my 4 yo writes his letters from the bottom up. Help

[Halcyon]

I want to be sure this habit doesn't get too ingrained. He loves writing letters, poems etc and I try and correct him, but at the same time, do NOT want to make him overly self-conscious at his age (4) or discourage him from writing. He enjoys workbooks and math, so he writes a fair amount, and I am slightly concerned that it will be harder to break this habit when he's older.

 

He forms many of his letters from the bottom up, meaning for the letter O he will start and the bottom, same for letter T, F, R, N....

 

Any suggestions for how to gently break him of this habit?

[SonshineLearner]

Startwrite has a copy work type thing, which you can use to make your own copy work. There is one spot to do letters where you can have arrows, and one spot to click if you want a red dot for them to "start" at. Of course, I'm doing something that I hope helps. I have my son do cursive....

When he does write, I tell him... left to right... top to bottom.. when that's the proper way... I just tell him that it will help him write correctly, later, and that it's the "right" way. I also told him that learning to write is a privilege, and that he needs to obey. (Because, I've watched my older step daughters NEVER self correct. Smart girl who writes "o's" and "a's" and such from the bottom of the line... It's really just horrible penmanship... and I care. SWR and such have "directions" you go over for writing letters. You might check into this... and just start teaching him his letters:-)

 

Good Luck!!

[lauracolumbus]

My dd6 still does this b/c I didn't correct her when she was younger. Now I just sit next to her and remind her. Sometimes jokingly, sometimes more seriously. It's becoming more ingrained, but she still makes mistakes.

 

Laura

[Jumping In Puddles]

Since he enjoys workbooks, I would get him the HWT workbook.

[mlgbug]

my dd does this. we just started copywork, i make it up....and put a dot at the starting point to remind her to start there and go down

[Harriet Vane]

Why does it matter?

 

I ask because my son does this too. His handwriting is neat on the whole--certainly better than his sister's was at this age. (She inherited her father's unfortunate illegible hand.)

[Dinsfamily]

I want to be sure this habit doesn't get too ingrained. He loves writing letters, poems etc and I try and correct him, but at the same time, do NOT want to make him overly self-conscious at his age (4) or discourage him from writing. He enjoys workbooks and math, so he writes a fair amount, and I am slightly concerned that it will be harder to break this habit when he's older.

 

He forms many of his letters from the bottom up, meaning for the letter O he will start and the bottom, same for letter T, F, R, N....

 

Any suggestions for how to gently break him of this habit?

 

I taught my ds using the letter formation in SWR. He really responded to the clock positions (circle letters start at the 2 o'clock position, straight letters start at the 12). Having a clockface in front of him really helped him visualize the correct place. I tried to focus on that fact that it's easier to form letters correctly. I was prepared for a battle, but he really liked learning the "right" way.

[Just Robyn]

Why does it matter?

 

I ask because my son does this too. His handwriting is neat on the whole--certainly better than his sister's was at this age. (She inherited her father's unfortunate illegible hand.)

 

That question reminds me of an issue of HEM. One person wrote in about their child's poor penmanship, and one of the responses was something along the lines of "My husband has horrible penmanship. Nobody cares. I have wonderful penmanship. Nobody cares."

 

Anyway. I half agree with you, and half wish my children would write their letters from the top up. I tell them all time, but it never sticks, not even until the next letter. I just figure I'll do my best, but prepare myself to accept it if they never change their ways.

 

We are using Draw Write Now to try to improve penmanship.

[Aurelia]

We used HWT. Ariel liked to sing the song about starting the letters at the top. (It's in the back of the K workbook.) She forms her letters correctly now.

[iammommy]

about 5" X 7". put a sticker in the upper left corner. Tell ds that's where he heeds to start writing. This is what HWT does.It also helps with letter reversals becasue if they start right at the left hand border of the little chalkboard you ahve to go to the right. HTH!

 

Nan

[Jayne J]

My ds6 does this as well. His letter N, he writes from right to left. It really bothers my husband, but I really don't understand why. What does it matter, so long as his writing is legible? (it is.) (I am seriously asking, since my "handwriting theory" is rusty. Ok non-existant.)

Once he moves to cursive, none of it matters anyway, since he can only write them left to right anyway, right?

[Halcyon]

Since he enjoys workbooks, I would get him the HWT workbook.

 

 

Thank you! We have this, and he completed much of it, but despite me gently reminding him, if he grabbed the book and worked on it alone without me, he wouldd still form them bottom up. I think I have to be more attentive, basically. :glare:

[Halcyon]

I taught my ds using the letter formation in SWR. He really responded to the clock positions (circle letters start at the 2 o'clock position, straight letters start at the 12). Having a clockface in front of him really helped him visualize the correct place. I tried to focus on that fact that it's easier to form letters correctly. I was prepared for a battle, but he really liked learning the "right" way.

 

 

Probably an obvious question, but what's SWR?

[Halcyon]

about 5" X 7". put a sticker in the upper left corner. Tell ds that's where he heeds to start writing. This is what HWT does.It also helps with letter reversals becasue if they start right at the left hand border of the little chalkboard you ahve to go to the right. HTH!

