Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Can-Do Cursive

Teacher’s Guide – Texas Sample

Name:

Watch me, it's easy!

Can-Do Cursive

Guide to Workbook Lessons and Multisensory Activities

by Jan Z. Olsen, OTR

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

8001 MacArthur Blvd.

Cabin John, MD 20818 LWTears.com | 888.983.8409 Author: Jan Z. Olsen, OTR Curriculum Designer: Elizabeth DeWitt, Ed. D. Illustrators: Jan Z. Olsen, OTR and Julie Koborg Graphic Designers: Sammie Simon and Julie Koborg Editors: Annie Cassidy and Kathryn Fox Copyright Š 2018 Learning Without Tears First Edition ISBN: 978-1-948729-15-4

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Welcome Welcome to Handwriting Without Tears from Learning Without Tears and to teaching cursive.

This is your teacher’s guide, not only for the student workbook, but for a way of teaching handwriting that is effective for children.

Explicit, multisensory handwriting instruction is crucial. Good habits lead to good handwriting and that directly links to literacy and overall school success (Lust and Donica 2011).

Handwriting Without Tears is part of the Learning Without Tears family. We started in the 1970s and have evolved based on our continued and direct experience with students, teachers, occupational therapists, and administrators across the country. Our 35 years of experience and ongoing collaboration solve the problems associated with early writing and do so in a way that is joyful, effective, and innovative.

Our materials and teaching strategies make learning a positive, successful experience for children in just 15 minutes a day. You will help your students strengthen and master their cursive skills for writing letters, words, and sentences.

We support teacher directed learning. We believe you’ll enjoy using our program and are excited to have you bring the program to life in your classroom.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Table of Contents 1 – INTRODUCTION

39 – MULTISENSORY ACTIVITIES

4 This Is Handwriting Without Tears!

40 Multisensory Cues

5 Teacher’s Guide: What’s Inside

41 Air Writing

6 Workbook Design

42 Laser Letters

8 Activity Design

43 Voices

9 Sample Lesson Design

44 Letter Stories

10 Simply Smart Student Materials

46 Wet-Dry-Try with Mystery Letters

12 Teacher Support

47 Mystery Letter Game with

14 myLWTears.com

48 Wet-Dry-Try for Lowercase Letters

17 – TEACHING CURSIVE

49 More Wet-Dry-Try with Mystery Letters 50 About Tow Truck Connections 51 Connection Inspection

18 The Intent to Prevent 19 Cursive Skills for Speed & Legibility 20 Stages of Learning 22 Scope & Sequence of Cursive

25 – TEACHING GUIDELINES 26 UNIT 1: Foundation Skills & Lowercase Letters 27 UNIT 2: Lowercase Tow Truck Letters & Tricky Connections

cc

o w b v

28 UNIT 3: Cursive & Grammar 29 UNIT 4: Greek & Latin

53 – RESOURCES 54 Use it, Don’t Lose it 55 Fluency & Personalization 56 Remediation Tips 60 Strategies for English Language Learners 63 Strategies for Children with Special Needs 66 Handwriting Standards for Written Production 68 Making Magic c Bunny 69 My Cursive Name

30 UNIT 5: Cursive & The Writer’s Notebook

70 Mystery Word Game with cc

33 – G ET READY! POSTURE, PAPER, PENCIL GRIP

73 For Families: Handwriting Practice

34 Preparing for Paper & Pencil 35 Stomp Your Feet 36 Paper Placement & Pencil Grip 37 The Correct Grip

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

71 Pencil Pick Ups 74 Reward Good Grip 75 The Eraser Challenge 76 Cursive Warm-Ups

c, a, d, g Mystery Letter Game with cc

77 Word Practice – 78

79 References

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

This is Handwriting Without Tears!

The award-winning Handwriting Without Tears curriculum features multisensory activities for printing and cursive that make handwriting easy to teach and learn. Every year more than three million students succeed with our hands-on materials and workbooks.

We teach effectively with joy, and have figured out easier, happier ways for children to master handwriting.

Handwriting Without Tears is dedicated to developing excellent materials for children and training for teachers. As a result, millions of administrators, teachers, therapists, parents, and children across the country have successfully used our program. The result truly is handwriting without tears!

MEET OUR HANDWRITING CURRICULUM: Print Workbooks:

Cursive Workbooks: Name:

Watch me, it's easy!

Can-Do Cursive

Workbook Covered in this Teacher’s Guide

This is why it’s ef fective: 1. Simply Smar t Student Materials We design all our materials to be intuitive, engaging, and developmentally progressive. We’ve used our direct experience and knowledge of how students learn best to develop unique teaching materials that are easy and fun.

2. Active Teaching We facilitate instruction that engages children so they can be active participants. You and the students will move, sing, talk, and experience the lessons. You will immediately know the effect of the instruction and can adjust, repeat, or vary the instruction for the best learning outcomes.

3. Teacher Suppor t If you have knowledge of handwriting and the latest advances in the field, you will be empowered.

We can answer your handwriting questions and help you with your concerns. Why are children mixing up capitals and lowercase? What about reversals? We provide answers to help you understand and avoid those and other problems.

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Teacher’s Guide: What’s Inside Studies show that 86 percent of teachers are not taught how to teach handwriting. This teacher’s guide can help every teacher succeed. We make it easy to create a learning environment where your students are engaged, active participants.

Get Ready! Posture, Paper & Grip (p. 33) At the start of the school year, we introduce activities that teach good habits for posture, paper placement, and grip.

Multisensory Activities (p. 39) Each letter lesson contains multisensory activities, and in this section, you will find instructions on how to implement them in your classroom.

Resources (p. 53) The back of the book has important resources to support your teaching throughout the year and help you guide, adjust, and monitor your instruction.

Name:

Watch me, it's easy!

Can-Do Cursive

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Workbook Design

About the Can-Do Cursive Workbook Can-Do Cursive is designed for fifth graders or older students of all cursive levels—from those who write cursive easily to those who know just a little. The workbook is also for you, a busy teacher who may not have been trained to teach handwriting. You can teach straight from the workbook. Just read this information, and stay a day ahead of your students as you follow the directions on each page.

What’s nside?

Can-Do Cursive is organized in four sections. The first section teaches and reviews cursive.

The next three sections use cursive in fun, interesting ways to develop writing skills.

CURSVE

Teach lowercase letters and words.

RAAR

Teach capitals, grammar, and punctuation.

GREEK & LATIN Build reading and vocabulary skills.

WRITER’S NOTEBOOK Teach a variety of writing styles.

What’s in style?

Can-Do Cursive teaches a basic vertical style of cursive. In the old days of feather pens, writers had to use a slanted style of cursive or else the pen would smudge and splatter. Pens are better now and vertical cursive is easier to get started. After students learn the basics, they will develop their own personal style. Some will slant, some will write straight up and down, some will mix ­— and all are fine.

How do  use this book?

Start at the beginning. Teach the pages in order through capital instruction. After that, you may teach pages out of order to complement your other instruction. Plan to spend 10 –15 minutes teaching each day. There is no hurry.

Extra Practice: Use Writing Journal (F). Like this workbook, it begins with narrow double lines and transitions to single lines to facilitate neat handwriting.

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Workbook Design

How do  teach cursive?

It’s as simple as demonstrating how to make the letters and teaching the connections (just follow the steps in the workbook). Connections can be confusing! This will help. Remember that when two letters are connected, the first letter is the boss of the connection. The first letter tells the second letter where to start. The second letter starts where the first letter ends.

Base Line Connections

High Connections

Occur after 22 letters

Occur after 4 letters –

• Base line to base line connection – easy

• High to high connection – easy

• Base line to high connection – tricky

• High to low connection – tricky

h e c a

he ca

o u o r

o, w, b, and v

ou or

What about capitals?

