handwriting without tears kindergarten - cursive overview · 2019. 6. 26. · handwriting without...

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Handwriting Without Tears® Kindergarten - Cursive OverviewDevelopmentally Based, Multisensory Teaching StrategiesThe Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) program uses teaching strategies that are multisensory and developmentally appropriate for children. Readiness activities in kindergarten prepare children for pencil and paper activities. Using hands-on teaching strategies, teachers are able to meet the needs of each child’s individual learning style.

Teaching Readiness in KindergartenDevelop motor skills, language skills, understanding of size and shape, and positioning skills using music and movement.

Wood Pieces Set for Capital Letters Moving the Wood Pieces

Capital Letter CardsThe will organize and orient the child. Numbers help children learn to place the Wood Pieces in sequence.

Mat for Wood PiecesUsing the Mat, children learn to form the letters independently, without reversals.

Wet-Dry-Try, Slate Chalkboard, and Blackboard with Double LinesUsing the unique Wet-Dry-Try method, children succeed! The Slate Chalkboard and the Blackboard with Double Lines prevent and correct reversals.

Slate Chalkboard Blackboard with Double Lines

Why Teach Capitals First?Capital Letters are easy.

• All are the same height.

• All start at the top.

• All occupy the same vertical place.

• All are easy to recognize and identify (compare A, B, D, G, P, and Q with a, b, d, g, p, and q ).

• All are big, bold, and familiar.

Pencil PointersTeach childrenhow to sit.


Use the appropriatesize pencil.

Prepare small handsto hold a pencil.

Teach pencil grip.

Handwriting Without Tears® 1st Grade Printing Teacher’s Guide18 © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

CaPITaLIZING ON THE CaPITaLSTeachers agree that capitals are easier, and that’s where we begin. When children learn to write their capitals, they develop a strong foundation for printing. They learn important handwriting rules (such as a top-to-bottom, left - to-right habit), proper letter formation, and solid visual memory for capital letters.

Children who learn capitals first, also learn the following:• Start letters at the top.• Use the correct stroke sequence to form letters.• Orient letters and numbers correctly—no reversals!

Learning capitals first makes learning lowercase letters a breeze. Think about it: c o s v w x y z are the same as capitals; j k t p and u are also similar to their capital partners. If we teach capitals correctly, we have already prepared children for nearly half of the lowercase alphabet.

Why Are Capitals Easier Than Lowercase Letters?

Let’s do the mathYou can see at a glance that capitals are easier for children. Students have fewer chances to make mistakes when they write capital letters. They aim the pencil at the top and get it right. With lowercase there are many more variables.

When teaching handwriting, teach capitals first. You will save yourself time, make life easier for children, and get better handwriting results.

Capital letters are easy• All start at the top.• All are the same height.• All occupy the same vertical space.• All are easy to recognize and identify (compare A B D G P Q with a b d g p q ).• Capitals are big, bold, and familiar.

Lowercase letters are more difficult• Lowercase letters start in four different places (a b e f).• Lowercase letters are not the same size. Fourteen letters are half the size of capitals. Twelve are the same size as capitals.• Lowercase letters occupy three different vertical positions – small, tall, descending.• Lowercase letters are more difficult to recognize because of subtle differences (a b d g p q ).

Start 1 4

Size 1 2

Position 1 3

Appearance

• Familiar

• Distinctive

A B D G P Q

• Many similar

• Easy to confuse

a b d g p q

CAPITAL AND LOWERCASE LETTER ANALYSIS

Capitals Lowercase

ABCDEFGH abcdefgh

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Handwriting Without Tears® 1st Grade Printing Teacher’s Guide18 © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

CaPITaLIZING ON THE CaPITaLSTeachers agree that capitals are easier, and that’s where we begin. When children learn to write their capitals, they develop a strong foundation for printing. They learn important handwriting rules (such as a top-to-bottom, left - to-right habit), proper letter formation, and solid visual memory for capital letters.

Children who learn capitals first, also learn the following:• Start letters at the top.• Use the correct stroke sequence to form letters.• Orient letters and numbers correctly—no reversals!

Learning capitals first makes learning lowercase letters a breeze. Think about it: c o s v w x y z are the same as capitals; j k t p and u are also similar to their capital partners. If we teach capitals correctly, we have already prepared children for nearly half of the lowercase alphabet.

Why Are Capitals Easier Than Lowercase Letters?

