, come up with your own simple reminder to leave space as you write. When a strategy is your own, you're much more likely to remember it and use it.
Size: Letter size can also play a key role in how readable your handwriting is—especially when letters are too small. Letters fall into different categories: tall ascenders like l, f, t, h, b, d; descenders that go below the line like p, g, y, q; and mid-height letters like r, n, m, o, w, z. The key is to avoid writing so small that letters become hard to distinguish. For instance, if letters like a, d, or e are too tiny, they can lose their inner spaces and start to look like l or i.
Tip: If your writing is very small try to generate a strategy to remind yourself to write larger letters as it allows for all gaps to be visible in letters that require them.
Sitting: Letters that sit properly on the line are much easier to read. This is because consist ent alignment gives handwriting a cleaner, more structured appearance. When combined with good spacing and appropriate letter size, consistent placement helps the reader follow the text more easily.
Tip: Make sure your letters sit as close to the line as possible. Avoid "floating" letters, as they disrupt consistency and reduce overall readability.
Alterations: Another key issue that affects legibility is the addition of extra strokes to letters or words. In exam situations, students often try to correct mistakes by writing over letters or adding to them, which can make the text harder to read. Instead, it is more effective to simply cross out the incorrect word, place it in brackets, then rewrite it clearly. This will keep the text cleaner and more readable for the examiner.
Letter formation plays a crucial role in handwriting, but—much like developing speed—it isn't something that can be fixed overnight. However, frequent and explicit teaching of handwriting in the classroom can lead to better outcomes.
Good Practice for Handwriting resource by the National Handwriting Association.