Drop handwriting?

[MiztrezzLyn]

I have been having my 6 year old son continue on in his handwriting program but now I am wondering, with the increase in writing that he has to do in his other subjects, if I couldn't just let him drop the handwriting as an official subject. His handwriting is really nice and I don't know that he he needs the "instruction" portion anymore and should just continue the practice of it during copywork and other things.

 

In July, he starts 2nd grade and will be in PR 2 and CW Primer books. In both of these is a good amount of writing. My gut tells me that I should be able to drop it but I don't know if there is some other benefit to handwriting programs that I am not considering.

 

So, is there a benefit to continuing on through the GDI books? (He is currently in Book D) or is it okay to just drop it? Here is an example of his handwriting, sorry it is a little bit blurry.

 

[arcara]

Nice handwriting!

 

Certainly you can only use copy work. You will just have make sure not to let the quality of his handwriting decrease. I've let my oldest drop handwriting for a couple of years, but I've noticed that her writing has become terrible. I should have required better quality work from her in her general writing. I'm adding it back next year.

[SilverMoon]

I'd drop it. I haven't done penmanship curricula with my kids beyond learning how to write, and later on learning cursive. Their WTM-style writing is their penmanship. I remind them to use their very best writing for their copywork, and don't hesitate to erase messy letters or words for them to redo. When they first start I'm sitting near them with eraser in hand so I can catch mistakes as they go. As their skill improves they start catching their own mistakes and wanting their page to truly be their best.

 

I've done this with four kids so far. My older ones all have neat, easily legible handwriting. My teen ds's is probably the messiest, but that has more to do with his personality than anything. People who work with teens regularly have said his is actually pretty good comparatively. -shrug-

[lea1]

My two sons are 6.5 YO's and they have finished the K and 1st books of HWT and one has finished the 3rd (cursive) also. The other son is almost finished with the cursive book. I am not planning to have them do another handwriting course.

 

I have been having the child who has is finished to sometimes write in manuscript and at other times write using cursive so he doesn't forget anything. I will be doing this with 2nd child also when he finishes cursive.

 

So, in WWE1, son1 is writing the shorter sentence in manuscript and the longer sentence in cursive.

[Tanikit]

He does have lovely handwriting!

 

I have a feeling that a lot of the benefit to handwriting programmes is that you as parent concentrate on all the things that are important for good handwriting - seating, pencil grip, page position, letter formation etc. If you yourself can keep an eye on these things and not let them slide then you should be fine with just copywork and other writing - the only other advantage to a handwriting programme is that your child knows that this is a time he must concentrate on making the writing look good - when just writing for other reasons it becomes hard to concentrate on both the work and teh writing together. If you find this happening just go back to a handwriting programme.

[bashawbd]

I should have required better quality work from her in her general writing. I'm adding it back next year.

[Hunter]

There is a handwriting assessment matrix on page 17 of this pdf that you might find helpful.

Being able to copy a close model is just Step 1. Step 2 is copying from a far model, and Step 3 is writing with no model.

 

You might want to google handwriting rubric and handwriting assessment and handwriting lpm

 

Pages 221-222 of this book at Google.

Edited May 31, 2012 by Hunter

[MiztrezzLyn]

Thanks for all the advice! :) That handwriting sample was from copywork, he produces nearly that well whether it is a model he is copying from or without a model.

 

I will have him finish up with a bit more practice on the capital letters that GDI uses and then in July for 2nd grade, I'll give it a go without the handwriting book. If I notice that he needs more practice/work I'll just slip it back in.

 

I am usually with him when he's doing copywork and such so I can help catch mistakes in formation, but right now his cursive is pretty much automatic. The only thing I might be concerned about and want to watch is letter height for capitals and spacing between letters/words.

 

Thanks again for all the great advice.

[nansk]

His handwriting is really good (esp. for a 6 yo boy)!

 

I'd suggest dropping the formal handwriting but insisting on good handwriting during CW Primer copywork & dictation. My dd didn't do formal handwriting lessons for long. We combine handwriting with WWE copywork. I write the model in Italic cursive and she copies it.

[LillyMama]

Er, I dropped HW in favor of just copy work and my son's is NO WHERE as nice as yours. I don't think my husband could do that. :D