When to start handwriting

[cmarango]

My almost 3 yo dd has been writing some letters when we are outside with sidewalk chalk. She started with H, I, L, and E. Lately she has been doing the letter P. Can I just let her have fun or do I need to worry about how she is forming them?

 

Thanks,

Christina

[Staceyshoe]

If she wants to learn to write or starts writing a lot on her own, I would work with her to make sure she is doing it correctly. Also check her pencil grip. Those bad habits are so hard to break!

[Dmmetler]

I agree-the HWT preschool teacher's guide (you really don't need the workbook for a 3 yr old, unless she likes the idea of doing it) gives a lot of suggestions, including how to substitute/make most of the manipulatives.

 

My DD started writing at 2 1/2 or so, just a few letters and her name, then at 3 decided she could only "write scribbles" and wouldn't write anything but her name, and at just under 5 decided she was going to learn cursive! I'm kind of glad I did the full HWT workshop because I have all the materials for all grades-I'd never expected to need them within a year, though! I guess it's a "whatever works" situation.

[Storm Bay]

Yes, I'd get HWT and modify it. Had I known this back when my dd's were three it would have prevented some bad habits in my now 11 yo. Ds did HWT but not until 5 because at 3 he had no interest in writing yet.

[Dinsfamily]

Teach her to form them properly. I didn't pay attention with my oldest and we had to break some bad habits (both letter formation and pencil grip) at the beginning of the year. I vowed not to let that happen with my younger boys.

 

One thing that's working really well for my 3yo is a saltbox. It's just a cut down shoebox (about 2" high) with a little salt in it. It is a great medium for practicing letter formation. Who knew with that little gem I'd have two little boys begging to do handwriting practice?

[Tracy]

When my dd was about 3yo, she did the same thing. I wanted to make sure that she wasn't forming any habits that would be difficult to unlearn later. I bought the beginning handwriting books from Kumon. These are so wonderful for that age. It actually starts with just drawing lines and moves to drawing letters that are similar to the lines that were being practiced. The letters are so large that if I gave her a page to do, she would have to write 3-4 letters and was done. So we did one page per day. It took us about 8 months to go through the upper and lower case books. Her handwriting is beautiful now, and I have never used any other formal program. Now she is almost 5yo, and we just do copywork to try to increase her stamina.

 

Tracy

[Truscifi]

I agree with PPs, you should teach her proper grip and letter formation. We just let ds6 play when he was that age, and we are still working to correct an overlapping thumb that caused him a lot of discomfort and hand fatigue when he started doing more writing at a time. OTOH, don't push her or make it a chore, or she may resist doing it at all! Just show her how to do it correctly when she starts practicing on her own anyway.

[rowan25]

When my dd was about 3yo, she did the same thing. I wanted to make sure that she wasn't forming any habits that would be difficult to unlearn later. I bought the beginning handwriting books from Kumon. These are so wonderful for that age. It actually starts with just drawing lines and moves to drawing letters that are similar to the lines that were being practiced. The letters are so large that if I gave her a page to do, she would have to write 3-4 letters and was done. So we did one page per day. It took us about 8 months to go through the upper and lower case books. Her handwriting is beautiful now, and I have never used any other formal program. Now she is almost 5yo, and we just do copywork to try to increase her stamina.

 

Tracy

Can you tell me which Kumon books you used? I've found the First books of uppers and lowers, but I can't find anymore. I need to go back and do a LOT of review with this. Especially lowercase and spacing between words. Any other suggestions?

 

Aimee

[Tracy]

Can you tell me which Kumon books you used? I've found the First books of uppers and lowers, but I can't find anymore. I need to go back and do a LOT of review with this. Especially lowercase and spacing between words. Any other suggestions?

 

Aimee

 

Those are all I used. She was 4yo when we were finished, and we started Kindergarten at that point. I started off just letting her practice writing by doing phonics and math worksheets, but I found that what she needed was less writing in the subject areas and to practice with copywork. She likes it when I take the copywork from books that we are reading and gets it done in just a couple of minutes.

 

Tracy

[cmarango]

Thanks for all of the replies. Does anyone know if there is a difference between the two HWOT Pre-K Teacher's guides (1st vs. 2nd edition)?

 

Christina

[Dmmetler]

The newest one gives access to the website additions with the code in the front (not just for PK, but for all levels, which may be helpful later), and since it's not all that expensive, I'd get the newest edition.

[SunshineMom]

Teacher Tip (so as to avoid one bad writing habit--all CAPS):

If you are going to teach your little one to write, please start he/she off learning all lowercase letters because most of what we write is in lowercase form. Best wishes on a great journey!

