before and after handwriting

Testimonials

I would not hesitate to recommend Elaine. She is a fantastic tutor and has made such a difference to our 8YO son whose confidence was low and was really struggling with his handwriting (he found it hard to write correctly and it was not easy to read his handwriting). Elaine has a lovely warm and friendly manner. The children adore her and look forward to her classes each week. She is very encouraging and empowers the children to believe that they can do it. This was so important for my son who did not believe that he could improve but, by the end of the course, he was so proud of his progress with his handwriting- he even won an award at his primary school for improvements in his handwriting. Now he is confident, he is able to form his letters correctly and write without discomfort. I am so glad we invested in this tuition. Thank you so much Elaine!

Sarah, son aged 8

We decided to send our son to Elaine after I noticed that his handwriting (at aged 6) was of a similar standard to our 4 year olds. Elaine has transformed our son’s handwriting, and he now has beautiful joined up writing! Being left-handed, Elaine taught him some invaluable skills that we instigated in his classroom at school. What is so special about Elaine is her wonderful way with children and her ability to motivate them each week. They leave the lesson each week, happy confident and with a sense of achievement.

“I will miss you a lot Elaine, and hearing your lovely warm Scottish accent.” ~ from Phoenix.

My son has always struggled with hand writing but at the start of year 3 he was starting to get behind and was very upset about it. Not helped by his hyper mobility, it was often scrawl like and illegible. We came to Elaine for help and the transformation was quite incredible. His writing is now perfectly uniform, clear and the technique is second nature. We are totally delighted with the writing results but also Elaine is so wonderfully warm and encouraging that his confidence soared. It was a worthy investment.

Elisa, mother

Elaine has worked wonders on our son's handwriting, it has been truly transformed. She has been such a wonderful positive and supportive tutor and has helped boost his confidence as well as his ability in handwriting. I recommend her most highly.

Maria, mother

Before coming to Elaine my 8 yr old son’s handwriting was difficult to read and he was often told he wasn’t writing enough in tasks at school - perhaps because of his difficulties with pencil grip.

The progress he has made with Elaine is miraculous! More importantly he’s now proud of his writing and is actively choosing to do his own creative writing at home.

He always looked forward to his sessions with Elaine. She has an amazing ability to make lessons fun, and evidently understands and caters to the individual needs and learning styles of each child. Her enthusiasm and energy are remarkable. I can’t recommend her highly enough.

Blythe , mother

We are so happy with the progress our son has made with his writing thanks to your tutoring. When he came to you, he wasn’t forming letters properly and was barely readable.After 12 lessons, Liam’s writing is so beautiful and he is very proud of achieving that. You taught him how to sit and hold his pencil properly, which is key, and patiently worked with him weekly. I liked to see how warm you were with him, while remaining firm on the work. Stickers helped him stay motivated as well as how encouraging you were.Homework, which was 5 minutes a day of practice, was enough to keep him on track and correct mistakes.

Claire, mother

We wish we had found Elaine earlier. Our 10-year-old son was struggling to keep up with his written work, suffering with cramp in his hand (due to an awkward pen grip) and ‘spider-like’ writing. The school hadn’t raised any concerns and it was only by chance that we found out there was an issue. Within 10 weeks his writing was transformed! His writing is now neat and legible and he’s no longer rushing trying to keep up, which gives him more time to think about his spelling as he writes. The results have been excellent and it’s a pleasure to see him taking pride in the way his writing now looks. Thank you Elaine! Phil, father

Ollie has always been a reluctant writer with illegible handwriting but it has become more of an issue as he has moved into secondary school. I was worried that, being that bit older, Ollie would not take to handwriting lessons but Elaine has been amazing and has engaged with him from the start. She spent a lot of time working on his pen grip which was really useful and formed an excellent basis for ensuring good letter formation. Throughout, Elaine was able to clearly explain to him the importance of handwriting for taking notes and exams - which has helped immensely to motivate him. His handwriting is massively improved but is still a work in progress – it will be up to him to transfer what he has learned to his school work, but I am confident he can. Elaine has been fabulous and I highly recommend her handwriting classes. I only wish I had found her earlier!