This workbook uses simple styles, but you may show other styles, too. Students often like to personalize the capitals for their signatures. That’s fine!

Do capitals connect?

Some do and some don’t. It depends on where the capital ends. Connect the capital if it ends on the right side and on the baseline. Capitals that connect are underlined below. The asterisk shows where to connect.

A C E J K L M N Q R U Y Z * * * * * * * * * * * * * B D F G H I O P S T V W X Teach & Check Show students how to check their own and each other’s work. The goal is for your whole class to write well. It is fine for them to check, coach, and help each other.

Here is what they check: ✔ Check Letter

✔ Check Word

✔ Check Sentence

1. Start correctly.

2. Do each step.

3. Bump the lines.

1. Make letters the right size.

2. Place letters correctly.

3. Connect letters correctly.

1. Start with a capital.

2. Put space between words.

3. Use punctuation.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Activity Design

This teacher’s guide has plans and strategies for every multisensory activity.

Multisensory activities can be found starting on p. 40.

Here’s a sample activity plan.

Wet-Dry-Try for Lowercase Letters ABOUT THE ACTIVITY Introduction gives you background and guidance for the activity.

MATERIALS Materials list helps you organize and plan for the activity.

Using Wet-Dry-Try on the Blackboard with Double Lines is an innovative teaching strategy. The latest research on brain development supports this activity. This research calls for fewer elements (just two lines), modeling, sensory engagement, and immediate feedback (Sousa 2011).

Materials • Blackboard with Double Lines* (1 per child) • Little Chalk Bits (1") • Little Sponge Cubes (1/2") • Little cups of water • Paper towel pieces

Activity 1. Prepare Blackboards Write letter with chalk as a model to trace.

2. Teacher’s Part – Write f with Chalk Use chalk to write a letter on double lines.

Say the step-by-step directions.

3. Child’s Part – Wet-Dry-Try As the child does each part, say the step-by-step directions to guide the child. The child is encouraged to join in, saying the words.

Wet: The child uses a Little Sponge Cube to trace the letter.

Dry: The child uses a little piece of paper towel to trace the letter.

Try: The child uses a Little Chalk Bit to write the letter.

ACTIVITY PLAN Step-by-step directions along with illustrations to guide you through.

*If you don’t have a Blackboard with Double Lines, consider using our Double Line Writer on your whiteboard. This product is available at LWTears.com.

48

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Sample Lesson Design

This teacher’s guide provides strategies and support to assist you as you help your students practice and master cursive with the student workbook throughout the year. Below is a sample letter lesson that uses demonstration, tracing, and copying to reinforce correct letter formation.

STARTING THE LESSON You can easily create a lesson plan using your knowledge of your students’ skill levels and the activities and resources we provide.

c a d g

Can Do Cursive – p. 12 OBJECTIVES

This is how to write cursive c.

Now start a, d, and g with the c stroke.

Mr. Case

The students will review letters

LESSON INTRODUCTION Multisensory Digital Letter and Number Formations (p. 52)

Trace the steps.

Check

c

Check

a

Check

d

Check

g

print c travel away

print c

print c

TEACHING THE LESSON Lesson Plan The letter lesson follows these steps:

print c

12

up

up

up touch

touch

down travel away

up higher

down travel away

down turn

aim for corner travel away

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive

CDC-Text-2.20.18-CJ.indd 12

2/21/18 10:03 AM

LESSON PLAN 1. Direct Instruction Demonstrate

1. D irect Instruction – Actively demonstrate the letter for children to finger trace and then copy.

c, a, d, and g.

print c travel away

2. G uided Practice – Children finger trace and copy the letter.

3. C heck Let ter – Children check their letter and evaluate formation.

c a d g.

print c

up

touch

down travel away

2. Guided Practice Children trace and each copy the letters. Monitor as students finish letters on their own.

3. Check Letter & Sentence Help children

letter for correct start, steps, and bump.

ENRICHMENT

SUPPORT/ELL

Review size, placement, and

Use letter story: If George Falls

CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS

connections with children (p. 5).

to reinforce correct formation

Math: G is for Geometry!

of g (pp. 44–45).

Can Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide:

EXTENDING THE LESSON Differentiated Instruction

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Enrichment Ways to extend learning by adding complexity or variety.

Teach children about the shared attributes of shapes.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Support/ELL Suggestions for adapting or simplifying the activity.

Cross-Curricular Connections This section helps to connect the lesson to another subject.

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Simply Smart Student Materials ABOUT THE CURRICULUM This curriculum fits easily into your daily routine. As you become familiar with the program, you will gradually incorporate new activities and choose those that suit your students’ needs.

Here’s how: Teach Using Multisensory Strategies Children have many different learning styles. That’s why multisensory teaching strategies and materials can make learning easy and fun. To help children form letters they are struggling with, have them trace large models with chalk and sponges to build good habits.

Blackboard with Double Lines Use the Blackboard with Double Lines to teach cursive letters.

Incorporate the Wet-Dry-Try technique to add endless opportunities for children to trace, write, and learn to form letters and numbers.

Play & Pretend Funny voices and props captivate children. We believe in dynamic teaching to make it fun and more effective.

Magic C Bunny Make the puppet your teaching assistant. Your students can use him, too. Learn how to make your own Magic C Bunny out of a paper napkin on p. 68. Your students will form letters correctly when they learn the Magic C way.

Use Visual Cues & Correct Models Students need correct models to form letters properly. When children aren’t writing in the workbook, make sure you have visual guides in the classroom to help them form letters.

A Bb C D © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

CDC_040708.indd 1

CAS_08_05.20.09_outlines.indd 1

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© 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

4/7/2008 10:02:51 AM

CDC_040708.indd 2

Cursive Wall Cards & Cursive Alphabet Desk Strips These eye-catching cards and helpful desk strips promote correct letter and number formation in the classroom.

4/7/2008 10:02:52 AM

5/20/09 10:23:35 AM

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

s.com | 888.983.8409

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Simply Smart Student Materials Teach Let ters, Words, Sentences & Paragraphs This workbook is carefully designed to teach cursive in a developmental sequence.

Can-Do Cursive Workbook Facilitate the lessons and activities in the workbook to promote letter, word, sentence, and fluency practice. Your students will love practicing and mastering cursive with the fun, engaging, and cross-curricular themes. We have developed 19 weeks of teaching guidelines in this teacher’s guide (p. 25) to help you plan your lessons.

Name:

Watch me, it's easy!

Can-Do Cursive

Promote Correct Let ter Placement with Double Line Notebook Paper Solve the problem of line confusion and help children place letters on the lines correctly. The base line keeps the writing straight, and the mid line controls the size of the letters.

Narrow Double Line Notebook Paper Use Narrow Double Line Notebook Paper (spaced 1/8" apart) for spelling tests and other classroom writing activities.

automobile Nar Ntbk Paper.indd 1

12/21/07 4:50:50 PM

F

Writing Journal F Available with line spacing to match narrow double lines, Writing Journal F has narrow double lines and single lines that cover the entire page. Use for language arts activities and independent writing.

Writing ournal Name :

with Narrow Double Lines & Single Lines

11/19/2017 3:10:33 PM

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Teacher Support

HANDWRITING WITHOUT TEARS PROVIDES YEAR-ROUND SUPPORT FOR EDUCATORS Teaching Guidelines The teaching guidelines provide ready-made plans that correspond to our teacher’s guide in a clearly defined sequence, so you don’t need to spend extra time planning.

Assessments The Screener of Handwriting Proficiency is a unique handwriting screening tool that helps you track individual and class progress throughout the year. Use the Screener in an RtI model or to help identify struggling students.

Visit LWTears.com/screener to register.