Let’s do the mathYou can see at a glance that capitals are easier for children. Students have fewer chances to make mistakes when they write capital letters. They aim the pencil at the top and get it right. With lowercase there are many more variables.

When teaching handwriting, teach capitals first. You will save yourself time, make life easier for children, and get better handwriting results.

Capital letters are easy• All start at the top.• All are the same height.• All occupy the same vertical space.• All are easy to recognize and identify (compare A B D G P Q with a b d g p q ).• Capitals are big, bold, and familiar.

Lowercase letters are more difficult• Lowercase letters start in four different places (a b e f).• Lowercase letters are not the same size. Fourteen letters are half the size of capitals. Twelve are the same size as capitals.• Lowercase letters occupy three different vertical positions – small, tall, descending.• Lowercase letters are more difficult to recognize because of subtle differences (a b d g p q ).

Start 1 4

Size 1 2

Position 1 3

Appearance

• Familiar

• Distinctive

A B D G P Q

• Many similar

• Easy to confuse

a b d g p q

CAPITAL AND LOWERCASE LETTER ANALYSIS

Capitals Lowercase

ABCDEFGH abcdefgh

TG1st_08_FINAL_TEXT_4.11.08.indd 18 4/11/2008 9:23:21 AM

Left Quadropod

Left Tripod

Right Quadropod

Right Tripod

22 My Printing Book © 2013 Handwriting Withot Tears®

a a a a a AA is for alliator.

Start on the dot. Copy a.

bump

Magic c up like a back down bump

Check a


Step-by-Step DirectionsHuge step-by-step images show exactly how to make each part of every letter. Short, simple words describe each step.

Easy to Follow LinesHWT uses simple double lines that are easy to follow. This prevents line confusion and promotes neatness. The double lines help children start and stop lowercase letters correctly, as well as master the size and placement of the letters on the lines.

As shown below, many children have trouble understanding multiple lines. Giving children a blue lines, a dotted line, a red line, another blue line and then asking them to start at “2 o’clock between the dotted line and the red line” is confusing for children.

Generous SpacingWhen children are learning to print, they need extra room to write. In a student workbook, there should always be very generous spaces allowed for room to complete the words and to leave a space. See the example below:

The example below (without even a finger space between words) is typical for many workbooks. Children are forced to run their words together to fit them on the line.

Two lines are easier

Jeff uses a forklift


Printing Teaching OrderGrouping letters and teaching them in a specific order is essential to handwriting success. The HWT teaching order is based on children’s development, where letters start, and how they are made. Letters with similar strokes are grouped together.

Capital Teaching Order Frog Jump Capitals Start in the starting corner (top left) . Make a Big Line down. Frog jump back to the starting corner and finish the letter.

Starting Corner Capitals Review these letters to ensure that children start at the top left and use the left-to-right formation habit. This follows the same order as reading: top-to-bottom and left-to-right.

Center Starters Start at the top center. The first group begins with a Magic C. The second group includes the balance of the capitals.

Lowercase Teaching OrderCapital PartnersThe first five letters are eactly like their capitals, just smaller. Lowercase t is like capital T, it’s just crossed lower.

Magic c Group of LettersThese letters begin with a Magic c stroke. Starting with c placed correctly helps children make and place the d tall and g descending.

Transition Group of LettersThis group completes the vowels u, i, and e. Letters u, k, y, and j are familiar from their capital partners.

Diver LettersThese letters all begin with the same basic stroke. They dive down, come back up, and swim over to form each letter.

Final GroupFinally f. Letter f has a tricky start. Letter q is taught here to avoid g and q confusion. Letters x and z are familiar, but infrequently used so we teach them last.

•

•

•

a[Fa[Ea[Da[Pa[B[a[Ra[Na[M

a[Ha[Ka[La[Ua[Va[Wa[Xa[Ya[Z

a\Ca\Oa\Qa\G a\Sa\Aa\Ia\Ta\J

c o s v w t

a d g

u i e l k y j

p r n m h b

f q x z


CursiveThe HWT cursive style facilitates a smooth transition from printing to cursive through the use of a simple, vertical style cursive. Vertical style cursive is easy to read and write. Note the difference between print and cursive using the HWT style:

Transition from Print to Cursive

Vertical vs. Slanted Cursive

Cursive ConnectionsCursive warm-ups: exercises to help children prepare for important strokes required in cursive.