Kath, mother

Handwriting tutoring with you was the best thing we could do at the time, as Liam now feels confident about his writing and happily writes when required . It has also remove the stress of our shoulders, as practicing at home with parents is not always easy.

I have recommended you to other parents who are very pleased too.

Thank you for your time with my daughter. Your kind and enthusiastic approach has enabled her to make a significant improvement with her handwriting. By identifying and focusing on her areas for development, your sessions led to an immediate, as well as ongoing, improvement in her handwriting. It has been lovely to see her grow in confidence and take pride in the handwriting she is producing. Thank you!

mother, daughter Year 6

Elaine is a miracle worker! My nine year old son's handwriting wasn't good, and barely legible when he was rushing. Unbeknownst to us, he was holding his pencil completely wrong, which unfortunately hadn't been picked up at school. Elaine has been kind and endlessly patient with him, and he is now proud to show off his written work. She has even made my six year old son excited to start doing joined up handwriting! I would highly recommend Elaine - thank you so much.

Lucy, mother

My 10 year old son had very spidery, almost illegible handwriting at the beginning of September. I contacted Elaine and asked if she could help and by golly has she! We're now just at the beginning of December and Oliver's handwriting has changed beyond all recognition. His letters are now beautifully formed, his joined up writing flows wonderfully and most importantly he takes pride in his work - so much so, that he won his school's Pride award for his handwriting last week. Elaine, you are a miracle worker - I cannot thank you enough.

Tracy, mother

We found Elaine after we were concerned about our Year 2 son’s handwriting which he found particularly difficult due to dyspraxia. When we first met Elaine, the letter formation was practically non-existent due to the difficulty that he had with fine motor skills.

Elaine has encouraged our son throughout his sessions with her and given him the confidence and tools that he needed to be able to break through this barrier. Taking each letter one by one before moving to joined words and later sentences; Elaine did not stop with our son until he could confidently achieve what he was capable of.

To say that Elaine has transformed our son's education is an understatement. From not being able to write anything legibly to now writing in full joined up sentences which we can all easily read is nothing short of amazing. I would not hesitate to recommend Elaine to anyone who finds difficulty with their handwriting. The dedication and support that Elaine shows towards her pupils is wonderful to witness and we can never thank her enough for what she has done for him.

Jo, mother

Max has experienced handwriting difficulties since he was six, and for four years we have tried countless different approaches and numerous expensive pens. It was getting to the point where Max's school marks were suffering; he was writing so little because the awkward grip hurt his hand. We have been so impressed by Elaine's calm and encouraging approach, taking time to explain to Max the breakdown of each letter, and the the importance of the lined paper etc. In just 4 weeks Max's handwriting has been transformed. When Max returned home after his fourth lesson, I felt close to tears! Max has already received praise at school, and I have been contacted by his teachers asking for Elaine's contact details. We cannot thank-you enough.

Helen, mother

My son attended handwriting lessons with Elaine as, being in Year 6, we only had a short time to try iron out his cramped and untidy handwriting before the start of secondary school. Elaine was amazing with him! He looked forward to his sessions and found the experience so positive. Elaine was so encouraging and supportive and we saw a huge difference in his handwriting quite

quickly. Thank you Elaine so much! He now feels more confident in his writing abilities and he’s also had positive feedback from his teacher.

Claire. mother

Thank you so much for your kindness and support during each of our visits Elaine. We both treasure the time spent with you during these sessions. Your energy and desire to help were both invaluable to us. Matthieu can now hopefully start his new school year more confident with his much improved handwriting. We wish you all the very best. Warm wishes

Stephanie, mother / Matthieu, son aged 13

I am totally amazed at how much progress Matteo has made. You really made the lessons so enjoyable for him. I read him your email and he was so pleased. I will try to remember to remind him of the points you raised. I would love to write a testimonial. Elaine was wonderful with my son. His handwriting is actually legible now! The improvement has been amazing. Elaine made the lessons enjoyable and fun. I would thoroughly recommend her to any parent whose child is struggling with writing.