Fourth and Fifth Grade Screener

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Teacher Support

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION We provide multiple avenues for teaching each lesson to mesh with individual students’ interests, abilities, and learning styles.

Enrichment and Support Enrichment ideas and teacher tips are provided through The FINE Print and Extra Practice sections located in the footers at the bottom of the student workbook pages. Support resources for students with special needs are on pp. 63–65.

Remediation These strategies can help you correct handwriting difficulties and modify the curriculum to meet the needs of your students. See pp. 56–59.

English Language Learner (ELL) Strategies In this teacher’s guide, you’ll find ways to adapt the curriculum for English language learners and students with special needs. See pp. 60–62.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT We are nationally recognized for our outstanding and engaging professional development workshops and continuing education opportunities. We present hundreds of handwriting workshops every year across the United States and internationally. Our K–5 Handwriting Workshop uses a fun, hands-on approach to handwriting instruction.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

myLWTears.com

myLWT: YOUR DIGITAL PRODUCTS PORTAL A centralized location on our website, myLWT houses all of your digital purchases— plus it’s a great way to discover more helpful tools for your classroom!

Access and manage all of your digital products and resources.

Pin your most-loved products and resources for easy access.

Browse additional tools to complement your teaching.

Discover free classroom activities, assessments, webinars, and more.

m y LW T e a r s . c o m

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Introduction

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

TEACHING CURSIVE Ever wonder why you should teach cursive, especially in the age of technology? According to research, students who remain printers, rather than cursive writers, write slower. They write so slowly, in fact, that it becomes nearly impossible for printers to take accurate notes in high school and college classes. They may even have difficulty writing essays on college entrance exams. Furthermore, research suggests that those individuals who wrote their essays in cursive had slightly higher average scores than those who wrote in print (Russell 2009).

The act of writing cursive also uses both the right and left hemispheres of the brain at once. Cursive helps coordinate the visual with the verbal. Also, the physiological movements of writing cursive letters build pathways in the brain and improve mental effectiveness (Dayley 2012).

In this section, you will find: •

The Intent to Prevent

•

Cursive Skills for Speed & Legibility

•

Stages of Learning

•

Scope & Sequence of Cursive

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Cursive

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

The Intent to Prevent

Good handwriting skills result from your thoughtful attention and instruction. Students require deliberate instruction to develop good habits and overcome bad ones.

With this guide and Handwriting Without Tears materials, you will be prepared to help students make writing a natural and automatic skill. You’ll find that their handwriting abilities and habits vary. Regardless of where they start, you can help students develop and improve their skills:

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TEACH

FIX

How to hold the pencil correctly

Awkward pencil grip

How to form letters correctly

Unusual, idiosyncratic formation

How to connect letters correctly

Connection problems

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Cursive

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Cursive Skills for Speed & Legibility You want children to write with speed and neatness while thinking about the content of their work. Would you like to know the secret of developing speed and legibility? Some people think it’s about practice, practice, practice, but practicing letters over and over actually makes them progressively messier.

The secret to achieving speed and legibility is following the simple strategies in the workbook, teacher’s guide, and multisensory products. Handwriting Without Tears helps children develop seven skills: Memory Name letters and numbers quickly from a random list.

Visualize a letter or number quickly without seeing it.

Connections Connect one letter to another.

Placemen Follow lines and place letters and numbers correctly on the base line.

Size Write in an appropriate size for age and grade level.

Make letters a consistent size.

Start Start all letters in the correct place (either mid line or base line).

Sequence Make the letter parts in the correct order and direction.

Make the letter parts the same correct way every time.

Spacing Leave space between words in sentences.

It is clear that each of the above skills is important. Children who immediately know their letters or numbers and how to connect them (Memory and Connection) don’t have to stop and think. They can write quickly. Children who make their letters sit correctly on the base line and make them a consistent size (Placement and Size) produce neat papers. Children who always start in the right place and make the strokes the same way every time (Start and Sequence) are able to write quickly and neatly without thinking. Spacing develops from good instruction and from using the worksheets and workbooks that provide enough room to write.

Speed & Neatness Music teachers know about speed. It’s the last thing they teach. First come the notes, rhythm, fingering or bowing, and finally, practice to reach an automatic, natural level. Then, it’s time to pick up the tempo! It’s the same with handwriting. Work on everything else and speed will come.

Children who use poor habits will be doomed to be slow or sloppy. Children with good habits can be both fast and neat. That’s where we are heading.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Cursive

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Stages of Learning

PRE-INSTRUCTIONAL STAGES – PREPARATION FROM PRINTING To better plan your instruction, it is important that you understand the stages of learning.

Children typically learn in a developmental order. Too often, we find ourselves in such a hurry that we rush ahead. Children learn to write correctly and easily when instructions follow these developmentally based stages. You may need to review some of the pre-instructional readiness concepts below before advancing to the more formal instructional steps that follow: Physical Approach Learning and using pencil grip, posture, and paper placement skills help children prepare for cursive.

Strokes & Formation Cursive lessons begin with letters that are familiar from print. Good habits for printing strokes and formation carry over naturally. At the same time, children who don’t have a strong printing foundation, have an opportunity to learn new, efficient cursive habits.

cat 20

cat

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Cursive

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Stages of Learning

INSTRUCTIONAL STAGES When the pre-instructional skills have been established, handwriting instruction proceeds in three stages (imitation, copying, and independent writing). Multisensory activities can enhance learning at every stage.

Stage 1 - Direct Instruction The child watches as the teacher writes and then imitates the teacher.

Watch me.

Write t like this.

cat

See the motions as the teacher writes step by step.

Hear the directions.

cat See the model.

Write the model.

Stage 2 - Guided Practice The child looks at the completed model of a letter, word, or sentence, and copies it to match the model.

cat See the model.

Write the model.

Stage 3 - Independent Practice The child writes unassisted, without a demonstration or a model.

Write independently.

Š 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Cursive

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Scope & Sequence of Cursive The Scope & Sequence of Cursive defines the content and order of cursive instruction. We typically recommend that printing instruction precede cursive. However, cursive mastery is not dependent on a child’s ability to write in print. In fact, cursive is often an alternative for children who never developed solid printing skills. The secret is to teach skills in a way that makes learning natural and fun.

Type of Instruction Informal/Structured: This is an informal introduction to cursive letters that are similar to print, focusing only on the

base line to base line connection. Informal instruction also includes teaching children to write

Formal/Structured:

their names.

Teacher-directed activities are presented in a more precise order with specific objectives.

Handwriting Sequence Lowercase Letters:

These are tall, small, and descending symbols. Cursive lowercase letters have more complex

strokes, sizes, starts, and positions than print.

Capitals:

These are used infrequently, and some have complex formations.

Stages of Learning Pre-Instruction Readiness: This is readiness gained from printing instruction. A physical approach to writing, along with motor control, should be developed for learning cursive.

Instructional Stage 1 – Direct Instruction: Stage 2 – Guided Practice: Stage 3 – Independent Practice:

Watch someone form a letter first, and then write it.

Look at a letter and then write it.

Write without watching someone or even seeing a letter.

Cursive Skills Primary Skills – Memory:

Remember and write dictated letters and numbers.

– Connections:

Connect one letter to another.

– Start:

Begin each letter or number correctly.

– Sequence:

Make the letter strokes in the correct order.

Secondary Skills – Placement:

Place letters on the base line.

– Size:

Write in a consistent, grade-appropriate size.

– Spacing:

Connect letters in words, put space between words.

Functional Writing Letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, and writing in all subjects Note About Physical Approach The physical approach to writing cursive typically is taught in the earlier grades with printing instruction.

In the Scope & Sequence of Cursive, the physical approach is reflected in the Stages of Learning (pre-instructional readiness). If children are still struggling with their physical approach (grip, posture, and paper placement), see Remediation Tips on pp. 56–59 of this teacher’s guide.