Getting it TogetherMost children have no difficulty learning the formation of cursive letters. It is the connections that make cursive a challenge because they change based on the starting and ending places of letters. The chart below shows examples of connecting letter. We believe there are four basic cursive connections:

Two Base Line Connections Occur after 22 letters

Base line to base line connection – easy

Base line to high connection – tricky

Two High Connections Occur after 4 letters – o w b vHigh to high connection – easy

High to low connection – tricky

Handwriting Without Tears® 3rd Grade Cursive Teacher’s Guide�� © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

The Cursive TransitionaN EaSY TRaNSITIONUsing the HWT curriculum, the transition from print to cursive is natural. Children who have learned printing using HWT start cursive with a strong foundation. They have good physical habits for paper, posture, and pencil grip; and an understanding of HWT’s unique teaching order that continues into cursive. Even your students who haven’t learned HWT will find cursive easy.

Familiarity from PrintIn addition, HWT’s simple cursive style (no slant, fewer loops, or curlicues) helps children make an easy transition. When the cursive is simplified, many letters look very similar to print. They are also easier to read. Take a look at the difference in letters from print to cursive using the HWT simplified style verses that of other curricula. For more information on slant turn to page 43.

HWT’s Letter Transition from Print to Cursive

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

b e f h i j klmn p rs t x Another Method’s Transition from Print to Cursive

Advantages of HWT’s CursiveWhy even teach cursive? Because cursive has many advantages: 1. It’s faster because the pencil is always on the paper (except to cross t, x and dot i, j). 2. It helps spacing skills naturally. 3. It has grown-up appeal, so motivation to learn tends to be high. 4. It can help children who never learned proper printing skills.

c o a d g

Not only do I make c o a d g easy, I help with the transition to cursive too! It’s magic!

PrintingThis group of letters is introduced early in the lowercase letter instruction in HWT’s kindergarten, first, and second grade workbooks.

CursiveIt makes sense that the first group of letters children learn in cursive would be those that are easy, fun, and familiar. The language and formations are similar. The c to c stroke prepares children for a critical connection used throughout cursive.

Magic C Letters

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Vertical cursive is easier to read and write.

Handwriting Without Tears® 3rd Grade Cursive Teacher’s Guide�0 © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

GETTING IT TOGETHERMost children have no difficulty learning the formation of cursive letters. It is the connections that make cursive a challenge because they change based on the starting and ending places of letters. Other programs also make connections more complicated than they need to be. The chart below shows examples of connecting letters. We believe there are four basic connections that exist in cursive:

Baseline ConnectionsSome cursive connections are easy and natural. You’ve probably noticed how children write words like he, at, and it in cursive without any problems. As you can see with he, it’s easy because the first letter, h, ends on the bottom line and the second letter, e, starts naturally on the baseline. Children rarely struggle with this connection.

The cursive student workbooks begin with a very important connection that requires careful teaching. This is the c to c connection. It’s tricky because c ends on the base but then has to connect from the bottom up to the high starting place of the following c, as illustrated in the c to a connection. This stroke is used for connecting any letter that ends on the bottom line to our Magic c group of letters: c a d g o or q. When teaching c to c connections, watch out for Magic c trouble. It will look like this:

High Connections - Tow Truck ConnectionsThere are four letters that create the most challenge. They are o w b and v. We call them the Tow Truck letters, page 81. These letters all end high. Every letter that follows o w b and v must start high. Letters like u that start high naturally, connect relatively easily. But for letters like r that start naturally at the bottom, the connection and formation will change. When teaching these high connections, watch out for Tow Truck trouble, it will look like this:

Remember Who’s BossWhen teaching connections, it is best to use just two letters and explain how to connect them. Write the letters separately and then write them connected. Explain that the ending of the first letter (baseline or high) can never, ever change. Because the ending part of a cursive letter can’t change, we like to say that the ending of the first letter is the boss of the connection. The second letter has to start where the first letter ended, even if that is not the spot where the second letter usually starts.

I’m the boss! Start high e!

==

I’m the boss! Start low e!

High Connections after 4 letters: bEasy - High to high connection

Tricky - High to low connection

Baseline Connections after 22 letters

Easy - Baseline to baseline connection

Tricky - Baseline to high connection









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© 2013 Handwriting Without Tears® Cursive Handwriting 7

Cursive Warm-Ups

Under and over Up and straight down

Up and loop down

Descending loop

Start on the star. Do one row a day.

