How to Write Faster

My second-grader cannot write fast enough to copy material from the board. I don't think trying to write faster will improve her writing skills. Any suggestions? -- Slow Writer
Answer: Copying material from a distance can be a difficult task for young children. They have to look at the material, remember what it said, and then write it down. This is further complicated by remembering how to spell the words and even to form the letters. It will be even more difficult to do if the material is written in cursive and the children are just learning to write in cursive. In fact, distance copying can even be tricky for adults who aren't visual learners.
It's time to have a chat with the teacher to see what can be done to help your child with this task. Find out if it is a handwriting skill problem that needs remediation. If so, ask the teacher what can be done. Is more handwriting practice a good idea? Is help from an occupational therapist needed?
On the practical side, be sure to determine that this is a handwriting problem rather than a vision problem. Also, could the material be difficult for your child to see because of a glare on the board? Be sure to ask if the class could be given more time to copy the material before it is erased. More than likely, more than one child in this classroom is having problems with this task.