HWOT pre-k materials

[amyrobynne]

Handwriting without Tears sent me their catalog the other day (I used it for my 1st and 3rd graders this year but haven't homeschooled the youngest years before) and I've been looking at their pre-writing materials and thinking about what I could get for my 3 year old for next year. Unlike my older kids at his age, he's been holding pencils and markers for a year or more. If I write letters on paper for him, he tries to trace them (they wouldn't be recognizable alone, but he stays fairly close to the lines). I don't expect him to write letters clearly any time soon, but I like the idea of HWoT's big wooden pieces and other not-yet-holding-a-little-pencil approaches. There are a lot of choose from though and I'm not going to spend hundreds of dollars on their stuff.

 

What HWoT supplies are the most useful for preschool?

[Ecclecticmum]

Well first of all, sometime around 2yrs ago I wrote a post on Cheap DIY Alternatives to HWOT manipulatives: missedumacated.blogspot.com/2011/08/handwriting-without-tears-cheap.html

 

So that might help you with cost and deciding what you can get vs making.

 

What we have is the following:

 

Student Workbook: http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/MFSB/prek

 

Wood Pieces Set: http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/WP/prek

 

Capital Letter Cards: http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/LAM/prek

 

Mat: http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/MAT/prek

 

Stamp and See Screen: http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/SAS/prek

 

Singalong Cd: http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/SING/prek

 

And the Teachers Guide: http://www.amazon.com/Handwriting-Without-Tears-School-Teachers/dp/1891627562

 

The TG is linked to amazon, because it seems GSS has updated for Core Standards and changed their teachers guide (I only purchased mine mid last year) so the amazon one is the one I have (which is not spiral bound, just has teachers guide, none of that readiness for learning ______ *fill in blank with cross-curricular subject*

 

The TG guide I have has a lesson plan near the back, advice for the individual student pages, different activities, and links all the above supplies plus a few more, together.

 

HTH xxx

[BugsMama]

We love the wooden pieces, and the wet-dry-try app. :)

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[lea_lpz]

I bought the pre-k manipulatives for my k'er with the Get Ready for School workbook because we were not sure if we'd do a pre-k year or k year. She ended up using the k book instead, so I letter ds, 3, tag along this year and use the workbook. It was fine. In the pre-k book they trace the letters so that was perfect for him. Some letters stick, some don't but that's ok. It wasn't my expectation for this year. We will repeat the pre-k workbook and manipulatives again this year, anticipating this year he can recognize his letter names and sounds.

[amyrobynne]

Well first of all, sometime around 2yrs ago I wrote a post on Cheap DIY Alternatives to HWOT manipulatives: missedumacated.blogspot.com/2011/08/handwriting-without-tears-cheap.html

 

So that might help you with cost and deciding what you can get vs making.

 

HTH xxx

 

Wow, thanks so much for the shape links! She even has lower-case ones. I think I'll make those myself and then I'd really only need the student and teacher books. The wet-dry stuff seems useful but I'd like to think that I could find my own slate and chalk and sponges.

[VeritasMama]

Make sure the slate is the right size. I bought the pre-k set used, we used pretty much everything. The wet dry writing worked really well for us, and my son loved the play dough letters as well. I did buy their pencils, but my son hated them.

[amyrobynne]

The roll-a-dough seems like it might be worth it, especially if I don't have to pay much to make wooden letter equivalents. It would be handy to have the letter shapes to put the dough on and use the tray for other hands-on things too.

 

Are their numbers and math books worth getting? It's annoying that apparently they updated recently enough that any used versions available won't be the latest one.