1st grade handwriting

[mommyof3blessings]

My dd6 is finishing her handwriting curriculum (Zaner-Bloser) that she started in August. She knows how to form all of the letters correctly, but still needs practice and guidance. I don't want to start the 2nd grade curriculum, but am looking for something for her to keep practicing what she has learned. Does anyone know of a handwriting curriculum or web site that offers practice and that still provides guidance (not just copy work). TIA:):)

[boscopup]

At that stage, I did copywork, and I stayed right there to guide my son. ;)

 

Probably not what you want to hear, but I think those early stages of handwriting really need mom sitting right there to prevent bad habits. There can be all the arrows and starting dots in the world, and your child might still decide to pick their own direction to form a letter. :glare:

 

You can find a lot of free handwriting sheet generators on the web. I can't name them offhand, as I use Startwrite to create sheets.

[Jay3fer]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I think those early stages of handwriting really need mom sitting right there to prevent bad habits. There can be all the arrows and starting dots in the world, and your child might still decide to pick their own direction to form a letter. :glare:

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree: My dd6 absolutely RESENTS having me prop the handwriting chart in front of her (photocopied from the front of HWT, with dots and arrows and everything), and will deliberately look the other way rather than consult it.

 

So if I want it done right, I sit there.

 

If I absolutely MUST do something else, I'll leave her with copywork, but in that case, I check it immediately when I get back. And then I don't hesitate to ask her to fix a couple of things up. I try to stay focused, and not attempt to fix everything in one step. Last week, I noticed her r's were coming apart at the top and looking like little y's or some weird Greek letter. So I just had her fix those until they stopped splitting. Even though her a's could have used work, too. You have to pick your battles and not overwhelm them with impossible expectations.

 

ALSO.

 

As I always say when copywork and handwriting comes up, it is MOST important to "catch" your kid succeeding and praise her (proportionately - you don't have to act like she performed a heart transplant!). No matter how messy most of the writing on the page is, there's almost always one word I can praise.

[Ritsumei]

I did a Kumon Uppercase and a Kumon Lowercase book - we're not quite finished with that 2nd one - and then I downloaded the "penmanship print" font and make copywork. We occasionally use a learning page too. He's going to start writing the first word or two of our narrations soon, and over time we'll gradually transition. We also have a dry-erase letter practice "book" thing that I found at Walmart.

 

I know you said no copywork, but I feel when you can so easily make penmanship practice sheets or print them out, why buy? Like Boscopup said, whatever you do, a new writer is going to need supervision.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Ritsumei
forgot the link

[morosophe]

And as long as you were using Zaner-Bloser, and are okay with doing copywork, check out their free generator. (Hit the "Try Now" button and it will pop up in a separate window.) That's what I've been using for my son's copywork for a year now. (And we didn't even use Z-B for our handwriting!)

 

Edited to add: I usually hit a couple of returns at the line breaks so that there's a line of text, then a blank line for copying, then another line of text.

[Mommy22alyns]

I would do copywork with guidance. Sylvia isn't doing a handwriting program, but she's using WWE 1, which gives her copywork too.

[morosophe]

Or, if you want a nice little change, have you considered a drawing program? It keeps your child working on the whole fine motor skills/using a pencil area, but makes a nice little change. If you get something like Draw Write Now, it even incorporates copywork (although I know that's not what you wanted).

 

Of course, if your child is brimming with actual artistic ability, a program like that would be horrible.

[cholderby]

DS finished the HWT 1st grade book but, like you, I didn't want to go on to 2nd quite yet. So we are either writing a letter or doing copywork every day. He likes the letter writing best!

[mamakimberly]

 

Of course, if your child is brimming with actual artistic ability, a program like that would be horrible.

 

Just curious why this program would be horrible for a child with actual artistic ability?

 

My 8 year old daughter worked through some of those last spring and loved them... she's pretty artistic, too...

[mrs.m]

http://donnayoung.org/penmanship/handwriting-worksheet-styles.htm

[morosophe]

Just curious why this program would be horrible for a child with actual artistic ability?

 

My 8 year old daughter worked through some of those last spring and loved them... she's pretty artistic, too...

