Paper for WRTR

[Kathleen in LV]

I'm considering using the WRTR for kindergarden. The book recommends using paper with 5/8-inch spacing between lines for beginners through second grade, contending that wider spacing forces children to draw letters instead of writing. (And it discourages using paper with a dotted midline.)

 

While I appreciate this concept, it strikes me that this is very small spacing for a 5-year old.

 

If anybody has used this smaller spacing paper for a beginning writer, I would be interested in whether it was successful and any other input you might have.

 

Thanks,

Kathleen

[pahansen]

I've never tried it before, but I'm thinking of doing it this year. I've noticed that large letters/numbers seem to be more difficult, at least for my children.

 

Yesterday my newly-4yo asked me how to make a lower case d, and after helping her a few times she tried on her own. The "c"part and the long line never quite met up. A few minutes later I looked over, and she had made three beautiful "d"s on her own -- each was about 1 cm tall! So I'm definitely starting to rethink which paper I use to teach writing.

 

Good luck!

--Pamela

[Ellie]

Spalding teachers have used 5/8" lined paper for over 50 years with thousands of children, all of whom seemed to do just fine. :001_smile:

 

I say go with what the experts recommend. :001_smile:

[monalisa]

I did not use WRTR, but my dd had a very, very hard time with handwriting when she was forced to use large lined paper (In private K and then when we started HS in 1st grade). When I moved her to smaller lined paper it made a dramatic difference for her (I don't know the actual measurement, but I think the paper was labeled 3rd grade). I also used Handwriting Without Tears, and the K book had those huge lines, and the 1st grade book wasn't much smaller. I dropped the 1st grade book and had her use the 2nd grade book for 1st grade and it was like a different child writing. I used the 3rd grade cursive book for second, and cursive was much easier for her too.

[boscopup]

My son has done much better with writing since I switched him to smaller lines as well. I first thought to do that when I was having trouble writing in those WWE1 lines where the parent writes the narration. It's HARD to write in those big lines! So I figured if it was hard for me, it might be hard for him too. Sure enough...

[Kathleen in LV]

Thank you for all the helpful replies. I agree that I have difficulty writing on the larger paper with midlines. We'll definitely give the smaller paper a try when we get started in a couple of weeks.

 

Thanks again,

Kathleen