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Cursive

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Scope & Sequence of Cursive SCOPE & SEQUENCE OF CURSIVE Type of Instruction Informal/Structured Formal/Structured

Handwriting Sequence Lowercase Letters Capitals

Stages of Learning Pre-Instruction Readiness Preparation from Printing Instructional Stage 1 – Direct Instruction Stage 2 – Guided Practice Stage 3– Independent Practice

Cursive Skills Primary Skills – Memory – Connections – Start – Sequence Secondary Skills – Placement – Size – Spacing

Functional Writing Letters Words Sentences Paragraphs Writing in All Subjects

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade+

 *







** **

 

 

 









  

  

  

  

** ** ** **

   

   

   

** ** **

  

  

  

** ** ** ** **

    

    

    

* Some schools introduce cursive formally in second grade. ** Informal instruction introduces cursive, but does not teach all skills.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Cursive

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

TEACHING GUIDELINES To help you plan your instruction, we have provided teaching guidelines. You have flexibility to stay on a unit until students have success with those skills and are ready to move ahead.

• UNIT 1: Foundation Skills & Lowercase Letters • UNIT 2: Lowercase Tow Truck Letters & Tricky Connections

owbv

• UNIT 3: Cursive & Grammar • UNIT 4: Greek & Latin • UNIT 5: Cursive & The Writer’s Notebook

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Guidelines

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

UNIT 1:

Foundation Skills & Lowercase Letters

Unit Summary: 1. Teach/Review Name 2. Teach/Review Lowercase

t h e i p u n s c a d g r l f m y k

3. Develop Connecting Skills 4. Develop Writing Skills Week 2– 3

Week

1

Monday Foundation Skills: Paper, Posture, Pencil Grip pp. 33–37

Base line connections Words

Tuesday Writing Name in Cursive p. 7*

Wednesday Learn & Check p. 7*

Thursday

Friday

My Cursive Name p. 69

My Cursive Name p. 69

t h e i t h e i puns puns cadg pp. 8–9*

2

3

+ Words p. 9* Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

+ Words p. 11*

pp. 12–13*

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

cadg r l f

r l f

m y k m y k

+ Words p. 13*

+ Words p. 15*

pp. 16–17*

pp. 14–15*

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

*Can-Do Cursive Student Workbook

26

pp. 10–11*

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

†

+ Words p. 17* Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Guidelines

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

UNIT 2:

Tow Truck Letters

o w b v, Tricky Connections, and Letters j z x q

Unit Summary: 1. Teach Lowercase Letters Tow Truck Letters

o w b v j z x q

2. Teach Tricky Connections Cranked Up to Tow

t h k n p m e l f I r s A–Z

3. Teach/Review CAPITALS 4. Build Fluency 5. Develop Writing Skills Week 1–3

Week

Monday

Tuesday Tricky Connections

p. 18*

after – p. 19*

o

Reminder: Paper, Posture, Pencil Grip pp. 31–35

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

Tow Truck Letter –

Tricky Connections

p. 22*

after – p. 23*

b

2

Words

Tow Truck Letter –

o

1

Review & Mastery

b

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

j z x q jzxq p. 26–27*

+ Words

A–F

G–L

3

4

p. 32*

p. 27* Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

p. 33*

*Can-Do Cursive Student Workbook © 2018 Learning Without Tears

Wednesday Tow Truck Letter –

Tricky Connections

p. 20*

after – p. 21*

w

w

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

Tow Truck Letter –

Tricky Connections

p. 24*

after – p. 25*

v

v

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

Review & Mastery Print to Cursive p. 28*

M–T

U–Z

p. 33*

†

Thursday

p. 33*

Friday Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

Review & Mastery Print to Cursive p. 29*

Practice the letters and words with a multisensory activity (select from pp. 39–51† ).

Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Guidelines

27

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

UNIT 3:

Cursive & Grammar

Unit Summary: 1. Review Grammar Rules 2. Develop Grammar & Writing Skills Week 1 Punctuation, Capitalization, Parts of Speech, Nouns Week 2 Proper Nouns, Comparative Adjectives, Superlative Adjectives, Present Tense Verbs Week 3 Past Tense Verbs, Future Tense Verbs, Adverbs, Singular Possessive Nouns, Plural Possessive Nouns Week 4 Subject Case Pronouns, Object Case Pronouns, Possessive Case Pronouns, Irregular Verbs Week 5 Helping “Have” and “Be” Verbs, Linking Verbs, Prepositions, Prepositional Phrases Week 6 Conjunctions, Abbreviations & Conjunctions, Punctuation & Conjunctions, Quotations & Conjunctions, Interjections Week

1

2

3

4

5

6

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Starting and Stopping Punctuation p. 34*

Capitals & Capitalization Rules p. 35*

Words Work p. 36*

Eight Parts of Speech p. 37*

NOUNS – Common Nouns p. 38*

NOUNS – Proper Nouns p. 39*

ADJECTIVES p. 40*

ADJECTIVES – Comparative and Superlative p. 41*

VERBS – Present Tense p. 42*

VERBS – Present Tense p. 43*

VERBS – Past Tense p. 44*

VERBS – Future Tense p. 45*

ADVERBS pp. 46–47*

NOUNS – Singular Possessive p. 48*

NOUNS – Plural Possessive p. 49*

PRONOUNS – Subject Case p. 50*

PRONOUNS – Object Case p. 51*

PRONOUNS – Possessive Case p. 52*

Pronoun Review p. 53*

VERBS – Irregular Verbs p. 54*

VERBS – Helping “have” Verbs p. 55*

VERBS – Linking Verbs p. 56*

VERBS – Helping “be” Verbs p. 57*

PREPOSITIONS p. 58*

PREPOSITIONS – Prepositional Phrases p. 59*

CONJUNCTIONS p. 60*

CONJUNCTIONS – Abbreviations p. 61*

CONJUNCTIONS – Punctuations p. 62*

CONJUNCTIONS – Quotations p. 63*

INTERJECTIONS! p. 64*

*Can-Do Cursive Student Workbook

28

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Guidelines

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

UNIT 4:

Greek & Latin

Unit Summary: 1. Develop Writing Skills Week 1 Word Meanings, Prefixes, Suffixes, Root Words, Word Building Week 2 Science Root Words, Math Root Words Week 3 Biology, Audiology, Oceanography, & Astrology Root Words Week 4 Meaning of Words, Geology Root Words, Greek & Latin Glossary Terms

Week

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Greek & Latin p. 65*

Getting to the Root of Things p. 66*

Growing Words p. 67*

Word Detectives pp. 68–69*

Free Choice Friday!

Science All Around p. 70*

Size Science p. 71*

The Number Story p. 72*

Math Words Made Easy! p. 73*

Free Choice Friday!

Head to Toe p. 74*

Sounds All Around p. 75*

Vast Seas p. 76*

Starry Skies p. 77*

Free Choice Friday!

Down to Earth p. 78*

False Clues: “Tri” Again! p. 79*

Try This – Translate p. 80*

Greek – Latin Glossary + Index p. 81*

Free Choice Friday!

1*

2

3

4

Have students write a fun story using the words from the lessons this week.

Have students write a fun story using the words from the lessons this week.

Have students write a fun story using the words from the lessons this week.

Have students write a fun story using the words from the lessons this week.

*Can-Do Cursive Student Workbook © 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Guidelines

29

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

UNIT 5:

Cursive & The Writer’s Notebook

Unit Summary: 1. Develop Writing Skills Week 1 Poem, Notes, Autobiography Week 2 Paragraphs, Sketches, Short Stories Week 3 Notes, Book Review, Independent Writing-Thank You Note

Week

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

The Writer’s Notebook p. 82*

Poetry p. 83*

Diary or Journal Notes p. 84*

Autobiography Notes p. 85*

Free Choice Friday!