[Aloha2U]

Teacher Tip (so as to avoid one bad writing habit--all CAPS):

If you are going to teach your little one to write, please start he/she off learning all lowercase letters because most of what we write is in lowercase form. Best wishes on a great journey!

 

:iagree:

[cmarango]

Teacher Tip (so as to avoid one bad writing habit--all CAPS):

If you are going to teach your little one to write, please start he/she off learning all lowercase letters because most of what we write is in lowercase form.

 

Since I am not really interested in teaching her the entire alphabet right now, what should my approach be? I just want to make sure that she doesn't start doing something crazy with her letter formation. So far, all of the letters that she has written have been uppercase. For example:

 

We are out in the driveway and she starts writing the letter H. Should I then show her how to write the letter h? Or, should I just make sure that she is making the letter H properly?

 

This is certainly looking to be more complicated than I had initially thought. Maybe I should just hide anything that could remotely be used as a writing instrument. :tongue_smilie:

 

Thanks for any help,

Christina

[Dinsfamily]

 

This is certainly looking to be more complicated than I had initially thought. Maybe I should just hide anything that could remotely be used as a writing instrument. :tongue_smilie:

 

Thanks for any help,

Christina

 

This is a very effective technique. :lol:

 

But, I would just take the opportunity to explain the difference between upper and lowercase, then demonstrate how to write the lowercase. Teaching her how to write her name properly is a good upper/lowercase intro topic. Like the previous posters, I only teach my dc uppercase when they are needed. We work on mastery of lowercase formation first.

[Dmmetler]

Uh, for a 3 yr old, upper case is a LOT easier than lower case. If you're starting a child at 5-6, then by all means do both together, but for a 3 yr old who just wants to write, there are good developmental reasons for doing upper case first-and it comes down to "it's just plain easier". Just because a child is cognitively advanced doesn't mean their motor skills are. I wouldn't bother to try to teach a preschooler to write who didn't want to do it, but when a child is trying and really wants to, you need to give them the tools. And if that means all caps, so be it.

 

My experience with an early reader who wanted to write at age 2 1/2, was that she didn't get stuck on all-caps because she knew good and well that books weren't written in all caps. It took her very little time to start asking how to do lower case letters once she'd mastered the capitals, and she gradually substituted them in as she had mastered them. All caps was a very transitionary stage, not an endpoint. She started doing the same thing with cursive, because she'd observed that adults write in cursive, not manuscript, so I started teaching cursive mostly as a defense against developing bad habits, and right now, she does most lowercase letters in cursive, but is still working on the capitals. Again, it's a transitory state.

 

I know K teachers hate it when children come in writing in all caps and have been taught to do that, and I've been on that side. However, my experience is that the kids who get stuck writing in all caps are those who are being taught to write before they can read, and I don't think that applies to the OPs situation in the slightest.

[rowan25]

Teacher Tip (so as to avoid one bad writing habit--all CAPS):

If you are going to teach your little one to write, please start he/she off learning all lowercase letters because most of what we write is in lowercase form. Best wishes on a great journey!

Gosh, I wish I'd done this!!! Another of the handwriting battles I'm fighting. :tongue_smilie:

[rowan25]

I know K teachers hate it when children come in writing in all caps and have been taught to do that, and I've been on that side. However, my experience is that the kids who get stuck writing in all caps are those who are being taught to write before they can read, and I don't think that applies to the OPs situation in the slightest.

Actually that's not what happened here at all. My dd started reading at 2 and writing by 3. She will be 6 next month and is STILL writing in all caps. She knows the lowercase letters, but she says it's easier to write all caps and doesn't hurt her hand as much. She's a tense child and really grips that pencil, whether she has a grippy or not. :confused: I'm not sure where to go from here. We started cursive because she really, really wanted to, but her print is awful. I'm planning on going back and "re-learning" the lowercase letters and word spacing. sigh. What fun. More tears and fighting. Never get enough of that!!

[Storm Bay]

Uh, for a 3 yr old, upper case is a LOT easier than lower case. If you're starting a child at 5-6, then by all means do both together, but for a 3 yr old who just wants to write, there are good developmental reasons for doing upper case first-and it comes down to "it's just plain easier". Just because a child is cognitively advanced doesn't mean their motor skills are. I wouldn't bother to try to teach a preschooler to write who didn't want to do it, but when a child is trying and really wants to, you need to give them the tools. And if that means all caps, so be it.

.

 

Both my dds wrote in all caps only at 3 on their own, and I didn't teach them lower case until school age (well, my eldest learned in ps since she was there K-2) and they learned that without too much strife, since I don't remember any arguments which may or may not have occurred. I tend to remember the more major battles since I have strong willed dc.