I wrote a post on erasing Teach Your Kindergartener How To Erase Like a Big Kid and one on erasers Problems With Handwriting? You Need The Best Eraser , but there are a few situations in which you don’t want a child to run for the eraser. The child who stalls for time. Some kids want to…… Continue reading When Should You Tell A Child NOT to Erase Their Mistake?
Tag: handwriting without tears
When Should You Begin To Teach Handwriting? (You May be Surprised!)
Many formal handwriting programs begin at 4 years of age. Handwriting Without Tears, Fundations, and others begin with children tracing letters and quickly progress to writing. But the foundational skills for handwriting actually begin early. Before your child’s first birthday. Yes, that early. And, believe it or not, that is when you could be teaching…… Continue reading When Should You Begin To Teach Handwriting? (You May be Surprised!)
Have More Fun When You Use Drawing To Develop Pre-Writing Skills
Why should learning to write mean a pile of boring worksheets? It shouldn’t! This week, try teaching your preschooler to draw fun shapes that mirror correct letter formation, start/sequence and connections, and watch their handwriting skills take off! Why draw? Because some kids need more practice, avoid writing due to fear of failure, or…… Continue reading Have More Fun When You Use Drawing To Develop Pre-Writing Skills
Why Gifted Preschoolers Should Be Taught Handwriting Early (And With The Best Strategies!)
Gifted children are often identified by their asynchronous development. The three year-old that can read the names on cereal boxes, the two year-old that can play a song on the piano after hearing it once at music class, the four year-old that can complete his sister’s math homework…from second grade! These children have one or…… Continue reading Why Gifted Preschoolers Should Be Taught Handwriting Early (And With The Best Strategies!)
Can HWT’s Flip Crayons Transform Pencil Grasp in Preschoolers?
I gave a mom a few of Handwriting Without Tear’s flip crayons this week. She was amazed at what her son did with them. He picked them up, examined them and proceeded to figure out how best to hold them without a word from me. He automatically achieved the mature grasp that we had been…… Continue reading Can HWT’s Flip Crayons Transform Pencil Grasp in Preschoolers?
Why Dot-To-Dot Letter Practice Slows Down Writing Speed and Legibility
Most workbooks feature dot-to-dot practice for writing letters. They shouldn’t. Why? The answer is obvious if you know how to teach handwriting. The biggest problem is that so few people understand how children learn to write, and what gets in their way. There are 3 stages of learning: imitating an adult, copying printed materials, and…… Continue reading Why Dot-To-Dot Letter Practice Slows Down Writing Speed and Legibility
Avoiding Letter Reversals In Preschool
Are letter reversals in preschool normal? Yes. Can you avoid them, and thus speed up the accuracy and automaticity that are hallmarks of successful handwriting? Sure! This post will explain why reversals are slowing kids down unnecessarily and how to limit letter and number reversals right from the start. Writing letters backward is very common…… Continue reading Avoiding Letter Reversals In Preschool
Young Children With Dysgraphia Need Better Handwriting Instruction, Not Just Technology.
The diagnosis of dysgraphia is so vague that I almost hesitate to write about it. The reason I am dipping a toe into these messy waters? Almost every psychologist that gives a child this diagnosis recommends abandoning handwriting in favor of tablets and speech recognition programs. I feel strongly that this does young children a…… Continue reading Young Children With Dysgraphia Need Better Handwriting Instruction, Not Just Technology.
Should Your Child Use A Pencil Grip?
I will be asked about pencil grips every time I teach a workshop or lecture on handwriting. My popular post, The Pencil Grip That Strengthens Your Child’s Fingers As They Write. , partially explains when and why I would recommend the use of this excellent pencil grip with older kids. I have a message for preschool teachers…… Continue reading Should Your Child Use A Pencil Grip?
Which Crayons Promote Mature Writing Grasp?
It is back-to-school time here in the U.S. Stores are pushing clothes, backpacks, shoes and school supplies. Time for teachers to set up their classrooms and get excited about a new school year. When I see the amazing variety of crayons on display at Target or Walmart, it reminds me to speak to the families…… Continue reading Which Crayons Promote Mature Writing Grasp?
Transition to Kindergarten By Beginning With a “C”
This isn’t about the grade “C”. It is about the benefit of writing a circle by starting with the letter “C”. I just taught a dad how to build his son’s handwriting skills without teaching him any letters or numbers. His son will be starting kindergarten in the fall, and although there were few worksheets…… Continue reading Transition to Kindergarten By Beginning With a “C”
The Two Important Handwriting Teaching Strategies For Lefties That Everyone Forgets
Teaching left-handed children to write in a right-handed world (estimates for right dominance varies, but always hovers over 80%) isn’t really all that different. However, there are two specific actions that parents and teachers need to make while teaching that rarely make it to the blogs and articles on the web. Read on. I will…… Continue reading The Two Important Handwriting Teaching Strategies For Lefties That Everyone Forgets
Build Pre-Writing Skills With A Focus on Scribbling
The greatest criticism an older sibling can level at a young child’s drawing is to call it “scribble scrabble”. But wait! If you want to develop finger control for future handwriting success, then you want more scribbling and coloring! Random strokes aren’t going to move the needle forward for a child older than 3 years…… Continue reading Build Pre-Writing Skills With A Focus on Scribbling
Teaching Handwriting to Toddlers Isn’t as Easy as Connecting the Dots
I recently saw a preschool homework sheet with dots forming the child’s first name. My initial thought was “Not again!”. And then I decided to be a bit more kind. Preschool teachers aren’t given any solid instruction in how to teach pre-writing. They are trying their best, and hoping that the workbooks they have in…… Continue reading Teaching Handwriting to Toddlers Isn’t as Easy as Connecting the Dots