Details, Details p. 86*

Paragraphs p. 87*

Character Sketches p. 88*

Short Story Notes p. 89*

Free Choice Friday!

Play Notes pp. 90–91*

Book Case Notes p. 92*

Book Review p. 93*

Thank You Notes p. 94*

Free Choice Friday!

Have students expand their autobiography notes and come up with the questions for the group to write in their journals.

1

2

3

Have students expand their Short Story and share it with the group.

Have students write a Thank You Note to a school employee that has made a positive impact on them.

*Can-Do Cursive Student Workbook

30

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Teaching Guidelines

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

GET READY! POSTURE, PAPER & GRIP Grip is one of the foundations of handwriting. Children need to hold and use a pencil correctly (Dennis and Swinth 2001). We’ve planned writing and grip review and remediation guidelines for you so that your students will be ready to learn and engage through three-dimensional, musical, and joyful learning that supports your teaching all year long.

To make sure children are ready to write, begin the year with review and remediation activities that focus on fixing bad habits. The proper grip and good habits will further strengthen their hand muscles and the fine motor skills that are needed for successful handwriting. We begin with reviewing simple kinesthetic activities and seated writing practice.

In this section, we include activities to promote and solidify good habits for grip and posture: •

Preparing for Paper & Pencil

•

Stomp Your Feet

•

Paper Placement & Pencil Grip

•

The Correct Grip

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Get Ready! Posture, Paper & Grip

33

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Preparing for Paper & Pencil THREE EASY STEPS When it comes to handwriting, children must be taught everything, including how to sit, position the paper, and hold a pencil. This is the physical approach to handwriting. Sometimes it’s the physical approach, not the letters and numbers, that causes a child to struggle with handwriting. Think of it like playing a musical instrument; if you don’t know how to position yourself and hold the instrument correctly, how can you play beautiful music? The same is true with writing letters and numbers. The ability to position yourself and hold your pencil correctly has a lot to do with being able to write legibly.

Impor tant questions: •

How do you get children to sit up while writing?

•

How do you position the paper?

•

What is the secret to a good pencil grip?

Step 1 – POSTURE Does the furniture fit? The right size and style of chair and desk affect school performance. Children don’t come in a standard size!

Check that every child can sit with feet flat on the floor and arms resting comfortably. Children who sit on their feet often will lose stability in their upper torso. On the following page, we show you how good posture can be fun. We have a secret for getting children to stop sitting on their feet.

STEP 2 – PAPER PLACEMENT There’s a misconception that people should slant their paper to make slanted writing. Not true. In fact, we slant paper so that it fits the natural arc of the forearm. Children who slant their papers properly can write faster because the arm moves naturally with the paper.

STEP 3 – GRASPING GRIP The most important thing to understand about pencil grip is that it doesn’t develop naturally—it is learned. Based on our years of experience helping children, we developed our own theories about how to develop good pencil grip habits effectively. Because children are born imitators, demonstration will lead to success.

On the next few pages, you will find fun strategies to help you teach posture, paper, and pencil skills.

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Get Ready! Posture, Paper & Grip

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Stomp Your Feet

Stomping is fun and really works because it keeps students’ feet on the floor and parallel in front of them.

The arm movements make their trunks straight. The noise lets them release energy, but it’s under your control. When you have them stop stomping, they’ll have good posture and be ready to pay attention.

Use Stomp Your Feet a few times a day.

Activity 1. Sit down and show the children how to stomp their feet and wave their arms.

2. Have them shout, “Na, na, naaaah, na, na naaah,” with you as they wave and stomp.

3. Have children push and pull their hands. Have them hug themselves.

4. End by having children raise their shoulders up, pull shoulders back, and let them down.

Push palms

Pull hands

Hug yourself tightly

Raise shoulders

Pull shoulders back

Let them down

SUPPORT/ELL While doing the motions, say the words out loud: “stomping,” “pulling,” “pushing.”

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Get Ready! Posture, Paper & Grip

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Paper Placement & Pencil Grip PLACE THE PAPER How do you position paper correctly? Some children may lean over in an awkward position to write.

Children who put their paper in front of them and slant it properly can write more efficiently because they position their arms naturally with the paper. You need to teach them how to place their papers appropriately.

Children who are able to print sentences across the page are ready to tilt the paper at a slight angle to follow the natural arc of the writing hand. The correct way to tilt the paper is easy to remember (see illustrations below). For right-handed children, put the right corner higher; for left-handed children, put the left corner higher. The writing hand is below the line of writing. This practice encourages a correct, neutral wrist position.

Left–Handed Students

Right–Handed Students

LOOKING OUT FOR LEFTIES You might observe some left-handed children slanting their papers too much. They do this to prevent their wrists from hooking. Allow them to exaggerate the slant on their papers if it doesn’t cause speed or neatness trouble.

Cross Strokes When writing, we typically travel from top to bottom and left to right. At times, left-handed children may choose to cross letters by pulling their writing hand from right to left. This is natural. Model it for them in their workbooks for the letters below.

Mark arrows à for right-handed students. Mark arrows  for lef t-handed students.

F t 36

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Get Ready! Posture, Paper & Grip

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

The Correct Grip

The standard way for children to hold their pencil is illustrated below. If you write using a grip that is different than tripod or quadropod, alter your grip for classroom demonstration.

Tripod Grip

Standard grip: Hold pencil with thumb + index finger.

Pencil rests on middle finger.

Quadropod Grip

Alternate grip: Hold pencil with thumb + index and middle fingers.

Pencil rests on ring finger.

Flip the Pencil Trick Here is another method that someone introduced to us at a workshop. It’s such fun that we love to share it.

Children like to do it and it puts the pencil in the correct position. (Illustrated for right-handed students.)

Place pencil on table pointing away from you. Pinch the pencil on the paint where the paint meets the wood.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Hold the eraser and twirl the pencil around.

Voilà!

Correct grip.

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Get Ready! Posture, Paper & Grip

37

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

MULTISENSORY ACTIVITIES You know the importance of multisensory, active learning. Research is on your side. It supports multisensory teaching to address children’s diverse learning styles: visual, tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic.

Activities with multisensory materials address different senses to teach correct formation and connections. We help children develop their writing skills through explicit, multisensory, play-based instruction.

Each letter lesson begins with a multisensory introduction. There are many fun activities that rotate to add variety and appeal.

In this section, children will: •

Move, touch, feel, and manipulate real objects as they learn the habits and skills essential for writing

•

Engage with technology in a developmentally appropriate manner

•

Develop social-emotional skills

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activites

39

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Multisensory Cues

When planning instruction, you can use the following cues to indicate the multisensory activity that best fits your students. We use these cues within lesson plans for cursive instruction in Grades 2– 4.

CAPITALS and Lowercase Let ters

d Letter Stories

Digital Letter and Number Formations

40

Air Writing

Voices

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

Laser Writing

Blackboard with Double Lines

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Air Writing

Air Writing is a kinesthetic strategy with visual and auditory components. Picking up and holding pencils adds a tactile component. This strategy allows you to watch the entire class and ensures that all students form their letters correctly.

Materials •

Brightly colored ball

Activity 1. C hoose a letter. Use a brightly colored ball to trace the letter in the air in front of your class.

2. Have students hold a pencil correctly in the air. Everyone checks pencil grips.

3. Retrace the letter again with your students.

Note: If you are facing your students, make the letter in relation to you so the letter will be correct from your students’ perspective.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

41

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Laser Letters

Children are always amazed by this activity. You can easily catch their attention when you use a small laser.

By using a laser, you provide a nice visual to follow while tracing letters in the air.

