Do I really need a handwriting curriculum?

[marge]

As long as I am consistent with teaching proper letter formation, do I need a specific handwriting curriculum? I was planning to incorporate writing/copywork in with other subjects and thought that would be sufficient, but when I see everyone's plans they always include a curriculum specifically for handwriting. What am I missing?

[blondeviolin]

The bonus is that it gives you a set of prompts to remind children how to form certain letters. We use HWOT's prompts, but not the curriculum. I just sit with them and remind them to form the letters properly. :)

[Betherina]

You can also use a handwriting-practice generator to create your own worksheets online. I sat by my kids and watched for proper letter formation when writing, then occasionally created my own worksheets from a free website. I sometimes used spelling words that were tricky, goofy sentences, or even trivia facts from other subjects - anything to keep them interested and having fun!

[Ritsumei]

I don't use one. I use a free generator that Zaner-Bloser has, and print off what we need. That way we can target problem letters, or work on longer copywork excerpts from whatever read aloud we're doing. I'm not seeing a need to shell out for one; what we're doing is working.

[Guest]

Nope, save your money. My younger 3 all taught themselves print and now Italic cursive using nothing but pencil and UNLINED paper. They have better handwriting than the olders. I will say we love HWT narrow lined paper, though.

[Tanikit]

No, I have never used a handwriting curriculum - I did however teach my children and didn't just leave it up to them. There is more to handwriting than just letter formation and pencil grip though which I would check up on but I do not believe this is even taught in many curricula anyway. Don't forget to teach: relative sizes of letters, writing in lines as well as on lines, closing letters, making letters even sized (like m should have "bumps" of even size - I know this is pedantic, but really if you are going to teach then teach everything and again many of the curricula do not teach these things anyway.

 

Paper with lines of all different sizes is readily available - use whatever suits you or your child. I started both mine on blank paper, moved with the oldest to on lines and then between lines and will move to Irish lines soon and then onto normal exercise book lines later. Some people do find it easier to have that dotted line in the middle - I have found it unnecessary.

[Hunter]

I prefer to explicitly teach named strokes.

http://www.husd.org/cms/lib07/AZ01001450/Centricity/Domain/1365/Spalding%20Handwriting%20Formation.pdf

http://www.donpotter.net/pdf/af_cursive.pdf

There is no font for exactly what I teach, so I just make handwritten copywork and explain verbally what I want the student to do.

[a27mom]

I needed something initially, but that is because I did not understand proper handwriting. I was taught handwriting in a very confusing way in ps as a child. So I used a curriculum to learn how to form letters most efficiently so I could teach it. But I certainly don't see the need for continuing with any handwriting curriculum beyond that, unless the child has difficulty.

[MotherOfBoys]

We haven't used handwriting curriculum because I couldn't decide or I saw the price tag. $20 for New American Cursive, for example, seems ridiculous. and that's only level 1 out of 3. So $60 total for one kid's handwriting? Crazy!

 

My son prints just fine. He learned handwriting while learning his letters.

 

My only regret is not teaching cursive first because it does slow him down right now in other subjects to think of what shape to make.

AND

I also realized one of the objectives of handwriting is to get him writing so fluently, muscle memory, that it doesn't require any thought. Then he can just focus on spelling and what to say. We got this but it probably could have happened a little sooner if I would have made handwriting a quick important morning daily task separate from phonics and other subjects.

 

Plus, it doesn't take long to make it an independent subject which can build confidence and give you a few minutes to do something else.

 

What I'm doing with my second son:  Do cursive handwriting as a separate subject but buy a cheap $1 tablet and make it yourself with sentences that interest him.

[Walking-Iris]

I think they are helpful for giving you tips on how to help a child form the letters correctly. I used to believe that as long as it was legible and looked like an M then it was okay. After reading about handwriting, having my oldest ds in OT, reading Montessori works etc. I started to emphasize handwriting more.

 

yes it looks like an M but I still want my child starting from the top, not the bottom. 

 

And it's helpful to have one for cursive. I needed to remind myself how some of the letters were formed. 

 

I don't keep up with a specific program all year. A simple HWOT book can be done within a few weeks and copywork/spelling/writing etc can be used to reinforce the handwriting. 

[Amethyst]

No.

[quietchapel]

I don't use one. I use some dry erase handwriting table that I got from Walmart. In the beginning of each year for as many years as they need it, we review correct formation on the white board. We do copywork and all that, so they practice plenty.

[Berta]

Do I think you need one, no. For me, it was much easier and less of a hassle with my daughter to learn with a workbook. She is a workbook kid. I started her off with A Reason For Handwriting in preschool and she went all the way thru E. She is begging for F, but she really doesn't need it at all, her handwriting is beautiful. The workbooks are not expensive and I liked that she learned scripture verses while learning manuscript and cursive.