CH_TEXT_11.16.12.indd 7 11/16/12 4:08 PM


Cursive Teaching OrderCursive letters are taught in groups based on similar strokes and formation. HWT adds fun ways to teach difficult cursive connections.

Connecting c to c is the foundation skill for cursive connections. It is tricky. Teach students to travel away from the first c and then slide up and over to begin the second c. This skill is needed to connect c, a, d, g, and later o and q .

The first four letters are similar to print and use the basic c to c connection. Children can easily identify these letters. In both print and cursive, these letters start on the mid line with the Magic c stroke.

These letters are also familiar from printing. The h and p have been de-looped for simplicity. Letters h, t, and p end on the base line. They are easy to connect to letters that start on the base line.

This group doesn’t look similar to printed letters. Letter e is the most frequently used letter. All three use similar stroke patterns and strategies. We keep the loops on e, l, and f because making a loop helps the pencil move in the right direction to connect to the next letter.

Most children recognize these letters from printing. They are fairly easy to learn. The letters u and y begin with similar strokes, and letters i and j begin with similar strokes.

These three letters are not familiar from printing. They can be challenging, but if taught using step-by-step directions, they will not present any difficulty. The letter k has been de-looped to keep it clear and simple.

This group has a special name—the Tow Truck Letters. These four letters are the only lowercase cursive letters that do not end on the base line. The endings stick out like a tow and they never bend down to pick up another letter.

The number of bumps in these letters is important and tricky. When a Tow Truck Letter comes before m or n, use the printed style of these letters. Children should know the difference between the printed and cursive letters.

These letters are used infrequently and can be challenging, so we wait until the end to introduce them. Although q uses a Magic c stroke, it is infrequently used and taught here to avoid confusion with g.

Handwriting Without Tears® 3rd Grade Cursive Teacher’s Guide� © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

DEVELOPMENTaL TEaCHING ORDERLook at the teaching order. It’s planned to help children learn cursive skills in the easiest, most efficient way. It’s also developmentally planned to start with letters that are familiar from printing. Children learn their lowercase letters first. The teaching order is based on the following:

1. Familiarity of the letter: We begin with seven letters children know from printing. 2. Mastery of the c stroke: c to c is a very important connection in cursive. Learning this connection and letters

that use it gets students off to a good start. 3. Difficulty of connections: four letters (o w b v) have a high ending stroke and often are difficult to connect

to other letters. These letters are taught after the student has mastered easier connections. 4. Formation patterns: letters that use similar strokes are grouped together.

Lowercase

Most children recognize these letters from printing. They are fairly easy to learn. The letters u and y begin with similar strokes, and letters i and j begin with similar strokes.

c

h t p

e l f i j

k r s

b

m nx

Connecting c to c is the foundation skill for cursive connections. It is tricky. Teach students to travel away from the first c and then slide up and over to begin the second c. This skill is needed to connect not just c, but a, d, g, and later o and q.

The first group of letters is familiar from printing and these letters use the basic c to c connection. Children can easily identify these letters. In both print and cursive, these letters start on the mid line with the Magic c stroke.

These letters are also familiar from printing. The h and p have been de-looped for simplicity. Letters h, t, and p end on the baseline. They are easy to connect to letters that start on the baseline.

This group doesn’t look like the printed letters. Letter e is the most frequently used letter. All three use similar stroke patterns and strategies. We keep the loops on e, l, and f because making a loop helps the pencil move in the right direction to connect to the next letter.

These letters are used infrequently and can be challenging, so we wait until the end to introduce them. Although q uses a Magic c stroke, it is taught here to avoid confusion with g.

The number of bumps in these letters is important and tricky. When a Tow Truck letter comes before m or n, use the printed style of these letters. Children should know the difference between the printed and cursive letters.

This group has a special name—the Tow Truck letters. These four letters are the only lowercase cursive letters that do not end on the baseline. The ending sticks out like a tow and they never bend down to pick up another letter.

These three letters are not familiar from printing. They can be challenging, but if taught using the step-by-step directions, they will not present any difficulty. The letter k has been de-looped to keep it clear and simple.


c a d g

c cc

h t p

e l f

u y i j

k r s

o w b v

m n

x z q


The Eight Key Components of HandwritingWhen a child writes well, they’re doing so many things! Can you name some of the components of handwriting? Memory – Remembering and writing dictated letters and numbers.Quick and automatic recall of letters and numbers is very important. Memory is essential for all independent handwriting. Poor memory hurts production, speed, and accuracy.