Materials • • •

Small laser pointer Chalk or markers Large board or easel

Note: In place of a laser pointer, you may also use a flashlight or other small pointer.

Activity 1. Students hold pencils ready to point to laser dot.

2. T eacher points to start of letter and slowly writes a laser letter saying its step-by-step directions.

3. S tudents follow the laser with their pencils, saying the directions with the teacher.

a 42

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Voices

Children should learn to write letters in the correct sequence. If you demonstrate with different voices, your students will quickly learn and memorize all the steps. This activity is filled with the repetition children need, but it is so much fun that the repetition is never boring.

Materials •

Large board, prepared with double lines

Activity 1. H elp children find the step-by-step words in their workbooks.

Read the words together as children point.

Demonstrate the letter, saying the steps with the children.

2. S lowly demonstrate the letter again using a new voice.

Children join in by saying the steps and modeling your voice. Repeat. rite the letter. Children put their pencils on the dot. They use their 3. W voices together to say the steps as they write.

4. Repeat the activity with different voices: high, low, loud, soft, slow, fast.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

43

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Letter Stories

Fun stories help children remember letters that are a bit tricky. Beyond our simple verbal cues, we made up some stories that are fun to share and help make these letters memorable.

g

If George Falls

Say, “Inside g lives a little man named George (draw a little face in g).” He says, “Ohhhh, if I fall, will you catch me?” Say, “Sure, I will catch you if you fall” (turn the g to catch George).

i

Zip the Tent

Say, “i should be closed. If i is open, (show an open i), your tent is unzipped and the iguana is going to get in. If your tent is zipped (show a good i), the animals will mind their own business.”

m n q 44

Stinky m

Say, “If m has big gaps, people will throw trash in those gaps. Don’t make big gaps. Make the gaps so little, there is only room for chocolate kisses.”

Make n a Nose

Say, “This is cursive n. It only has two humps. To remember, turn n into a nose and give it two nostrils.”

U-Turn

Say, “The letter q is always followed by u. Think quiet, quit, quibble, quaint, etc.

At the bottom of q , stop and make a U-turn, then finish q .”

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Letter Stories

r

Smile

Say, “r doesn’t have to be a difficult letter. If r is difficult, it’s r’s fault. At the top of r we’ll make a smiley face (draw a smiley face). r travels on the base line, smiles at the top and then comes down and travels away.”

Jet Takeof f

s t G

Say, “When you make s, start with a straight jet takeoff (show arm taking off like an airplane), make a j (finger trace in the air), then walk away (complete the finger trace).”

Zip the Tent

Say, “t should be closed. If t is open (show an open t), your tent is unzipped and the animals are going to get in. If your tent is zipped (show a good t), the animals will mind their own business.”

Old McDonald

Sing, “Old McDonald Had a Farm,” e (at the left top side of G make an e), i (at the right top side of G make an i). Finish the letter, not the song.

Jet Takeof f

S Z

Say, “When you make capital S, start with a straight jet takeoff (show arm taking off like an airplane), print capital S (finger trace in the air), then finish (complete the finger trace).”

Half of Hear t Say, “I’m going to make half of a heart, you make the other half.” Erase your half when the child is done and say, “Now finish the Z.”

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

45

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Wet-Dry-Try with Mystery Letters You can play Mystery Letters with children as a fun way to develop good habits. Mystery Letter activities teach correct letter formation. The secret is to make the first stroke correctly before telling children the name of the letter they’re going to make. This ensures they start the letter correctly.

Materials • • •

Blackboard with Double Lines (1 per child) Little Chalk Bits (1") Paper towel pieces

Activity 1. G ather the Blackboards with Double Lines, Little Chalk Bits, and paper towels for erasing.

2. Say the directions for a capital letter, leaving the last part a mystery (see directions below). Have children practice Wet-Dry-Try after completing the letter.

Directions

Magic c Letters

For letters

c, a, d, g, o, and q:

Magic c, wait. Turn it into _____.

Magic c Words

Using

c, a, d, g, o, and q:

Magic c, turn it into ____.

Magic c, turn it into ____.

Add letter ____.

46

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Mystery Letter Game with

cc

Directions ’ll help you change the second c into a, d, or g.

Worksheet available (p. 78) 1. With colored pencil or pen, trace over the model cc and wait at the end.

2. Listen. Your teacher will randomly call out a, d, or

g.

3. Change the second one into the letter that your teacher calls out.

4. Do one column a day.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

47

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Wet-Dry-Try for Lowercase Letters Using Wet-Dry-Try on the Blackboard with Double Lines is an innovative teaching strategy. The latest research on brain development supports this activity. This research calls for fewer elements (just two lines), modeling, sensory engagement, and immediate feedback (Sousa 2011).

Materials •

Blackboard with Double Lines* (1 per child) Little Chalk Bits (1") Little Sponge Cubes (1/2") Little cups of water Paper towel pieces

• • • •

Activity 1. P repare Blackboards Write letter with chalk as a model to trace.

2. T eacher’s Part – Write f with Chalk Use chalk to write a letter on double lines.

Say the step-by-step directions.

3. C hild’s Part – Wet-Dry-Try As the child does each part, say the step-by-step directions to guide the child. The child is encouraged to join in, saying the words.

Wet: The child uses a Little Sponge Cube to trace the letter.

Dry: The child uses a little piece of paper towel to trace the letter.

Try: The child uses a Little Chalk Bit to write the letter.

*If you don’t have a Blackboard with Double Lines, consider using our Double Line Writer on your whiteboard. This product is available at LWTears.com.

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

More Wet-Dry-Try with Mystery Letters You can play Mystery Letters with children as a fun way to develop good habits. Mystery Letter activities teach correct letter formation. The secret is to make the first stroke correctly before telling children the name of the letter they’re going to make. This ensures that students start the letter correctly.

Materials • • •

Blackboard with Double Lines (1 per child) Little Chalk Bits (1") Paper towel pieces

Activity 1. Gather the Blackboards with Double Lines, Little Chalk Bits, and paper towels for erasing.

2. Say the directions for a capital letter, leaving the last part a mystery (see directions below). Have children practice Wet-Dry-Try after completing the letter.

Directions Other Lowercase Let ters

For letters b, e, f, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s,

t, and x:

Start on the dot, travel (up or on the line).

For letters

u, v, w, y, and z:

Start on the dot.

Turn it into _____.

Turn it into ____.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

49

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

About Tow Truck Connections Tow Truck Letters (o, w, b, v) are the only letters that do not end on the base line. They have a special ending—they end up high on the mid line. The ending always sticks out (like a tow). The letter after a Tow Truck Letter must be cranked up to the tow.

o

w b v

Keep the Tow Up Tow Truck Letters never go down to the bottom line to join a letter. If the tow is lowered to the base line, the Tow Truck Letter will lose its identity, creating spelling and legibility issues.

If

o goes down to pick up a letter, it will change into

If

w goes down to pick up a letter, it will change into

If

b goes down to pick up a letter, it will change into

.

If

v goes down to pick up a letter, it will change into

.

. .

Easy to Tow Some letters are easy to tow because they start on the mid line. To join, simply finish the tow and begin the next letter. Easy-to-tow letters include:

acdguy

acdguy

dog

oat

Crank Up Let ters Some letters that start on the base line must be cranked up before they can be towed. These letters are:

thklfb

thklfb

what of old

Smile for the Tow Some letters are tricky to tow. Both the tow and the letter have to change shape. Use a big smiling tow before connecting to these letters:

ires 50

ires

oil or we lst

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Connection Inspection

Bring cursive connections to life by turning your students into words. Their bodies will be the letters, and their arms will be the connections. Play this unique activity in teams of four and allow children to solve problems together to pass the inspection.

