Clueless about handwriting...

[mindygz]

We are really just getting into the WTM head-on this fall, and thus far we've not done any handwriting practice besides just the occasional worksheet. My daughter (age 7) is pretty neat with her printing (she's very artistically gifted and I think she wants it to look nice), but I don't want to start cursive quite yet (maybe next spring), so I'm wondering what we should do. Also, my 4.5 year old son is just showing interest and starting to write his letters, so I'd like something to help him get on the right track.

 

I would love some recommendations and, especially, good online/free resources.

 

Thank you so much! I can't tell you how much of a blessing this forum has been to me the past few weeks as I get this all organized.

[Amie]

Well for a free online resource, MedievalMom on these boards just shared this with me: http://www.kidzone.ws/

 

There are printable worksheets for preschool (tracing lines, circles, zigzags), there are worksheets for learning/practicing print and cursive, and there is even a place where you can type in a line of your choice (like child's name) for them to practice.

[skaterbabs]

I really like Universal Publishing's series.

 

http://rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1246316522-387616&subject=9&category=1988

 

We're using these for all three of my kids, and the books are both inexpensive and thorough. We are using them slightly out of order, but from what I can tell that isn't a problem for Yacko and Wacko, who just need help improving their penmenship. Dot probably should be using the same book as Wacko, so I'll likely order that for her soon.

[brehon]

If your dd doesn't need any more handwriting practice, per say, and you're not ready for her to start cursive, perhaps she could do some copywork. This could accomplish several things at once: handwriting practice, help with memory work, even grammar/spelling instruction.

You could pick poems, Scripture, good passages from a book you're reading to the kids, etc, etc.

[tarana]

My 7yr olds - one has neat writing but lacks speed, the other has speed but terrible writing. My kids think manuscript printing is kindergarten stuff. So I thought I will just start them on cursive.

I am also using http://www.kidzone.ws/cursive/index.htm. We are doing only 1 letter per day sometimes for 2 days. I started with lower case for now. I also have a lined book where I copy the words so they can get extra practise.

I did get them each a workbook which goes in a alphabetical sequence. But like the kidzone sequence better. I did get them a wipe & write cursive book - used it only twice.

Edited July 4, 2009 by tarana

[tjarnold]

I would love some recommendations and, especially, good online/free resources.

 

I love the Handwriting Without Tears series. My third child is now beginning to use it, and it's excellent. At first, I was very hesitant to try it because the end result wasn't as visually appealing as D'Nealian or similar, but in the end, it's very teacher-friendly and child-friendly.

 

I've tried other things (Zaner-Bloser, A Reason for Handwriting, etc.), but I always keep coming back to HWT.

 

Good luck with your choices,

 

Tiffany

[kclopez]

I second Handwriting without tears. Check out their website. They have a lot of videos to help you. It is a little work for the mommy up front but it is so kid friendly! Your younger son will LOVE it. It is totally mulitsensory. I am also going to take a class at a local educational resource center on teaching handwriting. I feel I need a little help on how to organize this teaching a little better. My boys just don't sit and copy beautifully very often. Sometimes I do play "beautiful" music in background for quiet, contempletive copy time. (This is suggested in the phonics program "sound beginnings") We talked about the monks spending their lives like this - beautifully copying the Bible. I really think HWT is worth the investment. They do have training but it is expensive and I have found the company much more pro-regular schooling than home schooling - in terms of going to teacher conferences but not home schooling, etc.

[Tracy]

If you are just looking for some extra practice rather than a whole curriculum, check out these sites.

 

http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/language_arts/handwriting/

 

http://www.spellingcity.com/ This is a spelling site where you can enter spelling lists. In addition to being able to print worksheets for copying spelling words, it also provides spelling practice, testing, and games.

[elfinbaby]

HWT is a good program and we've been using it but we're switching this year. I used HWT to clean up ds's handwriting - it did a good job of that - but I'm not sure it's what you're looking for if you want something that looks pretty.

 

We're going to practice italics from here on out. dd (5) will start with it and ds (11) will make the transition this year. We'll do a quick review and move into cursive italics. It's very similar to printing so it might work for you.

 

I'm using the StartWrite software to make my own copywork sheets and Penny Gardner's book Beautiful Handwriting for Children:

 

http://www.pennygardner.com/italicsbk.html

 

The book is really inexpensive and does print, cursive, as well as pages of quotes to practice copywork.

[wildflower]

I used this site last winter with my now 4.5 year old. It was a

great resource for letters, numbers and coloring pages for the kids at church....

hth!

 

robyn

http://www.first-school.ws/THEME/alphabetp8.htm

[WiseOwlKnits]

We use and love HWT as well!! I can't say enough good things about it. :)

[JudyJudyJudy]

I'm another fan of Handwriting Without Tears. My son hated handwriting until we started using this program.