Orientation – Facing letters and numbers in the correct direction.Beginners may reverse a “few” letters and numbers. But with good instruction, children can learn how to orient letters and numbers correctly. Orientation errors are distracting; children stop to think about which way the letters or numbers go. Orientation errors cause spelling mistakes and legibility issues.

Placement – Putting letters and numbers on the base line.Placing letters and numbers on a line makes writing easier to read. It is important for the flow of writing. Haphazard placement makes printing appear immature, messy, and even illegible.

Size – How big or small a child chooses to write.Children need to be able to control their movements so their writing isn’t too big for the current grade. Writing too large causes problems with school papers, speed, and spacing.

Start – Where each letter or number begins.Good starting habits allow children to maintain neatness even when they print quickly. Children who become messy when they print quickly are typically children with incorrect starting habits. They often start letters at the bottom.

Sequence – Order and stroke direction of the letter or number parts.The ability to form letter or number parts correctly is acquired through direct teaching and consistent practice. If children do not form parts in the right sequence, speed, and neatness are affected.

Control – Neatness and proportion of letters and numbers.Control does not usually require direct remediation. Problems with control are almost always caused by poor habits. If the child has an awkward pencil grip, control will be affected. If the child has a problem with start or sequence, control will be affected. As habits improve, so will the child’s control.

Spacing – Amount of space between letters in words and between words in sentences.Spacing is important to the legibility and uniformity of writing. Problems with spacing may be made worse by poorly designed worksheets that do not give enough room for writing.


How to Recognize Problems with Handwriting Discuss the sample.

What to do if you suspect there’s a problem.Many handwriting problems can be avoided or solved by good teaching strategies and good materials. The first step is spotting the problem. Then use active teaching strategies and good materials to solve the problem. Consider consulting an individual trained in handwriting assessment and remediation if you need more help.

Memory – Play visual memory games with letters. Use flash cards or hands-on manipulatives to assist children in learning letter discrimination.

Orientation – Teach children that English is a top-to-bottom, left-to-right language. We want letters to be right -side up and to face the right way. Teach orientation for B, D, E, F, P, R, and N by having the child write a Big Line down the left edge of a paper. Then the next part will be on the right side. Teach children to make the lowercase c, and then teach them to write c when they begin a, d, and g. These strategies will help with orientation.

Placement – Model how letters are placed on lines. Start with easy paper (no more than two lines) and then introduce other types. Model how different paper is used and how letters sit on the lines. Create games where the child is encouraged to bump lines.

Size – Use age-appropriate paper. Avoid too much variety of sizes in worksheets and papers. Provide paper that guides the size of letters until children naturally develop a sense of size.

Start – Demonstrate starting position. Correct all bottom-up writing. No letters should start at the bottom, including lowercase.

Sequence – Demonstrate letter formation. Teach letters that use similar formation patterns together. For example, lowercase p, r, n, m, h, and b all begin with a down stroke and then go up and over. Lowercase o, a, d, g, and q all begin with a c stroke and then change into another letter.

Control – Control can be affected by poor handwriting habits. One of the most common is poor pencil grip. Teach children to hold their pencils correctly. If a child is only struggling with the area of control and everything else is fine, seek the help of an occupational therapist.

Spacing – Create and use worksheets that model good spacing. Create worksheets that give children ample room to write. Teach children how to leave space between their words.


What’s in a Capital Letter?What’s easier, capitals or lowercase letters? Teachers agree that capitals are easier and that’s where we begin. Be smart, start with easy! When children learn to write their capitals, they develop a strong foundation for printing. They learn important handwriting rules (such as top-to-bottom, left-to-right habits), proper letter formation, and solid visual memory of their capitals. Lowercase letters will be a breeze to learn because of this foundation!

Use developmental principlesSome letters are developmentally easier to write than others. Children gradually develop the ability to copy forms in a very predictable order.* This order is shown below:

After examining this developmental order, it is easy to determine which letters are easy and which are hard. Generally, letters that use just vertical and horizontal lines are the easiest, while letters with diagonal lines are difficult.

Capital letters are easy.• All are the same height.• All start at the same place—the top!• All occupy the same vertical space.• All are easy to recognize and identify

(compare A, B, D, G, P, and Q with a, b, d, g, p, and q ).

