And why did you choose what you chose?
I had planned on using D’Naelian because it just made sense to me, but I ended up going with a basic ball and stick type font (although I encourage DD not to pick up the pencil whenever possible). It was a better fit for an older two when we started because the curvy lines were trickier. If I had started older, maybe I would have gone with D’Nealian. However, I think greating printing skills are awesome to have all the way through life and D’Nealian is not as “clear” looking to me, so I don’t know! But we went with plain old printing and I am happy with the results. Miss Marnie over at www.TheTVTeacher.com and her DVD’s are just AMAZING!!! Super pricy at nearly $90 for 3 (upper, lower, and numbers) but my only regret was not buying them SOONER! I highly recommend them.
These were taken yesterday, I am really pleased with her progress. She just turned 3 about two weeks ago. The letter is tracing practice but the envelope is freehand.
Thank you for sharing your progress!
Lily has very advanced handwriting skills!
I’ve been conflicted because I’m teaching my son handwriting skills a home, and he also gets it a school. At school, they use D’Nealian…but I’ve been using Handwriting Wihout Tears. We also have the number Beats and activity books and a few other things. All in a ball or stick form (or simplified ball and sick? Is ha how one would classify handwriting without tears?). I’d classify him as average for a boy in his “grade” (pre-k). He’s an older pre-k student, birthday wise, and I have no doub that he’d be farther along in handwriting skills if he were in kindergarten and more was expected of him.
I think beginning handwriting is one of those subjects that requires a one-on-one presence the entire time to ensure good habits. At his Montessori school, he gets a one-on-one lesson and is left to work on his own. I love this philosophy with most subjecs in his classroom. However, I think he needs more explicit guidamce in handwriting. So, we practice at home. I had been worried that the conflicting styles will confuse him, but I no longer really think that. I think we have a good thing going, I just wish I had stared earlier, particularly with writing numbers. He loves math (particularly addition right now) and frustrates at writing down solutions. At home, I typically separate math lessons and handwriting. At school, doing addition requires that he write the solution down. He brings his little sheets home that he CHOSE to do (in his “grade”, he’s not required to pick certain subjects) and he’s written and erased several of his sums, or written hem backwards, or pretty incorrectly.
From the Number Beats program, he’s now solid on 0-3, but has trouble with all the rest.
TmT, would you mind sharing your writing “regimen”? Do you use the activity books? Hey are interesting, but sadly do not provide very much practice. How do you do a handwriting lesson?
Now, with my youngest (almost 2), she wants to write…badly. I’ve just started her on Kumon write and wipe cards, Kumon Tracing book, and a few apps. These seem to be a perfect fit for her. She will “write” on lined paper all day long (saying in the lines and margins), if she could. She also waches Number Beats with her brother. I really can’t think of much more I could be doing with her, so I guess we’re ok. 
Sorry this was so long! Thanks if you made it through!
I think the direction the letters are made in is far more important than the style you choose. Corect direction allows for speedy handwriting at a later date. Also I think the style is far less important as the children will only use it in a casual mannor. Everything formal is typed these days! even my grade 2 daughter is encouraged to type her assignments up. Personally I have taught/modeled for my daughters exactly the font they will learn at school. The reality is when they are learning handwriting at 3 their accuracy isnt great enough for it to matter if the circles are perfectly round or slightly leaning ovals. I taught them queensland cursive print which is basically deneilian (spelling?). it did make it harder to find workbooks but we found a number of make your own worksheets online that I could type in anything and they could trace the dots. It had a choice of font styles. Children quickly learn the different types of letter “a” fonts and “y” fonts in reading, they are clever enough to handle the differences that pop up. In Australia handwriting has recently been reduced in the corriculum as it is seen as less important these days with computers ect. It is now suggested that it need only be easily legible.
I also didnt teach the numbers soon enough. Why, I have no idea! their are only 10 numbers to learn and 26 letters! Really we should start with the numbers! My son (3) will start writing his numbers very soon now that I am sure he understands the quantities they represent.
Finally well done to you giving your children relevant writing practice It is great to see them being able to practice their skills on something they would see as important- letters to santa. My girls practiced their handwriting writing to nana, poppy, grandma, granny, and Aunty Debbie. We included an self addressed envelope and stamp for Aunty Deb to make sure we got a reply! LOL Nanas love it when they get letters from grandkids that they can take to church and show off
I am using a basic ball and stick type font and make my own writing worksheets for my daughter - while we tried to teach handwriting for quite a while it is only now that she is 4 years old that I feel we are making progress and I have found that she knows more than she let on at first as I have given her worksheets where she only has to trace the dotted letters I have taught her that lesson and yet she fills in everything and is forming the letters correctly even though she has had very little previous practice - so somewhere along the way the letter formation was taught and she did remember it.
I started her with numbers first using the Horizons Math K syllabus and once she got to number 8 I started with letters as well. The font I am using is the same font that is used in the schools here. I believe handwriting is important even if we can type everything as batteries die, electricity can fail and it is so much quicker to write shopping list than type it especially if the thing you use to type it on is switched off before you start.
With my 3-year-old, I am using Handwriting Without Tears for print and Kumon workbooks for cursive. She likes working on both. Also, she is ambidextrous and insists on having separate workbooks for practicing writing with the right and left hands… funny girl! :laugh:
I should have more of a regimen but I don’t, I guess we used to though. Now we just work on it when I/we/she feels like it. She never let me guide her hand in the beginning like I wanted to so I didn’t think she was ready. That was when I got the videos and we would sit down and do one or two letters an evening with Miss Marnie and our dry erase letter tracing set made by the Priddy Book people. However, I realize now that she has not had nearly as much exposure to lowercase so we are going to work exposing her to more lowercase I think.
So that’s my answer I guess. Mostly the DVD’s and dry erase cards, along with the occasional free online “make your own handwriting” print out or maybe a page ripped out from the preschool prep workbooks.
Did you all teach your child to write their name first - my DD has a very long name with many more difficult letters in it so I have now given up trying to teach it to her first and am just teaching letters in an order that works better for her. I will come back to teaching her name later - she can do the first half of her name but seems to give up after writing that much.
Could you, please, post the links to those make your own worksheets websites? Thanks.
Answering my own question. Found the following websites with free make your own or use a templet worksheets
http://www.writingwizard.longcountdown.com/multi-word_handwriting_worksheet_maker.html
http://www.edhelper.com/handwriting.htm
http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/
http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/index.htm
http://www.abcteach.com/free_handwriting_worksheet_form.php
Hope this helps someone.