Handwriting Without Tears is a curricular program that addresses fine motor skills in developmentally appropriate ways. It is being used in the Lower School. Here in The Nest, we have adopted aspects of the program as well.
Over the course of the year, children will be introduced to sensory experiences that help them begin to confidently identify and draw the key components necessary to write capital letters: big lines, little lines, big curves, and little curves. Soon children will have practice writing the first letters of their names, learning a proper handwriting form that will support fluent writing in the future. The children who are entering kindergarten next year will receive further instruction in writing all of the letters in their first name using proper form.
We have been learning a song that helps children remember how to hold a crayon properly: Your thumb is bent. Pointer points to the tip. Tall Man uses his side. I tuck my last two fingers in and take them for a ride. We have also shared with you some of the tips for supporting this process at home. And here is a video featuring this song in case your child would like a reminder.
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| Children check their fingers carefully after singing the Crayon Song. |
In the coming days, you will probably notice that the clipboards will be full of lines and curves. Children will be creating designs using these forms in clay as well to increase tactile and visual memory. Soon they will begin to see how the forms come together to make letters.
