Handwriting questions.....

[T'smom]

First I have to know.....how have you been forming your 5's? Do you start by going down and circling around and then as the last step, come back up and add the line at the top? Or do you make it in one motion- starting on the right side, going across, down, around and that's where it ends? RightStart math is freaking me out- it teaches one way, the way I was not taught, but they have a little song that goes with it. They also do 8's backward (in my not really humble opinion) I can't even describe that. Do I do it the books way or my own way? Even if I don't have a humble opinion, I might be wrong- maybe these are legitimate ways to form numbers......Can anyone enlighten me on this?

Thank you so much. We're skipping those parts of the lessons until I figure out how to handle it.

[didadeewiththree]

I used to start right, go across, then around, but last year I discovered a new way to make my fives look less like S's, the other way you described where you make a straight line down, then around, and then pick up your pencil and make the top from left to right. Im not sure where I encountered this, but it was either in Rightstart, HWT, WRTR or Cursive First. :) Helpful, right?

Anyways, I have gotten in the habit of the new way and I really like it! My son does it too, I think...

 

I havnt bothered to insist on it with any of them, I just plant the seed that its easier and neater looking this way.

[SJ.]

I make my fives the second way you describe, without picking up my pen. In school, long ago, I learned to make a pen by doing the bottom portion first (down and around) then adding the top line.

[Tanikit]

I have taught my DD to make 5s the way you described - down and around with a hat on top. The 8s we make by making an s and then continuing that line back up through the letter - this is the way we were taught at school. I know a fair amount of people make two circles and join them but it doesn't flow as well apparently..

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

We are doing numbers the Right Start way, with 5 as one motion (which makes more sense to me) and 8 that starts as an S and then gets finished.

 

I don't remember how I was taught, but I thought the 5 where you go back to finish the top takes longer.

[cindergretta]

One motion, pen/cil never leaves the paper - across, down, around.

 

I make my 8s backwards from how others do, not sure why. My S is the other way and then back up through to the top.

[trinchick]

Just to muddy the waters, on 8 I think I was taught to do it differently than all the pps. I start with a straight line down (slanting slightly to the left) and then bring the pen up to form the s shape. We were taught that there should be a little bit of "stick" showing at the top right of the eight.

 

For five, we were taught to form it down, around, and hat on top.