I think a lot depends on the teacher. Last year DD had a teacher who was laid-back and didn't correct the kids much, so her handwriting morphed from very neat to a messy scrawl, and this year in third grade the teacher is strict and seems to demand good handwriting so DD puts more effort into it. Not sure that "strict" is always good though, if a child ends up perfectionistic or anxious about pleasing the teacher.
DS, my 1st grader, has major fine motor issues and has an awkward pencil grasp, plus weak hand muscles, so he uses a grip called the "Crossover" which helps a lot.
