HWT after 1st

[mamamindy]

We've been using HWT and have been very happy with it. FWIW, my 1st grader has wonderful handwriting and I got it more to have around for my now K'er since it seemed like it would suit her well. My DD6yrs, 1st grade is nearly finished with the yellow first grade book, and also does the copywork in WWE1. I am wondering, does it make sense to move on to the 2nd grade book? It looked like review to me (I peeked at it in the bookstore). Also, if I were to move her to the cursive book after finishing the 1st, is the teacher's manual beneficial? (Is this a bit too early for cursive? We like to take things slow here . ;)) I have both the kindergarten and 1st grade teacher's manuals. I find the 1st grade manual to be redundant. She enjoys handwriting (and the HWT workbook), and I wanted her to at least learn the proper way of forming the letters, or I would probably just have her do copywork out of WWE only. Suggestions for where we go from her are greatly appreciated!

[lea1]

My two sons did the 1st grade book in Kindergarten and then moved straight to the cursive book. I didn't buy the teacher's manual. There were a couple of exercises I had to skip or make up since I didn't have the teacher's manual but I don't feel that we really missed out on anything.

[raceNzanesmom]

I think it depends on the child. My ds loved the successful feeling he got from using the workbook, so we did copywork 3 days and HWT 2 days. We waited to move to cursive until this year, 3rd. Many kids are ready earlier, many aren't.

 

Currclick has some nice HWT style copywork books.

[sweetpea3829]

I'm kind of wondering if I even want to bother with the 1st grade workbook. We did the K workbook, learned the correct formation of each letter and number, practiced them, etc.

 

I had already bought the yellow workbooks and we've begun using them, but I'm finding them to be totally redundant. We're doing the copywork in WWE and I also have them write a list of words, once a week. The list of words contains each of the 26 letters. They write them in lowercase on one side of their paper, and in capital on the other side.

 

I personally do not like the HWT double line method. I've found it to be very confusing for both of my current writers. One of whom is possibly dyslexic/dysgraphic, and the other is neuro-typical. Both are confused on where to begin letters that start above the top double line. Both start their letters entirely too high, or too low. Both often attempt to fit the entire letter between the double lines.

 

Admittedly, this is probably my fault. When I saw the issue, I did not spend a heck of a lot of time correcting it, rather we went straight to Zaner paper (three lines with the middle line dotted and the bottom line red). So we practice on the Zaner mostly.

 

And this ^^ is why I'm thinking about just nixing the yellow workbook.

 

Also, I'm not sure if I'm actually going to teach them to write in cursive. Read it, yes. Write it...I'm not sure...we'll see.

[amyrobynne]

How much of the year is the yellow 1st grade book supposed to take? I plan to start my son with the 1st grade book this week but there clearly isn't a year's work of daily sheets. If we use those twice a week and do copywork the other days, is that a year?

[mamamindy]

I'm kind of wondering if I even want to bother with the 1st grade workbook. We did the K workbook, learned the correct formation of each letter and number, practiced them, etc.

 

I had already bought the yellow workbooks and we've begun using them, but I'm finding them to be totally redundant.

 

I started my DD in the yellow book, so she hadn't gone through the alphabet, learning how to properly form her letters yet. Since it seems like 2nd is just more of the 1st grade book, I can imagine that 1st is just an extension/more of the K book. We're only in the beginning of the K book with my K'er. She is going a bit slower and we use our slate A LOT.

 

How much of the year is the yellow 1st grade book supposed to take? I plan to start my son with the 1st grade book this week but there clearly isn't a year's work of daily sheets. If we use those twice a week and do copywork the other days, is that a year?

 

In the back of the teacher's manual is a suggested schedule with the 1st grade book taking about 18 weeks. She suggests review if the book is completed early. I am not sure what we'll do... My DD1 does fine with the double line paper. I hope DD2 manages it okay. She hasn't moved on to using it yet, so we will see.

 

Sooo.... I'm still not clear on when to start cursive...? I am not in a hurry or anything. What are the advantages? (Other than I know if a child has lots of reversals, bad habits, that cursive is a good bet.) Maybe we should just focus our energies on copying longer pieces... Thanks for letting me talk this out. :)

[amyrobynne]

Sooo.... I'm still not clear on when to start cursive...? I am not in a hurry or anything. What are the advantages? (Other than I know if a child has lots of reversals, bad habits, that cursive is a good bet.) Maybe we should just focus our energies on copying longer pieces... Thanks for letting me talk this out. :)

 

I have an older version of the cursive TM and it has a page of reasons why you should wait until 3rd grade to start. Not that that helps much, but fyi.