 

Well, I actually wouldn't know, because my family has all the artistic ability of a... very unartistic animal or thing. (We're not creative, either, as you can see. :p) But my understanding is that budding Picassos can feel unduly restricted or may be unduly influenced into a lockstep mentality by "draw this picture like this" programs. Sort of like how the composition program I'm looking at for my son (Meaningful Compositions) might be very frustrating to a budding writer.

 

On the other hand, even a "budding writer" can do copywork (and maybe even drawing programs, right?) as a first grader and not become a worse writer for it. And it's not like I'm pushing Draw Write Now as an art program.

 

So, how's this: if your kid hates the drawing program, it probably wasn't a good idea. (How's that for obvious?) Oh, and watch out that the drawing program is aimed at six-year-olds, not one of the ones for junior high. Those could just get frustrating.

 

Edited to say: And if my son ends up hating Meaningful Compositions because he feels restricted by the topic choices for the various kinds of writing, I'll certainly either adapt them or change programs. He's going to have to learn how to write essays at some point, though, no matter how boring the process may be.

[boscopup]

Well, I actually wouldn't know, because my family has all the artistic ability of a... very unartistic animal or thing. (We're not creative, either, as you can see. :p) But my understanding is that budding Picassos can feel unduly restricted or may be unduly influenced into a lockstep mentality by "draw this picture like this" programs. Sort of like how the composition program I'm looking at for my son (Meaningful Compositions) might be very frustrating to a budding writer.

 

There was a thread a while back about this topic... Basically, some kids with real artistic talent will lose their natural talent if forced into a box of "do this, then this, then this" type art instruction.

 

I think many kids do fine though, so just know your kid. :)

 

My family isn't artistic, so I haven't had to worry about it. We love Draw Write Now. I need to pull it out again, in hopes that it will encourage non-stick-figures for my 7 year old. :tongue_smilie: The other day, he drew a picture about Buddhist monks in caves, and even the statue of the Buddha was a stick figure. :lol:

[mamakimberly]

Oh that makes total sense!

 

My daughter is doing Draw Squad now to learn about shading. But Draw Right now taught her a lot about which shapes she needed to make certain things.

 

We also LOVE doing the Animation Academy at Disney- those classes are fun!

 

Anyway, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't teaching her crappy art or something buy letting her do the Draw Write Now stuff! That's all! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't messing her up with it or teaching her bad technique!

 

We had a fun evening last spring out on the covered patio during a storm where we lost power. My husband's parents were in town and my mother-in-law and my daughters and I sat with a flashlight and drew birds from DWN... great memory!!

[justLisa]

There was a thread a while back about this topic... Basically, some kids with real artistic talent will lose their natural talent if forced into a box of "do this, then this, then this" type art instruction.

 

I think many kids do fine though, so just know your kid. :)

 

My family isn't artistic, so I haven't had to worry about it. We love Draw Write Now. I need to pull it out again, in hopes that it will encourage non-stick-figures for my 7 year old. :tongue_smilie: The other day, he drew a picture about Buddhist monks in caves, and even the statue of the Buddha was a stick figure. :lol:

 

My kid is like this. I have them both in art classes for 75 minutes and he dreads them like a filling. He has never complained until I gave the option of continuing or not. He was SO relieved. He always managed to follow along and produce nice work, but it always looked exactly like the instructors. DD could paint all day long. DS doesn't want to get dirty, touch a chalk pastel because other kids already have, etc LOL. He says it takes too much time. DH is an architect, but NOT artsy. He says he only liked drafting and sketch type things.

 

Have you seen the sketch series or drafting from the Draw Write Now site? I am thinking that DS would love this. Mine draws sticks because he doesn't want to spend the time actually creating art. He just wants to get the point across, like here's a stick and a pirate hat, here's a stick and a pan of cookies, here's a stick.....you get the idea.

 

Also these books are fantastic: DS LOVES them. They speak to him because they allow him to stick to his stick like figures and bump up the creativity. He also likes drawing characters or cartoons.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ed-Emberleys-Drawing-Book-World/dp/0316789720/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

we have the faces, make a world, and animals. I plan to get more for Christmas.