Sarah, mother

I sought Elaine’s help after the first lockdown highlighted the difficulty my then-7 year old, left-handed, son was having with any task involving writing. The resistance was fierce, and the output was minimal and difficult to read. As a right-hander myself, I wasn’t sure how best to support him. He was with Elaine for 6 weeks, and was eager to attend every week - which in itself was a miracle, frankly, given the resistance I’d always experienced to any writing task. He was compliant with all the practice set, and keen to show it to Elaine each week - she clearly has the magic touch. He sped through the course, as a result of his motivation, and was absolutely devastated when it came to finish. He still talks wistfully about Elaine now, 3 months later! And his school teacher has commented on the improvement in his handwriting. He is much less averse to any writing task, and he himself is very pleased with the improvement he can see. I would recommend Elaine to anyone without hesitation.

Genevieve, mother

We found Elaine through a Google search - Possibly the best Google search ever!

On commencement of evening classes with Elaine our sons writing was virtually unreadable which was undoubtedly affecting his grades in school. After just a couple of lessons there was significant improvement in letter formation/size etc. After around 10 classes he had made such a huge step forward he was able to go it alone .... it is now legible which was the sole aim of sending him to see Elaine.

We and our son are very grateful for what you have done to improve what is potentially a life changing skill.

Thank you.

Simon , father

Elaine was wonderful with my son (aged 8). His handwriting is actually legible now! The improvement has been amazing. Elaine made the lessons enjoyable and fun. I would thoroughly recommend her to any parent whose child is struggling with writing. Thank you so very much.

Sara, mother

Elaine has worked wonders with my 9 year old son.
We was barely able to read writing. He was behind at school, stressed when he had to hold a pencil. However Elaine has taught him to enjoy writing and made it seem so easy for him. He enjoyed going to his lessons and always had a smile on his face.
We can now read his beautiful handwriting easily and he actually wants to write.
Thank you Elaine

Katie, mother

Wow what a transformation! We were so worried about our daughter’s handwriting Whilst it was good that we recognised her writing ability was out of sync with her reading and comprehension, we didn’t have the skills to make the change. And then one sunny day we found Elaine! Even she acknowledged that Ruby’s writing was the most “spicy” she had seen.....! We immediately saw the difference although the homework started out as a battle. Once we moved on to joined up writing and then moved to in person lessons the improvements in ability and attitude to writing really changed. Ruby always loved telling stories and how she really loves writing them! She is so proud of her writing and we are so proud of her. Elaine was patient, encouraging and firm as needed. She was a real joy to work with and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone else - in fact I already have!

Elaine, mother

Noah started taking lessons with Elaine – having gone through the home learning with him, we noticed quite quickly that his handwriting could be very tricky to read and it concerned us that this would become a problem as he progressed through school. We contacted Elaine and after an initial chat, Noah began - Elaine took the time and effort to show Noah how each of the letters are formed, how best to set himself up for writing and what he should be looking out for as he forms his letters. It was incredible to see his writing transform over the weeks. He absolutely loved the lessons with Elaine, especially when he was able to attend in person. He happily practiced for 5-10 minutes each day and began to take real pride in his work. Noah now writes clearly and consistently with beautifully formed joined letters. His writing speed is also improving and we really believe the dedicated and focused time he has with Elaine has benefitted him enormously. The transformation in Noah’s writing, in such a short time, has been absolutely remarkable and I would thoroughly recommend contacting Elaine if you are concerned about your child’s writing.”

We came for help for our son, aged 13, after his school said his illegible handwriting could adversely affect his GCSE’s. He had previously completed a handwriting course at school which had no impact, so we had little hope. Elaine’s set up was very professional – there is a covid-secure, fully kitted out classroom in a lovely setting. The tutor focused on all aspects of good handwriting - covering pen grip and posture as well as letter formation. She was friendly, patient and understanding. Even after one lesson you could see a material difference. We got helpful feedback after every lesson. I am astonished that it only took six lessons to transform my son’s handwriting from incomprehensible to good. I thoroughly recommend Elaine, she is excellent – it was well worth the investment.