 

Nan

Ah! I'd forgotten about that little chalkboard! my older child wrote letters the 'right' way from day 1, so I never bothered to buy it.

 

Regarding why it matters--well, I want my kids to have neat penmanship. Period. And I think the 'old-fashioned' way works best to that end.

[Dinsfamily]

Probably an obvious question, but what's SWR?

 

Spell to Write and Read. I'm pretty sure that The Writing Road to Reading might have the same directions as well. You can usually find a copy of WRTR at the library.

[gardening momma]

Once he moves to cursive, none of it matters anyway, since he can only write them left to right anyway, right?

Because then he'll actually have to change the way he writes his letters (someone correct me if I'm wrong). If he learns to form his manuscript letters in the same directions that he will later form his cursive letters, it should be an easier and more logical transition.

[Amanda_Jo]

My 4 year old does/did the same thing! I bought the HWT workbooks and the little chalkboard. She thinks the chalkboard is a wonderful toy, but I only allow her to use it when I am at the school table with her so that I can correct her quickly when she starts to put the chalk at the bottom of the board. I also only have her do the workbook when I am standing close enough to remind her where to start.

So far I'm having to remind her less and less to start at the top.

 

I've gone so far as to discourage her from writing unless I am close by to watch. She's been doing lots of drawing, playdough, cutting, pasting and painting when I am not available to be nearby instead of using workbooks/writing.

 

I hope by the time we finish the HWT K book she'll have the correct formation more ingrained!

[Joyful]

We used HWT. Ariel liked to sing the song about starting the letters at the top. (It's in the back of the K workbook.) She forms her letters correctly now.

 

This was our experience too! DS would start his letters from the bottom for a long time too! We started to used HWT, and learned the cute song - "where do you start the letters?" Whenever I saw DS starting his letters from the bottom, I'd gently remind him with the song, and he'd sing along, and correct himself. It takes a while though to change a habit. But DS has been making progress. :D

[susancollins]

We also do the HWT my son Jackson loves it. He just turned five and he loves Mat man, and singing the songs. This program really got him excitied about handwriting. I just love this program and can't say enough good things about it. Susan:001_smile:

[Satori]

We love HWT and are on our 3rd book (Grade 1). We learned the right way, listened to the songs. But we took a long break from it and recently I noticed her forming letters in strange ways, bottom up, inverted, not on the right lines, etc... I don't want her to have inefficient handwriting, so I started right away back in HWT First Grade book which we'll do slowly and carefully this spring.

 

I also started using StartWrite, with the HWT font, and we're doing at least one worksheet a day. Right now all of them have the typical HWT lines (just two) and have that important red starting dot. Hopefully this will help!

 

Maybe listen to the CD again... at the top!

 

She's starting to use the keyboard a lot, so maybe I needn't worry about her printing much longer...

[helena]

How about buying or making something like this: http://www.montessoriservices.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=100_139_3169

You could present it to your son in a way that this work is only for practicing the correct way to print each letter. You could still get a workbook for overall printing letters and words, but make the cornmeal box a quick special little thing.

This is probably too young for him, but it's a nice book with velvet letters raised out of the pages. http://www.montessoriservices.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=100_192_3203 I would sit everyday and trace the letters the way that you would print them. At first do it for him in a slightly exaggerated (slow and methodical) fashion while saying the sound of the letter.

hth

[chaik76]

Because then he'll actually have to change the way he writes his letters (someone correct me if I'm wrong). If he learns to form his manuscript letters in the same directions that he will later form his cursive letters, it should be an easier and more logical transition.

This really posed no problem for my son in the transition to cursive...he moved into cursive with no problem at all...it's absolutely beautiful. And he still writes his print letters from the bottom up! It just makes more sense and is easier to him so I let him go with it.

Edited February 3, 2010 by chaik76
Not paying attention to how I spelled things!!!

[Annabel Lee]

My older son does this weird thing with his lowercase a's where he circles around and around - whether it's cursive or manuscript. It drives me nuts because it just looks wrong - I can see the extra pencil marks going around.

 

My younger son starts his a's at the 12 o'clock position, so that he has to "backtrack" when closing the round part before making the stem part. He does this with other round lowercase letters as well.

 

My solution? Extra penmanship practice - on student lined paper - at least a whole line of a's. I just make them by hand in pen & use a brightly colored marker to make the "start dot". I emphasize that "you start HERE". They have to trace & copy. Since they don't like this extra work, they've been listening better when I remind them the first time. :)

[ReneeK]

HWT is great for this. My 4 yr is like yours. He loves to write and use to start his letters anywhere. It's very visual and hands on. He loves to form the letters with the wood pieces and the stamper. I don't feel like I am scolding him when I correct him. Which of course I wasn't but I didn't want to discourage him before HWT.

[Halcyon]

HWT is great for this. My 4 yr is like yours. He loves to write and use to start his letters anywhere. It's very visual and hands on. He loves to form the letters with the wood pieces and the stamper. I don't feel like I am scolding him when I correct him. Which of course I wasn't but I didn't want to discourage him before HWT.

 

thanks-i think i will look more closely at hwt's other materials--i always just bought the workbook!