• All are big, bold, and familiar.

Lowercase letters are more difficult.• They are not the same size.• They are more difficult to recognize

because of subtle differences (a, b, d, g, p, and q ).• They occupy three different vertical positions.• They start in four different places (b, c, e, and f ).

*Gesell, Arnold. 1940. The First Five Years of Life. New York: Harper and Row.

ABCDEFGH

abcdefgh


Capitals Lowercase

Size 1 2

Position 1 3

Start 14

(a, b, e, f)

Total Variables 1 24

Appearance• Familiar• Distinctive

A, B, D, G, P, Q

• Many similar• Easy to confuse

a, b, d, g, p, q

Let’s do the math.Here it is! You can see it at a glance. Capitals are easier for children. Children have fewer chances to make mistakes when they write capitals. They aim the pencil at the top and get it right! For lowercase letters, 24 things could go wrong!

Capital and Lowercase Letter Analysis

When teaching handwriting, teach capitals first! You will save yourself time, make life easier for children, and get better handwriting results.


A Physical Approach to Handwriting: Fun Activities for Your StudentsHow do children sit when they write?What have you seen? Compare with your neighbor.

1._________________________________________________________

2._________________________________________________________

3._________________________________________________________

Try this fun activity: The Stomping Game!What to do:Stomping is fun and really works! Sit down and show the children how to stomp their feet and wave their arms in the air. Have them shout, “Na, na, naaaah, na, na, naaaah,” with you while waving and stomping.

Why?Nothing’s better for getting them to sit correctly. Their feet will be on the floor and parallel in front of them. The arm movements make their trunks straight. The noise and chaos lets them release energy, but it’s totally under your control. When you have them stop stomping, they’ll have good posture and will be ready to pay attention. Use The Stomping Game a few times a day.

Head and Shoulders...Do this anytime you find your children sagging.

Raise shoulders up Pull shoulders back Let them down


Mat Man® Teaches Body AwarenessBuild, sing, and draw Mat Man together!Young children are often asked to draw pictures of themselves or a person. Mat Man activities are social and develop a child’s body awareness, drawing, and counting skills.

Directions for building and singing1. Children sit on the floor in a circle.2. Teacher quickly builds Mat Man on the floor.3. Teacher gives Mat Man’s parts away.4. Children build Mat Man as they sing the Mat Man Song with the teacher.5. Extra accessories will make Mat Man more interesting or into a different Mat Person (belly button, hair, clothing, seasonal items).

Directions for drawing1. Children sit at tables/desks facing the teacher. Teacher draws a large Mat Man at the board or easel.2. Teacher draws each part in order. Say, “Mat Man has one head. Watch me draw the head. Now it’s your turn!”3. Encourage children to add other details to their drawings.

Mat Man SongTune: “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”

Mat Man has 1 head, 1 head, 1 head, Mat Man has 1 head, So that he can* thinkMat Man has 2 eyes, 2 eyes, 2 eyes, Mat Man has 2 eyes, So that he can* seeMat Man has 1 nose, 1 nose, 1 nose, Mat Man has 1 nose, So that he can* smellMat Man has 1 mouth, 1 mouth, 1 mouth, Mat Man has 1 mouth, So that he can* eatMat Man has 2 ears, 2 ears, 2 ears, Mat Man has 2 ears, So that he can* hearMat Man has 1 body, 1 body, 1 body, Mat Man has 1 body, To hold what is inside heart, lungs, stomachMat Man has 2 arms, 2 arms, 2 arms, Mat Man has 2 arms, So that he can* reachMat Man has 2 hands, 2 hands, 2 hands, Mat Man has 2 hands, So that he can* clapMat Man has 2 legs, 2 legs, 2 legs, Mat Man has 2 legs, So that he can* standMat Man has 2 feet, 2 feet, 2 feet, Mat Man has 2 feet, So that he can* walk

*Wait for your children to respond. Add extra verses when you add new accessories. Your children may call out other body functions (feet= run, kick, dance). Encourage this while keeping the song/activity moving along.


Drawings before and after on the same day:

Before After


Hold On...You Have to Teach Grip!Take a look at your neighbor’s grip! What do you see? Does your neighbor use one of these standard grips? If yes, circle the grip. If not, use the chart to mark what is standard and what is not.

