where to start Getty Dubay with older child?

[silver]

I had posted a little bit ago about my 6th grade son and his handwriting issues (possibly dysgraphia). I've ordered some thicker lead mechanical pencils for him and I'd like to start him on Getty Dubay. However, when I look at the books, it seems that most of them for older kids focus a lot on cursive italics. I'd like to just focus on the standard (non-cursive) italics. What would I purchase to start an older child, who can write smaller than the kindergarten line size, on the non-cursive Getty Dubay hand?

[Heathermomster]

Purchase a used Instruction Manual and print up the correct sized practice sheet that is located in the back of the manual.  There are multiple sized sheets (9mm, 6mm, 5mm, 4mm) for you to choose from.

[silver]

Thanks!

Would the instruction manual be better or the one titled Write Now that is aimed at adults and older learners?

[Heathermomster]

Here's what you need to know about G-D.

G-D is taught in two parts.  Part One covers Basic Italic and breaks the teaching down into 8 lowercase families and the capital letters.  My G-D Book F covers that info in 8 pages.

The remainder of the book covers Part Two (pages 9-56), which is cursive lessons and practice.  Cursive lessons entail 8 joins, pencil/pen lifts, and writing practice.  GB is recommended for cursive because the letter formation between print and cursive is mostly identical.

If you have no intention of teaching the cursive aspect, all you need is practice paper and a letter formation sheet.  I like the user manual because it contains blank practice sheets for copy and specific instructions.  Guest Hollow has free resources on their website.  An Internet or Pinterest search will guide you to a letter formation guide.

You really cannot mess this up.  If you are not certain, purchase a used copy of the Write Now.   I don't know whether the 6mm, 5mm, or 4mm practice paper is included for copy, but you can likely get by without it. 

@exercise_guru taught G-D to at least one of her children.  I taught it to my 4 times confirmed dysgraphic son when he was in the 5th grade.  When he returned to the classroom for 6th grade, handwriting fell to the wayside, and he's typed all his work with the exception of math since the 7th grade.  He is fully accommodated for handwriting as a college fresher.

ETA:https://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/handwriting/slant-print-or-simplified-cursive/gettydubay-italic-handwriting-series-books-ag

Edited August 30, 2018 by Heathermomster

[exercise_guru]

We used the teacher manual and I think it was book C ( I will look in my supplies later and update) . I chose the one that had mostly a focus on the printing of the letters. I also chose to keep any letters he could write legibly and smoothly. For example his letter e was fine so I didn't stress getting it to curve their way. I really think having my son write on a white board, window something vertical helped immensely. I also taught him whole shoulder writing ( they use this in caligraphy) so that his whole arm moved across the page. This is a little different then making them write with just their finger motion.  Make sure you have your child turn the page properly. My son would rotate the page and then sweep his arm across the line to make sure it was lined up the way that he was comfortably writing. Work on the letter groups as introduced. b p r h n m, d e a q c o g, u y v w etc it build the memory for the motion. i t j k l f s x were fine so I taught him to slant them a bit more for comfort  and just cleaned them up a bit but didn't change to the G&D way.  I needed to flip his z because it was backward so I had him watch the zorro movie and practace it with an arm sword. that fixed it in like a day. Post back and I can give more tips and problem solving as you go the process.  

I am a huge fan of wrting warm ups on the line like swirls circles chained together zigzags . It helps to get the motion going accross the page and helps line up the eye for writing. 

I didn't use the workbooks directly. I photocopied the teacher manual pages ( as recommended above) and I also phtocopied the Workbook because some pages needed to be done multiple times. I made a little notebook out of the copied 9mm paper at Staples. It was around 12 dollars to get one bound with the lines I wanted. I also higlhighted the writing area in the beginning to help his eyes track accross the page. My strongest recommendation for him was to focus on fluid motion and not back up and erase. Not worry about legibility initially just get the motion across the page. I then made a smaller notebook until I got to the wide rule size and then we switched to standard notebooks. I still have not gotten to college ruled.