Activity 1. Choose the words to connect and write them in print on the board.

2. Divide your class into teams. Choose one student to be the “inspector.”

3. Explain to your students that for base line letters they should keep their left hands down low. For letters that end high (Tow Truck Letters —o, w, b, v), put their left arms out. Explain that the next letter (student) has to start wherever the previous letter (student) ends.

4. Have the teams solve the word problems by making the connections with their arms.

5. Have the inspector see if children connected their arms correctly.

Team 1 11

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

wag dog

Team 2

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Multisensory Activities

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

RESOURCES Use It, Don’t Lose It p. 54 Fluency & Personalization p. 55 Remediation Tips pp. 56–59 Strategies for English Language Learners pp. 60–62 Strategies for Children with Special Needs pp. 63–65 Handwriting Standards for Written Production pp. 66–67 Making Magic c Bunny p. 68 My Cursive Name p. 69 Mystery Word Game with cc p. 70 Pencil Pick Ups pp. 71–72 For Families: Handwriting Practice p. 73 Reward Good Grip p. 74 The Eraser Challenge p. 75 Cursive Warm-Ups p. 76

c , a , d , g p. 77 Mystery Letter Game with cc p. 78 Word Practice —

References p. 79

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Use It, Don’t Lose It

As summer approaches, children get a break from their studies and freedom to enjoy the summer sun.

Use the following ideas to encourage handwriting practice so good skills remain strong. Handwriting is something that is easily accessible to children. With a little encouragement, they can practice cursive just about anywhere, anytime.

Lists:

Activities:

• Shopping

• Write thank you cards

• Vacation

• Send invitations

• Camping

• Write letters to friends and relatives

• What to take to the pool

• Find a summer pen pal – exchange letters weekly or monthly

• Picnic

• Keep a list of summer vocabulary words

• To-do

• Create a summer journal

• Special projects

• Finger trace in the sand at the beach or park • Play games, write with sidewalk chalk • Paint with water (writing letters/numbers) on the driveway • Create stories with friends • Make cards • Send postcards

For Families: Handwriting Practice Use It, Don’t Lose It Handwriting Practice Ideas Use the following ideas to encourage handwriting practice so good skills remain strong. Handwriting is something that is easily accessible to a child. With a little encouragement, children can practice cursive just about anywhere, anytime.

Lists: • Shopping • Vacation • Camping • What to take to the pool • Picnic • To-do • Special Projects

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

Activities: • Write thank you cards • Send invitations • Write letters to friends and relatives • Find a summer penpal – exchange letters weekly or monthly • Keep a list of summer vocabulary words • Create a summer journal • Finger trace in the sand at the beach or park • Play games, write with sidewalk chalk • Paint with water (writing letters/numbers) on the driveway • Create stories with friends • Make cards • Send postcards

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Fluency & Personalization When children have learned letter formation and connections, they will gain speed. With speed comes fluency, and with fluency comes personalization. Handwriting style is unique to each of us. As we develop our own style, we also develop consistent patterns. It’s inevitable: each of us will develop our own unique cursive style.

Take a look, this child learned the Handwriting Without Tears® style of cursive!

You will know your students are gaining fluency and personalization when you start to see: 1. Speed 2. Natural flare (loops and curlicues) 3. Possible slant 4. A mixture of print with cursive Mixing print with cursive is normal. If students start to mix their print with cursive, allow it. This style of writing is very functional and often is the way most adults write. However, don’t let the cart get before the horse. If a child begins to personalize too soon, hold the child accountable for neatness and completeness.

Ease Their Minds Some may worry that our vertical style is too simple. Our clean style actually leads children to even greater fluency and personalization—quickly! When you teach the most important parts of the skill (formation and connection), the other pieces (style and speed) come naturally. Remember what happened to the duck in the story “The Ugly Duckling!” Our cursive develops into a beautiful swan that can fly fast.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Remediation Tips PHYSICAL APPROACH Pencil Grip

For older students with pencil grip problems, show them how to hold the pencil between their index and middle fingers. This type of grip is as functional as a tripod grip. We also suggest this strategy: Remediate in 3 stages: 1. Pick-Up – Make circles in the air with a correct grip. Drop and do it again. Repeat five times a day for a couple of weeks.

2. Pencil Pick-Ups – Complete Pencil Pick-Ups daily at home and at school using a correct grip (p. 71–72).

3. Write – Have children write their name with a correct grip. Once they consistently write their name with a correct grip, give them permission to use it for all of their writing.

Adaptive Devices Experiment with adaptive devices and use them only if they make it easier for the child to hold a pencil.

Their usefulness varies from grip to grip and child to child.

Rubber Band Trick Check the angle of the pencil. If the pencil is pointing straight up in the air, it will be difficult to write.

Loop two rubber bands or ponytail holders together. One goes around the child’s writing hand, the other around the pencil.

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Remediation Tips

Reward Good Grip Try using the reward activity to motivate a good grip (p. 74).

Check My Grip

Look at me, I’m holding my pencil correctly.

My reward is:

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Photo of Correct Grip

Pencil Pressure Too Hard: Try a mechanical pencil or placing paper over a mouse pad to provide feedback.

Too Soft: Have children pencil in small shapes until they are black. Use pencils with softer lead.

Name the Helper Hand A helper hand that twirls hair or props up a forehead will not support the paper. Try naming the helping hand, children find it funny. For example, John’s helping hand is called Jacob. You talk to “Jacob” about how it’s his job to hold the paper. You are not reprimanding the child, but just the name of their helping hand.

The Eraser Challenge Some children spend a lot of time erasing. We suggest giving children a pencil without an eraser and telling them to cross out the mistake. They are less likely to stop and do this. You can also try the Eraser Challenge. This activity is designed for children to be accountable. The goal is that all the erasers are left at the end of the day.

The Eraser Challenge

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

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How many erasers will you have left at the end of the day?

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Remediation Tips

REMEDIATION MATERIAL AND STRATEGIES Memory Quick and automatic recall of letters is important for cursive success. Demonstration and direct instruction are essential. Concentrate on lowercase letters first. Capital letters are infrequently used, so concentrate on the ones children use often, especially the ones in their names. We also suggest these activities:

Blackboard with Double Lines p. 48

CAS_08_05.20.09_outlines.indd 1

Cursive Desk Strip

5/20/09 10:23:35 AM

Connections Connecting one letter to another letter is the foundation of cursive writing. Review & Mastery activities are essential for children mastering cursive writing. Create additional cursive to cursive and print to cursive activities using the A+ Worksheet Maker (LWTears.com). We also suggest these activities: Cursive Warm-Ups Team 1

Under and over

Up and straight down

Up and loop down

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Descending loop

wag dog

Team 2

Start on the star. Do one row a day.

Cursive Warm-Ups p. 76

© 2013 Handwriting Without Tears®

CH_TEXT_11.16.12.indd 7

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Blackboard with Double Lines p. 48

Cursive Handwriting

Connection Inspection p. 51

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Remediation Tips

Placement & Size Using the appropriate size double lines is the best way to help children place and write their letters a correct size. Double lines prepare children for success to transition to single lines. We also suggest these activities: Word Practice –

cadg

Trace and copy.

cc

cc

cc

ca

ca

ca

cd

cd

cg

cg

cd cg Copy in cursive.

ac dc gc

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Placement & Size p. 48

Double Line Paper

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

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Word Practice — c, a, d, g p. 77

Star t & Sequence Correct Start and Sequence are essential for quick and automatic cursive writing. The ability to connect letters correctly is acquired through direct teaching and correct practice. We also suggest these activities:

Mystery Letter Game with

cc

’ll help you change the second c into a, d, or g.

Directions 1. With colored pencil or pen, trace over the model cc and wait at the end.