Standard Not Standard

Thumb position

Index position

Middle position

Position of last two fingers

Pencil position or angle

Understanding the hand:There are two sides to the hand. The first is considered the “mobile” side. It includes the thumb, index, and middle finger. These fingers move when you write. The other side is considered the “stable” side. It includes the ring and pinky finger. These two fingers generally are closed and resting on the table during writing. The web space between the thumb and the index finger is where the pencil should rest during writing.

Left Quadropod

Left Tripod

Right Quadropod

Right Tripod

Things to think about:1. Good crayon and pencil grips should be actively and regularly taught.2. Teach grip as soon as age four, or whenever crayons are introduced.3. Grips become automatic or habitual with repetition.4. The older the child, the harder it is to change the pencil grip.5. Try to change grip if it hurts to write, or if the grip makes writing inefficient.6. Use physical devices only if demonstration and practice haven’t worked.

You can easily promote good crayon/pencil grip:1. Encourage self-feeding for toddlers to develop skill using the pincer grip.2. Start early writing/drawing with small, broken pieces of chalk or crayon.3. Encourage finger use and finger awareness with gestures, signs, and finger plays.4. Teach correct crayon grip with the song, “Picking Up My Pencil”.

Pencil problems:1. Thumb wrapped around, on top of index finger.2. Thumb tucked in, under index finger.3. Fisted grips.4. Fingers splayed out, all gripping the pencil.5. Pencils pointing straight up in the air.6. Awkward wrist positions.7. Pressure problems, such as too hard or too soft.8. Difficulty with big pencils.

PICKING UP MY PENCIL

Oh, I’m picking up my pencil look at meAll my fingers are where they’re supposed to beOh I’m picking up my pencil look at meWatch me hold it correctly

The thumb is always bentPointer points to the tipTall man helps he helps your pencil gripHe lets the pencil rest right on his sideThe last two fingers tuck them in for a ride

Now I’m holding it just right but not too tightEvery finger is doing it just rightNow you might have missed whatI was showing you!So I’ll drop it and do it again with you

Pick up your pencilsCheck your neighborsDo you have a bent thumb?How does pointer look?Get ready, 1 2 3 4

Now we’re picking up our pencils watch and seeAll our fingers are where they’re supposed to be‘Cause we’re picking up our pencil and you’ll seeWe can hold it correctly

The thumb is always bentPointer points to the tipTall man always helps your pencil gripHe lets the pencil rest right on his sideThe last two fingers tuck them in for a ride

Now we’re holding it just right, but not too tightEvery finger is doing it just right

Now we should be as proudAs proud can beWe can hold it, correctly

NOTE: As you sing the song, it’s very important to walk around the room and position children’s fingers for them correctly on the pencil. It will take several repetitions before children will pick up the habit naturally.


Rock, Rap, Tap & Learn CD, Track 9

How to help:Always demonstrate proper finger position for children (especially young children). You may use devices as reminders. It’s best not to use adaptive devices in kindergarten as children are just learning correct grip and just starting to write. If a child continues to have difficulty holding the pencil, there are a variety of grips available at school supply stores, art/stationery stores, and catalogs. Their usefulness varies from grip to grip and child to child. Experiment with the devices and use them only if they make it easier for the child to hold the pencil correctly. With young children, physical devices should not be used as a substitute for physical demonstration.

Use general problem solving strategies:Demonstrate, model, and teach the grip you want children to learn. Use the three steps from Handwriting Without Tears. Read more about them in the teacher’s guides:1. Pick Up – Just pick up and hold the crayon/pencil in the air.2. Aim and Scribble – Put the point on the dot and wiggle the pencil/crayon.3. Color/Write – Use the crayon or pencil for drawing, coloring, or writing.

Observe carefully to see what writing tool elicits a good grip:1. Does the child hold a small piece of chalk or crayon correctly?2. Does the child hold a different size or type of pencil correctly?3. Does the child use a special grip or device correctly?

Special Tips:1. Beginners – Avoid special grips or devices for beginners. During kindergarten, focus on developing hand skills and teaching children. Use small pieces of chalk or crayon and activities to teach crayon/pencil skills.

2. Fingers splayed out – This atypical grip is difficult to discourage. Consider giving the child an extremely short pencil. Just sharpen the pencil and use pruning shears to cut it short.

3. Pencil pointing straight up in the air – Try two rubber bands looped together. One loop is on the wrist, and the other is looped over the pencil to pull the eraser/pencil back. There is a commercial version available or you may make your own with ponytail holders.