. I still wish my son had better handwriting. I was at back to school night where they posted paragraphs on the wall. Compared to his peers  I could tell that the language was there but the dysgraphia is still there as well. We are really working on getting his typing up so that he can use it as much as possible. The victory of getty and Dubay is now my son tells me his hand does not get tired. he doesn't complain about writing and while it isn't as legible as I would like his teacher is able to read it and he is more willing to write a good paragraph with good content. So It was worth the effort. Also the math improved significantly because he could line up the numbers and they are far more legible. It helped in his science book because this is a place that they will not be typing. 

My plan for this year is to do warm ups for a few minutes each morning focusing on spacing and just getting it tracking and more smooth. Its hard to fit it all in when I have auditory work as well. 

Edited September 5, 2018 by exercise_guru

[Targhee]

My child in 7th used the self-directed book aimed at adults. 

[silver]

Thanks for the tips. I think I'll start by using college rule, but every other line (so essentially twice as tall). That is actually bigger than he attempts to write currently, but I think bigger will be more legible.

Switching pencils had already helped. He used to press so hard to get a dark line that he made dents in the paper. He doesn't do that any more. He also is writing slightly larger in math since his pencil has a larger tip.

[exercise_guru]

WE love these because the size is good, they don't roll off the desk and they are triangle so the grip is very easy to fix. I don't like that the erasers fall out and get lost. They do have them in plain yellow as well. After 4 years we are trying a 9mm pencil

Paper Mate 1862168 Mates 1.3mm Mechanical Pencils, Assorted Colored Barrels, 8-Count

After 4 years we are trying a 9mm pencil I will let you know how it goes here is the one I am using. 

BIC Velocity Max Mechanical Pencil, Thick Point (0.9mm), 2-Count

[silver]

Yeah, we were using a 0.7mm, which was causing problems. We're currently trying a "lead case". It holds 2mm leads (I think these are the same size as wooden pencil leads) and has a sharpener built in to ensure an nice tip. We got ones with softer lead for a darker line. The softer lead won't work on anything that requires a #2 pencil (HB is what you want for that).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CWRL4ZB/

I've been on him for a few years about how hard he presses on his paper. Within a few days he noticed that he doesn't do that with the lead case. He still is pressing hard (he says his hand drags/sticks on the paper), but he no longer causes indentations in his paper.

[Heathermomster]

My DS uses the adapted tripod grasp with a normal pencil.

https://ot.eku.edu/sites/ot.eku.edu/files/files/Writing Grasps.pdf

He didn't originally care for the grasp, and then he had to provide written samples to the uni.  It's the only grasp that DS can manage for any length of time.  He can't spell 100% but you can read it.

OP, you may want to play around with slant boards for writing.  Maybe turn a 1.5" to 3" inch 3-ring binder around and use it as a writing surface.   

http://hosmerot.blogspot.com/2006/03/cool-school-tool.html

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by Heathermomster

[exercise_guru]

silver I love the mechanical case you linked to for larger led. I am going to order the colored pencil set. We do shapes like below in a notebook everyday before we work on letter formation. 

https://myscres.com/worksheet/handwriting-worksheets-mazes-2.html

[silver]

That looks like a good tracing sheet. I've been having him do lines like row B, D, and E. He does have problem with it right now, so I'm hoping that practice will help with fluidity of his writing.

[exercise_guru]

Let me give you a few links I found helpful. Maybe you will like some of them. 

 

I will add some more when I get back to my deskop as there are some very good ones for rotating the paper, shoulder work and warm ups. 

I used this for my son because he would lean heavily to one side when writing I decided it was ATNR

highlighting the line and stickers to teach spacing

I used a lot of these suggestions. I can't say any of them were a breakthrough

This was a game changer. We practaced on a white board hung on the wall but a window or mirror would work. It improved control significantly. Shoulder Writing assist not just with your fingers. It reduces fatigue and recruits more motor groups to improve stability and legibitlity. Once it clicked for my son we worked on a desk similar to what he would use at school so he could retain that skill at a school. 

We also just practace fluid motion accross the page with these warmups. We started at larger spacing and worked to using just the middle of the line like you were writing the letter a. I like the waves zigzags and swirls like letter e in cursive the very most. 

Edited September 25, 2018 by exercise_guru