Is a handwriting curriculum needed?

[FlutterbyMommy]

Okay, I am torn on the various handwriting curricula. After looking at a variety I wonder if a packaged one is needed.

 

I haven;t purchased anything yet, but we engaged in handwriting "activities" today. My dd wrote with her finger in sugar. We practiced fine motor skills using tweezers to pick up rice and beans. We wrote with small bits of chalk copying letters off the internet and various other things.

 

If we took it letter by letter, week by week, could this be an acceptable way to approach writing? Maybe for 6 months to a year winging it could work.

 

Has anyone here gone it solo? If o, how long did you do this?

[TheCoffeeChick]

No we do not use a handwriting curriculum. Both my dc loved writing by the time they were 3, so we just got some paper without lines and they learned to write their names and words like mom, dad ...

 

Then natural progression led us to write on lined preschool paper. I buy books of it at Wal-Mart.

 

Also, we do ETC and there is a lot of writing in it (IMHO) and so I didn't think ds would sit through more writing. I just figured ETC was a two-for-one shot :) He now writes using the 3rd grade paper because he doesn't like the bigger lines and it is beautiful for a 6 year old!

 

As for dd, she will be 4 this fall and is just about through the ETC primers. She also writes her name and a few other words. We started doing our own version of Letter of the Week 2 weeks ago, and I have her practice the letter we are working on, on a sheet of preschool paper. Plus I print a few ABC activities for her to trace.

 

I'm not worried about teaching printing at all. However, I do think that next year when I plan on introducing cursive, I will get a program to go through, just to make sure we do it regularly.

[Dinsfamily]

No we do not use a handwriting curriculum. Both my dc loved writing by the time they were 3, so we just got some paper without lines and they learned to write their names and words like mom, dad ...

 

Then natural progression led us to write on lined preschool paper. I buy books of it at Wal-Mart.

 

Also, we do ETC and there is a lot of writing in it (IMHO) and so I didn't think ds would sit through more writing. I just figured ETC was a two-for-one shot :) He now writes using the 3rd grade paper because he doesn't like the bigger lines and it is beautiful for a 6 year old!

 

As for dd, she will be 4 this fall and is just about through the ETC primers. She also writes her name and a few other words. We started doing our own version of Letter of the Week 2 weeks ago, and I have her practice the letter we are working on, on a sheet of preschool paper. Plus I print a few ABC activities for her to trace.

 

I'm not worried about teaching printing at all. However, I do think that next year when I plan on introducing cursive, I will get a program to go through, just to make sure we do it regularly.

 

We didn't need one to teach manuscript either. I didn't teach my ds until he was 5, but he learned without any curriculum. I just explained how to form each letter. We practice while doing LA. I do plan on buyng a cursive program though. Cursive First (the one we're planning on buying) is inexpensive and might offer me a little help so I think it'll be a good buy.

[Brindee]

Not at age 4! When my kids were little we did it the same way you are. That's all that's needed now. It helps them practice the coordination for writing. In 2 or 3 years you could start, just to get a more organized method of making letters and writing words down.

[FlutterbyMommy]

Thank you ladies!

 

BTW, here is a link to beautiful cursive alphabet printouts which are free!!!

 

http://janbrett.com/alphabet/alphabet_tracers_cursive.htm

[Aletheia Academy]

I felt that I really needed the help of a workbook and a teacher manual to understand a reasonable scope and sequence, if you will. I found the GDI TM to be very, very helpful. I also have the sets of wrokbooks for 2 kids. I like that the workbooks provide a special place to hold their *best* handwriting samples.

 

OTOH, I needed to make StartWrite worksheets for ds even at the very beginning, because the GDI workbooks did not provide enough practice. Now with dd, I wonder whether I will use the workbooks at all, because I prefer just to use StartWrite to create the worksheets individualized to what each dc needs and what I want them to write.

[Georgiana Daniels]

We just started with A Beka this year and bought the handwriting books to go with the math and phonics and....well....we haven't even opened the handwriting yet because there seems to be plenty of practice in the other books. We may use it later to supplement, but right now as we're getting started with K, we're fine with the regular books.

[blessedmom3]

You're doing a great job!

When your dd is about 5 you can start to print worksheets ( http://www.handwritingforkids.com ) or use any lined paper to form letters. I use HWT print because one of my son has fine motor delays and HWT cursive for the older , he teaches himself cursive with it.

[Cornerstone Classical]

You might want to check out Donna Young's site. She has free printable pre writing sheets you can print out. Practice drawing lines/circles/etc

 

hope this link works...

 

http://www.donnayoung.org/penmanship/beginning-manuscript.htm

 

HTH:001_smile:

[NavyWifeandMommy]

I have given up on trying to use writing curriculum. I have just sold the rest of the books I have for handwriting. My kiddos get plenty of handwriting and motor skills w/o them. I have the jounal pages and other line paper from the store plus regular notebooks and dry erase boards. Yep after four years I have learned you don't need a handwriting program, IMO. I do like the A Reason For Handwriting blank pages. My daughter likes to color the pictures after writing. I want to get the blank pages for my other daughter, my son could care a less about coloring, he rather draw.

[Guest]

Someone gave me some printouts that have one letter per page. They have to copy the letter 5-6 times and then there are some blank lines. We've been doing one page per week. I ask him to write 4 on his own since he is 4 and he enjoys it. Is it necessary? No.

[FO4UR]

I think the teacher's manual is helpful, but having taught one dc, I can teach the rest completely with fun gross motor play in the early years, and with plain handwriting paper when they are ready.

 

Absolutely, just stick with fun and casual (and messy) methods until the strokes/letter formation is learned. And, your dc will likely begin writing with crayons on her own when she's ready to move to paper....keep good track of you permanent markers;) (we have a bedsheet with lots of letters written in permanent marker...thanks to my lovely dd...:001_huh::tongue_smilie::lol:)

[NancyNellen]

We have never used a curriculum for manuscript. Just copying. We begin cursive in third and use D'Nealian for that.