4. Pressing too hard – Demonstrate soft pressure. Use red or black pencils to make dark black and light black marks as an example. Experiment with mechanical pencils. Demonstrate invisible or very light writing. Let the child experiment with cardboard under their paper to see if the student can avoid making holes in the paper.

5. Pressing too soft – Try softer lead pencils. Use carbon copies to see if marks go through to the yellow copy. Try to color small areas very dark with red or black pencils.

6. Awkward wrist position – Try demonstration with the “Aim and Scribble” activity. Try a slanted desk/slant board or vertical surface. Place the paper correctly for the child’s handedness.



The Worksheet WorkoutDo you see papers with poor spacing? What about poor letter placement? Some handwriting issues are caused by poorly designed worksheets. If you see handwriting issues, carefully look at and consider worksheet design.

How do your worksheets measure up? Are they fit? Gather your worksheets for the fitness test.1. Collect the worksheets from one week’s classroom use.2. Get the original worksheets.3. Compare the completed worksheets that reflect the range of ability in your class.

Are these worksheets fit for children?

How can you improve these worksheets?• Provide lines for children to write on.• Turn portrait columns into horizontal columns. Children can’t write sentences vertically.• Give good spacing models and ample room for children to write. Anticipate the space needed

according to the grade level.


Worksheets that get an A+Look at worksheets objectively and see if it makes the grade. If a worksheet meets expectation in all areas – it’s an A PLUS worksheet.

Art – Is it related to the page? Well placed (not obscuring the writing or taking up the child’s room to write)? Clean (not busy or distracting)? Bonus: Does it encourage left-to-right visual tracking?

Page Layout – Portrait/Landscape? Does the layout fit the task?• Portrait is the best for spelling tests and word lists or for children in higher grades.• Landscape is best for sentences.

Lines and Letters – What size lines are used? Measure the height of the capital letter.• What type lines are used? No lines, single lines, double lines, three lines, four lines, etc. (Have a sample of each type used.)• Are letters placed so a left handed child can see the letters/words?

Use – What is the purpose of the worksheet? Are the directions clear? Does it work?

Sentence Spacing – Are the spaces between words big enough?• At least two finger spaces for kindergarten and one finger space for grade 1.

If a worksheet isn’t fit for children in some or all areas: 1. Toss it. 2. Tweak it. 3. Redesign it.

Turn it into an A+ worksheet.

© 2013 Handwriting Withot Tears® My Printing Book 55

PARAGRAPH

Saturn, Uranus, and

Neptune are very distant

planets. Venus is close.

Mercury Venus Mars Uranus NeptuneEarth Jupiter Saturn

A = ArtP = Page LayoutL = Lines and LettersU = UseS = Sentence Spacing


Looking Out for LeftiesMany wonder if left-handed children require different instruction than right-handed children. In fact, you instruct them the same way, with a few exceptions. Because our world typically favors the right-handed population, worksheets and letter sequence charts usually don’t make special considerations. We have tips for teaching left-handed children that will prevent bad habits and make handwriting easier.

Preventing a Poor Wrist Position

Many worksheets list things on just the left side. Left-handed children struggle with this format because their hand covers the thing they are attempting to copy. To accommodate their situation, some left-handed individuals will hook their wrist to see what it is they are supposed to write. After a while, the movement becomes so automatic that some children develop a natural hooked wrist pattern. This type of writing can be uncomfortable and tiring.

You can prevent this problem by photocopying the child’s worksheet/workbook page and placing it to the right for the child to reference for copying.

Give another copy of the worksheet to the child so the model can be seen.

Child can’t see a model. Child accommodates but ends up in a bad position.


When creating your own worksheets, you can make them right- and left-hand friendly in two ways:1. Have the child copy below the model. 2. Place the word to be copied in the middle of the page.

Paper PlacementYou might observe some left-handed children slanting their papers too much. They do this to prevent their wrists from hooking. You can allow them to exaggerate the slant on their papers if it doesn’t cause speed or neatness trouble.

Cross StrokesMark arrows for right-handed students on the letters below. Mark arrows for left-handed students.

When writing letters and numbers, we typically travel top-to-bottom, left-to-right. At times, left-handed children will choose to pull into their writing hand from right-to-left. Allow left-handed children to cross by pulling into their hand. Model it for them in their workbooks.

handwriting without tears kindergarten - cursive overview · 2019. 6. 26. · handwriting without...

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