It’s hard comparing your younger child with an older sibling, particularly when it comes to handwriting, so I didn’t push it. But the time came when I knew I could no longer just keep saying; “he’ll catch up eventually”! I knew Elaine already by reputation but had not experienced her work first hand. I am delighted to report that I now have, and in only 6 lessons. She has such a knack with the children too. She makes it enjoyable, which is saying something when writing is literally my son’s least favourite activity. He never once complained about going to each session. In fact he genuinely looked forward to it. Incredible. Thank you so much Elaine.

Lorna, mother

After many years, in fact every year through primary school, my son struggled with writing. In reception he found it really hard to hold a pencil and never seemed to catch up, he had a lot of knowledge and ideas and frustratingly felt he couldn't put it to paper... It wasn't until he reached Year 6 that we found Mrs Greenshields... and wow what a transformation in such a short time! Not only is his writing excellent now but his confidence has really grown too, he no longer has the fear of putting pen to paper which was such a huge stumbling block to overcome. It's made the world of difference to his start at senior school - I only wish we had done it sooner, but it just shows it's never too late!

Thank you very much, Louise

Catherine, mother

"I loved my handwriting lessons! I can't believe how much my writing has improved in just 10 weeks. It's amazing! Big thumbs up from me " Jamie age 9

Mrs Greenshields has completely changed the handwriting of my two sons. Thanks to her, my ten and six-year-olds have clear, consistent handwriting that their teachers can now understand. She is calm and patient but also rigorous in working with children to ensure they meet the standards they are capable of. I highly recommend Mrs Greenshields.

Davina, mother

"My 7 year old daughter has always had difficulty with her handwriting but it became more noticeable during home schooling with her lack of enthusiasm for writing tasks. I therefore contacted Elaine and through a combination of zoom and face to face lessons her writing has been transformed. Elaine has unlimited patience and enthusiasm and made it a very fun experience. My daughter loved going to the lessons and we are thrilled by the improvement in her writing. Thank you!

Emma, mother"

I am amazed by the transformation in my 7 year old son's writing thanks to Elaine. Whilst homeschooling during lockdown, it became apparent that Charlie used to find writing very difficult which affected his willingness and creativity in writing tasks so I enlisted the help of Elaine. He finds writing much easier and is happy to do English tasks! In Charlie’s words he says Elaine is a very funny and happy person which helped get him through lessons which he sometimes found quite frustrating. He is so proud of his hard work and his handwriting now though which has set him up perfectly for starting year 3 in September. We would highly recommend Elaine.....thank you very much :-)

Pippa, mother

For a while (since Year 1) we have noticed that Elodie’s pencil grip was a bit weird. We found Elaine (the handwriting tutor) and after one lesson we started to notice the difference. She has been so patient with Elodie but also made sure that every lesson she has made good progress. I really can’t believe the difference this has made to Elodie, her pencil grip and handwriting in just 11 lessons. Before this Elodie was complaining of how much her hand hurt whilst writing but now can write much more without any complaint. Every time she picks up a pencil to draw or write she knows exactly how to hold it.

Tanya, mother

Elaine helped my son to transform his handwriting in an intensive but short period if time. Elaine’s enthusiasm, friendliness and sense of humour put him at ease straight away and he always enjoyed his sessions in a way he had never felt about writing before. It boosted his confidence and belief in his own abilities and improved his attitude to attempting other challenges in his school work and life. After 2 years of struggling to improve his writing with little/no support from school, taking up a course of lessons with Elaine was the best decision I made for my son. He is continuing to develop his handwriting himself now and takes pride in his written work which he previously used to avoid. I highly recommend Elaine and will be eternally grateful for her work with my son.

Nita, mother

Elaine is very kind and she helped a lot with my handwriting. I used to find it very difficult but now it’s super easy! Every time I left my class with her, I had a smile on my face.

