Handwriting without Tears

Category: Handwriting Grade Level: pre-K to 4

1. What is the purpose of compliment young children’s gross and Handwriting without Tears? fine motor skill development. Handwriting without Tears was designed  Step 2: Printing to foster the development of handwriting The next stage involves learning how to in young children, so that they can write print, and uses workbooks. It can be clearly and confidently. It is aimed at started in late kindergarten and developing both good penmanship and progresses through grades 1 and 2. The an ability to express oneself well using workbooks include interesting written language. To meet these goals it illustrations, double lines to guide letter- employs many multi-sensory techniques. sizing, and vertical (vs. slanted) letters. Some tactile facilitators such as wooden 2. With whom can it be used? letter pieces continue to be used. Handwriting without Tears is meant to  Step 3: Cursive be effective for children of all abilities, In grades 3 and 4, the workbooks target including special needs children and the development of cursive writing. The children for whom English is a second early focus is on lower-case, high- language. The teaching method is multi- frequency letters, then eventually whole sensory and thus caters to learners who words, sentences and paragraphs. There may have visual, auditory, sensory motor are frequent opportunities for review and or cognitive difficulties or strengths. It is assessment. designed for beginning writers and can  The lessons at all stages are be used with children in kindergarten clearly laid out for parents and through to grade 4. teachers, and are structured so that they would optimally occupy 3. What is the format of Handwriting about ten minutes every day. without Tears? Learning in Handwriting without Tears 4. In what types of settings should follows developmentally-based learning Handwriting without Tears be used? steps. Handwriting without Tears can be used  Step 1: Readiness effectively with a whole class, smaller The first stage is called Readiness and is groups, or even individually. They key is designed for Pre-K and K children. It daily practice and frequent review. includes very tactile, sensory-oriented While the clear and concise lesson plans props and activities designed to increase make Handwriting without Tears easily knowledge of and familiarity with letters implemented in large, regular and numbers. It includes, for example a classrooms, it can also be used in special musical CD, large floor mat, wooden education classrooms, or at home under letter pieces, letter cards, slate chalk- parental supervision and guidance. boards, and dough for rolling into letters and numbers. These activities also 5. To what extent has research shown traditional manuscript alphabet? Handwriting without Tears to be Childhood Education, 71, pp 91-95. useful? 4. Graham, S. (1999) Handwriting Researchers and experts support several and Spelling Instruction for Students components of the Handwriting without with Learning Disabilities: A Review. Tears approach; namely the use of Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 22, pp. vertical printing (vs. slanted letters), the 78-98. use of double lines and even spacing, the 5. Olsen, J.Z. Handwriting without explicit, systematic, direct instruction Tears: A Complete Handwriting approach, the frequent review and Curriculum. Downloaded on October 19, assessment, and the multi-sensory 2004 from http://www.hwtears.com teaching style (Clark-Wentz, 1997; 6. Sheffield, B. (1996) Graham, 1993/4 and 1999; Swanson, Handwriting: a neglected cornerstone of 1999). These components are supposed literacy. Annals of Dyslexia, 46. to be beneficial to all children, but 7. Swanson, H.L. (1999) research also shows that students with Instructional Components that Predict learning disabilities may especially Treatment Outcomes for Students with require very structured handwriting Learning Disabilities: Support for a instruction, because without it their Combined Strategy and Direct writing difficulties can affect all aspects Instruction Model. Learning Disabilities of their school work (Baker et al, 2003). Research and Practice, 14(3), pp. 129- Weinfield et al (2001) reported that 140. educators in an entire school district 8. Weinfeld, R., Barnes- successfully integrated Handwriting Robinson,L., Jeweler,S., & Shevitz, B. without Tears into special education (2002) Academic programs for gifted classes to aid students who have grapho- and talented/learning disabled students. motor difficulties develop legibility. Roeper Review, 24(4), pp 226-234. Thus, both the techniques employed by Handwriting without Tears and the Website: http://www.hwtears.com success with learning disabled students have been supported by research. Reviewed by: Kate Herbert

References: 1. Baker, S., Gersten, R., & Graham, S. (2003) Teaching Expressive Writing to Students with Learning Disabilities: Research-Based Applications and Examples. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36(2), pp. 109- 123. 2. Clark-Wentz, J. (1997) Improving students’ handwriting. OT Practice, October, pp 29-33. 3. Graham, S. (1993/4) Are slanted manuscript alphabets superior to the