Making the Kinesthetic Connection to Language
Squiggle Squad Handwriting is an innovative handwriting curriculum designed to help young children learn letter and number formation through explicit, developmentally appropriate instruction.
We believe handwriting is more than a fine motor activity. It is a foundational transcription skill that supports early literacy, language development, spelling, writing fluency, and classroom confidence. When children learn how to form letters and numbers efficiently, they are better prepared to use handwriting as a tool for learning.
Today’s students are often asked to write before their bodies and brains are fully ready for the complex task of written language. Teachers are expected to support handwriting, writing, and literacy development, often without a clear instructional roadmap. Squiggle Squad was created to bridge that gap.
Our handwriting program teaches the movement patterns children need before expecting them to master letters and numbers. Once introduced, children practice with their animal friends to develop automatic, legible letter formation. Through engaging characters, clear verbal cues, hands-on activities, posters, playful booklets, and other teacher-friendly resources, Squiggle Squad helps children build the motor and cognitive foundations needed for legible, fluent handwriting.
Designed for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary classrooms, Squiggle Squad gives teachers a practical, research-informed way to include handwriting instruction within their broader ELA program. Our goal is simple: to help children move from learning how to handwrite to using handwriting confidently as they learn.
Laying the Foundation for Handwriting Success
Squiggle Squad helps children develop:
Basic stroke patterns so letter formation becomes automatic
Efficient letter and number formation so writing feels easier and more fluent
Proper pencil grip and posture so writing is comfortable, healthy, and sustainable
Developmentally appropriate skills and expectations so children experience progress and success
A playful, engaging learning process so handwriting feels purposeful, rewarding, and fun
The Story Behind Squiggle Squad Handwriting
During my years teaching writing to middle school and elementary students, I noticed something that stayed with me: many students had wonderful ideas, creative stories, and thoughtful things to say, but they struggled to get those ideas onto paper.
I began using narration exercises, asking students to speak their thoughts aloud while I wrote their words for them. Again and again, I discovered that many students had ready-to-write imaginations, but they did not yet have the skills to fully express those ideas in writing. Some needed help forming complete sentences. Some needed help organizing their thoughts. But what puzzled me most was how many students struggled with the physical act of writing itself.
I wanted to understand where the breakdown was happening. Over time, I found that many students’ struggles with handwriting began very early — often in kindergarten or before. These difficulties were easy to miss and rarely addressed directly. My time in kindergarten classrooms confirmed what I had begun to suspect: handwriting instruction often takes a back seat to other academic priorities, leaving many children to figure out letter and number formation with very little explicit guidance.
It became clear to me that when handwriting is not natural, efficient, and comfortable, higher-level writing can become exhausting for both students and teachers. Squiggle Squad was created to remove that barrier by giving young children the foundational handwriting instruction they need before writing becomes frustrating.
— Holly on Handwriting
The Program’s Creator
The Squiggle Squad’s program designer, Holly Britton, M.Ed., is a curriculum and instruction specialist with teaching experience in all grades K-8. She is an author and conference speaker and a former home educator of four now-adult children. Holly brings over 26 years of private and public educational experience, formal and continuing studies to this program. Holly relishes time with her friends and family including her horse, Shasta.
Read more about Holly’s thoughts on handwriting as it relates to writing literacy and life on her blog here and at HollyOnHandwriting on Substack.
The Program’s CoFounder
Ellie Fiore holds a design degree from the University of California, Davis where she focused on graphic and sustainable design. She has contributed to the design and function of Squiggle Squad Handwriting since its founding in 2020. In her free time she loves riding her horse, Duke, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