Shiv aged 9

I can't thank Elaine enough for the handwriting help she gave our son. A lovely location and friendly face meant my son skipped into lessons even when he didn't want to do any out of school work. Extra support was given for his concentration issues and now that we've finished , the handwriting has massively improved as has his confidence. Would highly recommend Elaine for anyone needing support .

Rachel, mother

Dear Elaine

Thank you for teaching me handwriting because you've helped me get on so far at school.

from Drew aged 8

Our son had long struggled with poor pencil grip on his pen, which had led to slow and messy - often illegible- handwriting. Elaine was exactly what we needed: patient and encouraging, from the first session there was noticeable improvement in posture, and the clarity of our son's handwriting. Over the course of just ten weeks, the change was remarkable both in neatness and speed of writing, and has been highly praised by his teachers. We commend Elaine to you most highly.

Paul, father

My son, who is dyspraxic, found writing extremely difficult and tiring. After working with Elaine his handwriting had greatly improved. It is now consistent, legible and requires much less effort than before.

I would highly recommend Elaine to anyone with handwriting difficulties.

Claire, mother

Our son was so pleased to receive a certificate in his school assembly for al his hard work improving his writing. It is something that didn't come naturally to him but with all of Elaine's hard work he is now able to write with confidence. Thank you again Elaine.

Kelliann, mother

My son always found writing difficult. He would often get frustrated as people could not read his writing. This had a knock on effect at school as often he would fail spelling tests as even though he could spell the word his writing was illegible. I decided to get him some help and that is where we found the wonderful Elaine. From the moment we emailed Elaine I knew we had made the right decision! From the first lesson we noticed a dramatic improvement in both his writing and his confidence. Elaine is a fantastic teacher, my son loved her friendly demeanour and her patient encouraging support. After his sessions with Elaine my son is now writing competently, with confidence and most importantly enjoying his writing again. I can't recommend Elaine highly enough.

Fran, mother

My nine year old daughter had lost all confidence and avoided writing at all costs. Elaine was so warm and friendly from the moment we met her, she instantly put Annabelle at ease and, with her enthusiasm and encouragement, within a few sessions the change in her handwriting was obvious. I can't thank Elaine enough for restoring my daughter's confidence and helping her to grow and flourish.

Nicola, mother

Our 7 year old son started Year 1 with terrible writing. It had been something that he had struggled with in previous years especially remembering finger spaces, mixing upper and lower case, getting letters the wrong way round. When he started KS1 his teachers didn't understand his writing. He was immediately falling behind because he was required to write a lot more. His spelling was often marked wrong even although he knew how to spell the words because it looked wrong. In his first report the teachers said his writing was behind. We knew we had to act. I did some research: found Elaine and we had a few telephone calls to talk about my concerns. Elaine felt she could help. Fortunately, half-term was about to start so we were able to have 3 lessons over the week as Elaine had recommended a short sharp burst of intensive lessons to get the momentum going and fix the issues quickly. This worked well for us, doing three over half term and then two per week after that.

Tom was nervous in the first lesson but was quickly put at ease by Elaine's friendly, encouraging manner. She runs sessions with other children too and so Tom was working alongside other children with similar challenges which made him more relaxed. Tom had to do a small amount of homework each night to support the learning and we soon got into the routine.

Very quickly Tom was re-taught how to form letters neatly and clearly. Elaine also had to retrain him how to hold his pen and position himself writing: and encouraging him to check his position each time he picked up his pen. Then Elaine taught him to join letters, how to write neatly, keep it on the line and writing consistently and make sure he started sentences with a capital letter and finished with a full stop. Tom's writing was transformed. Within 13 sessions (2 months) his teachers at school were double taking when they saw Tom's workbooks and couldn't believe his progress. He was given a certificate in assembly for his achievements. One of his teachers told me how much his presentation had changed in other curricular areas including Maths. He was now able to get all his wonderful ideas onto paper. However the biggest change for us was his confidence.

He previously hated writing and it has always been a challenge to get him to write anything at home. Now he is happy to pick up a pen and write notes, lists, ideas etc and he is very proud of his writing.

I would recommend Elaine to anyone who is struggling with their handwriting, for Tom it has been amazing.

Rachel, mother