Penmanship Curriculum Review
Handwriting Without Tears Activities for All Developmental Levels
From handwriting readiness to cursive, Jan Olsen's Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum teaches developmentally appropriate writing skills using multiple learning styles.
Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum
Jan Z. Olsen's Handwriting Without Tears handwriting curriculum teaches a clean, uncomplicated style. Pre-K and early elementary students begin with kinesthetic activities, making letters with rolled-dough and on the floor using "Mat Man" wood pieces. Lively music on the on the Rock, Tap & Learn CD helps students to develop the body awareness and coordination necessary for handwriting success. Young students develop fine motor skills and are taught to use a proper grip with crayon activities before beginning formal practice.
When written print is finally introduced, it is first practiced on a small slate with a smiley face at the top left corner in order to help students to understand letter orientation. As students progress, written letters are taught in a logical order based on letter shape in illustrated workbooks that allow ample room for young writers to practice. From letter recognition to print to cursive, Olsen synthesizes her vast experience as a physical therapist into multisensory handwriting activities that appeal to a variety of learning styles. No wonder this curriculum is a hands down favorite with teachers and homeschool parents who use it.
Developing Legible Print and Cursive
Students who are taught using the Handwriting without Tears curriculum typically develop a clear, legible print and, later cursive. However, the curriculum is also helpful for older students who have struggled with writing due to dysgraphia or an inadequate introduction to handwriting. Although workbooks are geared or particular grade levels, those levels are never printed anywhere in the student workbooks. Thus, teachers can choose books that are appropriate to a child's individual level:
- Get Set for School: Intended for pre-K students, this first series introduces letters and numbers with playful multisensory activities.
- Letters and Numbers for Me: Students at a Kindergarten level explore capital and lowercase letters, numbers, words, and simple sentences.
- My Printing Book: This first grade level book focuses on lowercase letters, integrating them into developmentally appropriate words and sentences. Numbers are also a focal point. At this level student workbooks have gray blocks that mimic the small slate recommended in this series. This helps students to avoid reversals.
- Printing Power: Designed for second graders and older beginners, this workbook transitions to smaller print. Activities also supplement language arts skills appropriate for this level.
- Cursive Handwriting: Created for students working at a third grade level, this workbook introduces a plain-style vertical cursive on the HWT signature two-line paper. Step-by-step instructions are supported by simple illustrations.
- Cursive Success: This text encourages fluency and transitions students at a fourth grade level. Students transition to writing on single lines.
- Can-Do Cursive: Written in conjunction with grammarian Edith H. Fine, this book for fifth grade and beyond supports grammar, vocabulary and composition while continuing to encourage fluent cursive.
- Can-Do Print: Although the content is quite similar to Can-Do Cursive, this text focuses on neat and efficient print for students who prefer not to use cursive.
Books are also available for Hebrew, Spanish, and French.
Teachers will also appreciate HWT's multiple classroom resources. The Rock, Tap & Learn music CD, flip crayons, slate chalkboards, double line sentence strips and blackboards, HWT chart tablets for classroom easels, writing journals, alphabet desk strips, wall cards, teacher's guides and assessment tools make using this reasonably priced curriculum an easy fit for any elementary classroom.
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