[mindygz]

 

I'm using the StartWrite software to make my own copywork sheets and Penny Gardner's book Beautiful Handwriting for Children:

 

http://www.pennygardner.com/italicsbk.html

 

The book is really inexpensive and does print, cursive, as well as pages of quotes to practice copywork.

 

So the one book does print AND cursive?

[tarana]

I'm another fan of Handwriting Without Tears. My son hated handwriting until we started using this program.

 

I keep looking at these books. The style does't look very pretty. I am just afraid that my kids will pick up the style and may not be able to transition to ZB or DN or one of the prettier cursive stlyes.

1. Did any of use use HWT and then transition to other styles?

2. How difficult or easy was the transition?

[elfinbaby]

It does cover both. Follow the link, scroll to the bottom, and click table of contents. You can see what it covers and view some samples. The book was written for children to learn italics (very similar to Getty Dubay italics imo) and you can copy the pages as needed for your children. I love the look of the style so I'm going for it. I find myself writing in a print/modified print even now as an adult so I don't mind my children not learning the more traditional cursive. I prefer the look of cursive italics. However, I do realize that my children will have to learn how to read cursive. I don't think that will be a problem though. I'll just write up samples when it's time and show them how to read them.

 

I will be transitioning my ds from HWT to italics this year. I really don't expect it to be a problem. FWIW, I like HWT and think it is very helpful for children who struggle with handwriting, hate handwriting, need improvement, etc. I don't think it's the program to commit to if you have a child who does well with their printing/cursive and wants/needs to begin learning to write in a particular style. It's just not attractive but imo it was designed to be a clean, precise style that taught children to write neatly and legibly.

[mindygz]

one more question....would the PG italics be something a younger child could start on, or is it best to wait until a certain age to do handwriting study? I never satisfactorily learned cursive, and as soon as I didn't have to write in cursive again (I think it might've been 5th grad) I never did again. So my cursive looks about the same as I did when I was 10...ugly. I print exclusively. I feel completely in the dark about handwriting! The PG stuff appeals to me, though. And the price is certainly right!:001_smile:

[elfinbaby]

I think anybody can make a mess of their handwriting coming out of public schools. I'm not sure they even teach handwriting as a subject anymore. I got a letter grade for my handwriting in school - C, always a C:glare: I still have terrible handwriting. I'm going to practice w/my kids this fall.

 

Personally, I wouldn't start a child "officially" into handwriting at 4.5 Although my dd has been interested in writing since she was 4, I'm not putting pressure on her (and I don't think that's what you are planning to do either) but I do want to begin watching how she forms her letters. I did not watch my ds - I thought they were monitoring that at school - and he has some horrible, horrible habits that stayed with him. Since your ds has an interest in writing, just make sure he's making the strokes correctly. He's so young, his fine motor skills are still developing, so his handwriting won't be perfect but you can show him how the letters are written correctly if he's interested.

[kls126s]

I keep looking at these books. The style does't look very pretty. I am just afraid that my kids will pick up the style and may not be able to transition to ZB or DN or one of the prettier cursive stlyes.

1. Did any of use use HWT and then transition to other styles?

2. How difficult or easy was the transition?

 

My question exactly.

 

My daughter picked up handwriting easily and we used Getty Dubay just to make sure she was forming correctly. My son looks like he is going to have a harder time with handwriting (no surprise, really) and I've considered HWT but hate to think his handwriting is going to look like that from now on. ???

 

Maybe unattractive HWT handwriting is better than illegible handwriting?! :tongue_smilie:

[apmom]

We used d'nealian handwriting last year (1st grade), and we'll most likely continue to use it. DS liked it when I "wrote" the letters on his back before he did his sheet.

 

This is the book we used:

http://www.amazon.com/Dnealian-School-Activities-Manuscript-Practice/dp/0673185354/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246901201&sr=8-22

[Aurelia]

I keep looking at these books. The style does't look very pretty. I am just afraid that my kids will pick up the style and may not be able to transition to ZB or DN or one of the prettier cursive stlyes.

1. Did any of use use HWT and then transition to other styles?

2. How difficult or easy was the transition?

 

 

We started with HWT and switched to Zaner-Bloser. Our transition was really easy. I just had her do copywork in the "ball and stick" font (Beatrix Potter copywork I downloaded from Currclick). Ariel copies the letters in the style they are printed, so we haven't had any trouble. She also prefers that font to HWT. I had more trouble getting her to print the HWT way than the ZB style.

[sfb5oieu4894]

My favorite handwriting program is A Reason for Handwriting. There is plenty of material for the school year, they have a great transitional book between print and cursive, and the kids seem to find it enjoyable, and they can hang up the art page at the end of the week with their completed Sentence. This is a Christian curriculum.