Handwriting

[tink]

Hey Moms and Dads!

What does your child's preschool teach about handwriting? We taught our little one to write using all caps, thinking they are easier to draw (mostly straight lines) and because caps are what you often see used in materials aimed at this age. Apparently, we were wrong. The teacher jumped right in to teaching the kids that the only letter to capitalize is the first letter of the name. How confusing to our child who is now mixing up capitals and lower case like crazy! Sigh . . .

=)Tink

[Applez]

That is true only the first letter of a name of sentence. If you go to wal mart even target or online, they make those dots that you follow to help them learn to write. Mine loved them! Just correct him nicely and show him the correct way to do it. maybe try saying we are big boy so now we have to write like a big boy or girl? That may help

[3cupcakes]

Find out what style of handwriting they are teaching. There are sites on-line that can help you show your child how to write the letters.

[shhhplease]

It's definitely easier to write in uppercase letters, but I suppose the teacher is just trying to prepare him for sentance writing next year. I taught my daughter to sound out her words while spelling; it seemed correct to me. However, the first week of kindergarten, I received a note from the teacher stating that they teach phonetic spelling. They were teaching her to spell "his" as "hiz" and "was" as "wuz." I couldn't believe it, I remember getting fussed at for that in school. It was hard and luckily she just picked up spelling easily. In any case, it's best to work with the teachers and the curriculum. It never hurts to call them with any concerns, either.

[lezah]

Here in the States they do not even teach script writing anymore. Printing and then keyboarding. No script at all....


Lezah

[Deb4953]

I've never understood the logic of teaching children to spell incorrectly. It seems like it would only confuse them.

[BLKorlanden]

Teaching handwriting in preschool is a controversial topic. I have taught my students the correct formation of capital letters, so they can write their names. For those who are ready, I have shown them how to write their names with only one capital letter. But for the most part, my students know how to recognize upper and lower case letters, but we only write with upper case. Yes, kids will get upper and lower case mixed up for a while, but like sound-based spelling, it's only temporary. It's one of the stages in learning all the stuff handwriting involves.

If you happen to be in an area with a well-planned handwriting plan for early childhood grades, the handwriting program will progress from recognition of letters to the uniform, "correct" formation of those letters, to the proper usage of upper and lower case (this takes through third grade), through a transitional type of printing to prepare them for cursive writing, to smooth, legible, cursive writing. Then yes, keyboarding is the next step, but a lot of their work is still done by hand. I know many teachers who take their fourth and fifth graders back into handwriting practice because children forget how to form cursive (and manuscript!) letters efficiently and smoothly.

[thornor]

Your child may be a little frustrated or confused at first, but he'll learn quickly. At least he has the capitals down really well! At such a young age, children's brains are developing rapidly which allow for them to store mind-boggling amounts of information as well as develop new categories. Since your child knows how to write his or her capital letters, it is just a matter of reorganizing the information in his brain, rather than creating a new category. Piece of cake!

[Saphire]

I had to read your post twice. I have taught several kids how to write their name including one lefty that likes to write her name backwards. I always called them 'big' and 'little' instead of capital and lowercase, just seemed to make sense to the the kids. As far as the phonetics? That drives me crazy. Your little one will get it. Just keep up the good work.

[Widow]

Great idea Saphire! I to refer to them as little and big. I heard about the phonetics thing when my child was in kindergarten. The teacher explained it that they initially want the children writing words as they hear them. It doesn't matter in the beginning if it's spelled right or not, that will come later. It didn't make any sense to me either, but it worked great with my child. I also do little rhymes when I teach my children how to form their letters!

[MoonMaiden]

widow I'm wanting to teach my daughter to start writing her letters. Can you perhaps pm me some of the little rhymes you use? My daughter is 4 and shows no interest in writing however she loves to draw. I thought maybe I could use it to help her.

Also to those of you who's kids want to learn to write the letters they make primary dry erase books to teach that and in it they start out with capital letters.

[Widow]

I'll have to search through and fine them Moon but definitely no problem there..will get it to you by tomorrow.

I'm trying to get more resources put up just haven't quite got to it yet!

[snugglepants]

Amazingly they don't teach this as such at my daughter's school! They do individual letters sometimes. What I do is print off the alphabet and get her to copy them underneath, and as she loves making cards and making pictures for people (with "To ......., Love From .........) she is practicing spelling as well as getting better at letter forming. I agree with the dotted letters, they are a good learning aid. Also, with them leaning how to spell family members and friends' names they are able to practice letters and get better at them.

[jackie0109]

i teach my nephew to write in proper...
first letter capital in name and in sentence...
he also take some tutorial for his handwriting enhancement...