As teachers, we know that legible handwriting is essential for students. But, handwriting practice with sentences can be boring. Who wants to practice handwriting by writing the same sentence over and over and over again? Cue childhood memories of straining to read the sentence Bart is writing on the chalkboard in old Simpsons openings.

Yes, touchscreens and keyboards dominate a lot of our communication these days, but basic handwriting skills, especially during the elementary years are still essential. 

So, how can we make handwriting practice with sentences a little more fun while still being effective? Here are five ideas. And while my students and I enjoy them all, the last one is my easy-to-implement favorite! 

1. Pen Pal Programs

These take a bit of effort to set up, but they are worth it! Pen pal programs foster meaningful connections and authentic writing experiences. 

If you want to save on postage and time, rather than setting up a pen pal system across the country, set one up across the hall or with a different grade level. 

Pen pals write letters back and forth so it provides excellent, real-world handwriting practice. Just make sure to preview each pen pal letter before sending them off to their destination. Even the neatest penmanship can carry a mean or offensive message. 

2. Nature and Handwriting

If the weather is nice enough, take your students on a walk. Let them get out, stretch their legs, and notice the world around them. Encourage them to find something of particular interest to them – maybe a flower, a unique cloud, a leaf, or an animal track (we get bears, moose, and mountain lions behind our school and occasionally on the playground too 🤪). 

Either with clipboards outside or back in the classroom, ask students to write a sentence, a short paragraph, or a short story depending on their age and writing abilities about their object of interest or their experience.

Bonus – you can easily double this into a descriptive or narrative writing lesson too! 

3. Handwriting Relay

Mix handwriting practice with sentences and a little competition! 

Divide your students as evenly as possible into three or four teams. Place a desk for each team at the front of the classroom with writing paper. Write one sentence on the board that you’d like students to practice. 

When you say begin, one student from each team races to their team’s desk at the front of the room. They write the sentence from the board with the best penmanship they can muster. When they are done with their sentence, they show you their work. Any sloppy writing that doesn’t pass your inspection must be redone. Once all letters pass your approval, the student races back to their group, high-fives the next student, and the process repeats. Continue until all students have completed the sentence to your satisfaction. 

I recommend not stopping at 1st place, so all students get a turn. See who comes in second, third, and fourth. 

Keep the same teams or mix them up. Write another sentence on the board. Race again!

4. Handwritten Quotes

Use inspirational quotes or classroom rules as your base sentences for this activity. 

Students use their best handwriting to create a poster with their quotes or classroom rules. Once the letter formation is complete, students get to flex their creativity by decorating, designing, and illustrating the rest of the poster. 

Posters can be card-sized or a full sheet of paper, and they make great bulletin board displays! The handwritten quotes or classroom rules posters add a personalized touch and a bit of motivation for students. Plus, no one can say they didn’t know the rules of your classroom if they wrote the rules themselves. 

5. Handwriting Silly Sentences

Hands down, this is my favorite way to add some levity to handwriting practice with sentences. 

No one wants to copy a boring sentence from the board. Add a little humor to the sentences and kids light up! Plus, if you use alliteration in the sentences, you are sure to target specific letters your students need to work on.

You can make your own silly sentences, or you can grab a free sample right here: Free Silly Sentences Handwriting Practice.  

If you use the free sentences above, your students not only get to practice their penmanship but there is also an “Illustrate” area so students get to draw (and build fine motor skills while they’re at it) an illustration of the silly sentences.

The illustration area not only serves as a creative, fine motor skill-building outlet, but it also adds a layer of motivation. Who doesn’t want to see Andy’s alligator eating apples around an airplane? 

One of my favorite things about these handwriting practice pages is that they are quick and effective. You can pull them out for morning work or end-of-day work, for transitioning between subjects in the classroom, and for an easy transition back from recess to academics. 

Handwriting Practice with Sentences Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

Handwriting Practice can be tedious, but it doesn’t have to be. Adding a bit of creativity can make penmanship practice go from a monotonous task students complain about to a fun and effective activity students beg to do again and again. 

Let me know which ideas you’re going to try or have tried in your classroom.