emyme05 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Whenever one my children shows an interest in a subject, I try to pursue it. Well, my 3 year old DS has told me and shown interest in learning how to write. I am fine with giving it a try and seeing where it goes. He already holds a pencil and can do easy mazes. Does anyone have any suggestions of a curriculum to try? His older sister does Zaner-Bloser handwriting books, but they seem too hard/long for a 3 year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Write on a big white board or chalkboard. It's fun and it will give him practice in proper letter formation without requiring the fine motor skills or eyesight small children often lack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I like the Handwriting Without Tears materials for little ones. Building letters with the letter pieces, doing "wet-dry-try" on a chalkboard, and other activities are great ways for kids to learn how letters are put together before they're ready for sustained practice in a workbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I agree with HWOT-my DD went through a "I want to write" phase at 3-4, and the Pre-k/K stuff filled the need. It also turned out to be good that she had gone through thag stage, because she got skipped into K at 4, and most of the kids had learned letter formation in JK (and were turning 6 before she turned 5). I guess she knew what she needed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I teach my kids with HWOT letter prompts on a lap-sized whiteboard. Most were interested about 3 and that was the perfect time to teach them their name, other names, etc. My current 3yo is going through it right now. My only kid to NOT be interested did not have the fine motor skills to do much beyond the straight lines in her name. At 5, I'm now remediation a lot of improper tendencies (bottom-up, clockwise circles, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go_go_gadget Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I agree with suggestion to do HWOT-style instruction for the littlest ones. I can't stand their script as a penmanship method for older ones, but the manipulatives and especially the chalk bits and boards are perfect for learning letter formation and utensil grip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I like the HWOT instruction, but when I tried it with my desperate-to-write dd about that age, she was adamant that she do it herself. She did NOT want me to teach her. I finally found a set of videos (I know, I know!) called the TV Teacher. With that unfortunate name, how could I go wrong, lol, but I had seen the samples. It isn't a movie you just watch but a set of very short clips by Ms. Marnie. A fun little video all about each letter, followed by her tracing it with a little chant. The set comes with a book that the child can trace along with her, then move on to lined paper. Obviously, I sat next to her to monitor, encourage, and watch for issues. Proper pencil grip is reinforced every time they start:) There is a video for both capital and lowercase letters, numbers, shapes, and even drawings with shapes as the basis. Lots of fun. I know it isn't for everyone, and I would never say it is the best way! But if you have a very independent AL that prefers a different style of instruction, it might be an option. Alex has really nice handwriting now:) I do warn that you will probably never get the chants out of your head. I think there is an app now that might be a cheaper option, or allow you to preview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizbusby Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I tried HwoT with my youngest at that age, and between his perfectionism and my handwriting anxiety, he suddenly refused to write or draw for three years afterward. My suggestion is to practice writing silly sentences or words, especially from books or TV shows they like. I finally got mine back into writing by writing sentences from his Pokemon encyclopedia and quotes from favorite video games. Occasionally, I give him formal instruction on how to form one letter or another by drawing it on the board with little direction arrows, underneath the sentence we are writing. Seems to be working well. Especially for a kid that young, make sure you back off the pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emyme05 Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Thank you for all the help! For those who did HWOT, did you start with the Pre-K or K level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Unless you use the workbooks, there really isn't a difference. The K includes lower case, while the Pre-K is uppercase only. My suggestion is to buy the K stuff, and then get an extra Pre-K workbook if your child needs the larger size/more tracing (at 3, my DD did). I had everything because I took the teacher's workshop, and i could have gotten by with the K teacher's guide and some paper, a small chalkboard, and an old cardboard box to cut the letter pieces out of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I do a blend of HWOT idea but Zaner Bloser script. This is what it looks like for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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