What is like ETC without the writing?

[chpiper]

My 3 1/2 yr old LOVES doing workbooks, and she is currently working on the 'Get Ready for the Code' books...they are perfect for her, but she isn't ready for the writing practice yet...Sometimes I can convince her to skip it, other times she gets upset if she has to skip anything...She does fine with tracing, just the free formation of letters is beyond her at this point...

 

Anyone know of any workbooks that are like ETC without the writing?

[angela in ohio]

My middle dd went through most of the ETC books before she could write well. It was a combination of her being ready early and her having difficulty writing until later. I bought a set of letter stamps, and she would alternately use those or have me write the letters in for her. We never did the pre-ETC books, though. I don't think they are necessary at all. It is easier to just work on letter sounds orally and worry about handwriting when they are K or later.

[ALB]

We ran into the same issue, loved ETC books and Dd was ready for the reading part, but not the writing. One way I found to work around it was to give her letter manipulatives (like the wooden ones from HWT, but I just cut them from foam), and then had her form the correct letter using those and show me. I liked that it still gave her practice getting the shapes of the letters down, without forcing her to do too much pencil work before she was ready.

Another idea would be to give her magnetic letters or something similar and have her pick the right ones. That might be easier since they're small enough to even fit in the spaces on the workbook pages.

[rdolphingirl]

One idea ... use stamps to make the letter then have her trace it?

 

I went looking and found these :

http://www.learningresources.com/product/teachers/shop+by+category/teacher+resources/stamps/lowercase+alphabet+tracing+stamps.do

They look really neat, and I might get my ds some, both my younger two have motor issues that make proper formation of letter a royal pain in my ...

 

I sure wouldn't push formation at that age ;)

 

HTH,

[StephanieZ]

One idea ... use stamps to make the letter then have her trace it?

 

I went looking and found these :

http://www.learningresources.com/product/teachers/shop+by+category/teacher+resources/stamps/lowercase+alphabet+tracing+stamps.do

They look really neat, and I might get my ds some, both my younger two have motor issues that make proper formation of letter a royal pain in my ...

 

I sure wouldn't push formation at that age ;)

 

HTH,

:iagree:

[StephanieZ]

Oops, hit post too fast,

 

I agree re: the stamps. Those Learning Resources stamps are the exact stamps we used (and still have) -- except they used to be an uglier orange.

 

It's the perfect solution.

 

Also, you can use pages of (cheap) lowercase stamp alphabet stickers -- often available in the "scrap booking" aisle.

 

You are also play "secretary" on occasion.

 

HTH

[JudoMom]

I would write the letter in a light colored marker, and then if the kid wanted they could trace over what I wrote.

[Embassy]

My 3 1/2 yr old LOVES doing workbooks, and she is currently working on the 'Get Ready for the Code' books...they are perfect for her, but she isn't ready for the writing practice yet...Sometimes I can convince her to skip it, other times she gets upset if she has to skip anything...She does fine with tracing, just the free formation of letters is beyond her at this point...

 

Anyone know of any workbooks that are like ETC without the writing?

 

Well, it is not a workbook but you can try ETC online. Otherwise I would have her trace or dictate the answers to you.

[abbeyej]

When ds was 3 and first using ETC, I would have him tell me what to write, and I'd write with a highlighter or light-colored colored pencil. Then he would trace over. It didn't take very long before he was doing the writing on his own.

 

The one thing I would be more of a stickler for, based on his experience, was proper formation of the letters (starting in the right place, going in the right direction). I think his early writing would have been even easier, had I insisted on that from the beginning (but I was too worried about "pushing" a child who was already dragging me along, lol).