2. Listen. Your teacher will randomly call out a, d, or

g.

3. Change the second one into the letter that your teacher calls out.

4. Do one column a day.

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Blackboard with Double Lines p. 48

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Mystery Letter Game with cc p. 78

Double Line Paper

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Strategies for English Language Learners Our program and research-based teaching strategies help diverse learners master handwriting. We developed them to meet the needs of all learners, including English language learners (ELLs). Our strategies provide simple best practices you can seamlessly integrate into a classroom setting, benefitting all children. Use the following strategies to help your ELL children succeed in your classroom:

Prior Knowledge Activation Research tells us that children learn more effectively when they already know something about a content area and when concepts in that area mean something to them and to their particular background or culture.

When you link new information to a student’s prior knowledge, you activate the child’s interest and curiosity and infuse instruction with a sense of purpose. Prior knowledge has a large influence on student performance (Dochy, Segers, & Buehl, 1999). English language learners need opportunities to practice previously learned knowledge and what they are presently learning. Hill and Bjork (2008) acknowledge the importance of practice to prevent ELLs from learning incorrectly.

We use child-friendly, consistent language with clear, direct instruction that uses simple verbal cues paired with fun stories for children to make connections and activate prior knowledge. When teaching particular groups of letters, you may ask children what they already know about the letter group like shape, size, and starting position.

Conducive Learning Environment Research indicates that the prevention of failure among English language learners involves two critical elements: the creation of educational environments that are conducive to their academic success and the use of instructional strategies known to be effective with these students (Ortiz, 1997; Ortiz & Wilkinson, 1991).

To maximize a child’s ability to master handwriting, prepare your classroom or teaching space so children can see and hear what you are modeling. You should also ensure that children have the proper materials, including the correct size chairs and desks. Children’s feet should be flat on the floor with their arms resting comfortably at the desk. While instructing, you should have children arrange their desks in rows or in a V shape. During guided instruction, you should be strategic in grouping ELLs, rotating them to allow interaction with a variety of English speaking peers.

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Strategies for English Language Learners Cooperative Learning Strategies According to research, cooperative learning is particularly beneficial for any child learning a second language. Cooperative learning activities promote peer interaction, which helps language development and concept and content learning. It is important to assign ELLs to different teams so they can benefit from English language role models. ELLs learn to express themselves with greater confidence when working in small teams and pick up vocabulary by observing how their peers learn and solve problems.

“Having students work together cooperatively is a powerful way for them to learn and has positive effects on the classroom climate” (David Johnson and Roger Johnson, 2001). Skill grouping reduces anxiety among ELLs, thus, making it an effective format for teaching skills that are difficult to comprehend (MacIntyre and Gardner, 1994). Our program and multisensory activities offer many opportunities for children to be move around and work together in diverse groups to reinforce letter formation.

Multisensory Instruction Numerous individuals report the importance of using visual, auditory, and tactile aids to make content more understandable to ELLs (Carey, 2007; Herrell & Jordan, 2008; Samway & Taylor, 2008). Our multisensory instruction and interactive activities include strategies to address the diverse learning styles of all children.

We have methods to meet the needs of auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learners. For auditory learners, we use consistent, child-friendly language that helps children learn and remember easily. To meet the needs of visual learners, we provide step-by-step illustrations of letter formation and give clear visual direction. Our clean, uncluttered, and black and white pages also support a visually simple format to support the learning style of visual learners. Our workbooks have step-by-step models that are big enough for finger tracing to meet the needs of tactile letters, and we use music and movement to engage kinesthetic learners.

Additional strategies include using dough to form letters and playing visual memory games.

Thematic Instruction Research reports that themes help children understand new concepts. They provide mental organizing schemes for students to approach new ideas (Caine & Caine, 1997; Kovalik, 1994). Our teaching order helps children learn handwriting skills in the easiest, most efficient way. Specifically, we teach letter formation in groups that have similar strokes. These thematic groups allow children to repeat important vocabulary words that are common to letter groups and promote good writing habits.

Repeated Lesson/Concept/Vocabulary Recent research (Rydland & Aukrust, 2005) states the importance of second language learners’ use of repetition for conversational participation and language learning. Research also indicates that word repetition is a favorable condition in vocabulary learning (Nation, 2001). We use consistent, child-friendly terminology for teaching letter formation and specifically repeat the same vocabulary through the lessons and grade levels. We do not make assumptions about what a child knows, and our direct instruction only uses words that children are familiar with and uses as few words as possible. As children practice writing letters and words, have them repeat the letter formation steps as they form letters and words.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Strategies for English Language Learners Ensure that they use the same vocabulary. You can also have children create flash cards with the letters on one side and vocabulary/pictures on the other side (review the cards repeatedly). Alternate the side of the card that is used as the prompt and have children work in pairs to quiz one another.

Immediate Feedback Research shows that “immediate feedback motivates students to make necessary adjustments, encourages cooperation with and support of others, increases student response, and promotes activity and harmony within the group” (Weissglass 1996). Research also shows that learning improves with consistent feedback (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2002; Pintrich & Schunk, 2002; Heath & Glen, 2005). In addition, when children work cooperatively, you should strive to provide immediate feedback.

We provide ample opportunities to assess skill mastery within the student workbooks, enabling you to quickly determine if you need to re-teach or give specific support. We also provide additional resources online for additional skill assessment.

Think-Aloud Modeling/Metacognition (Show and Tell) According to research, modeling thought processes helps students become more aware of their own thinking (Simons 1995; Resnick and Klopfer 1989, Paris and Winograd 1990). As you model letter formation, we provide simple step-by-step instructions to help children learn the correct steps for forming letters. After you model thinking aloud, children can work in pairs and model to one another.

Dif ferentiated Instruction Research indicates that a student’s learning profile includes learning style (i.e., visual, auditory, tactile, or kinesthetic), grouping preferences (i.e., individual, small group, or large group), and environmental preferences (i.e., lots of space or a quiet area to work). You may differentiate instruction based on any one of these factors or any combination of factors (Tomlinson, 1999). Research also indicates that although some of the techniques may remain the same, it is necessary that you differentiate instruction for ELLs to accommodate the different levels of language development (Genesee, Lindholm-Leary, Saunders, & Christian, 2006).

We provide many opportunities to differentiate instruction for diverse learners. By recognizing a child’s prior knowledge, readiness, language, learning styles, and interests, you are able to meet the needs of all learners.

You can group children according to different learning styles or you can also group them by level of mastery (i.e., advanced children may be grouped with and can support struggling children).

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Strategies for Children with Special Needs Many adults print. So, in many circumstances, it may be best to focus on improving print rather than moving onto cursive. If a child is interested in doing cursive, below are some suggestions.

For all children, consider only teaching lowercase cursive and having them use print for capitals.

Fine Motor Activities To help children with fine motor delays, use the first 10–15 minutes of a session doing fine motor work. If children are delayed in their fine motor skills, they will likely need extra help with handwriting. Spend the last 10 minutes of a session forming letters.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Often, concentration and compliance are challenging for children with autism, so they may struggle with handwriting, fine motor skills, or perceptual delays. Children on the autism spectrum who are high functioning, such those with Asperger’s Syndrome, tend to relate well to tangible, hands-on materials.

Children who do not respond well to verbal cues (language) usually do well with the Handwriting Without Tears program. You can demonstrate many of the teaching techniques with few or no verbal cues as the child attends visually to the task. Teacher demonstration and child imitation are the keys to successful handwriting. Keep these tips in mind when teaching children with ASD: •

Use as many multisensory experiences as possible

•

Be very consistent with the child

•

e careful when using abstract teaching strategies; children with ASD B tend to take things literally.

Down Syndrome Use several multisensory activities and repetitions. If the child has a classroom assistant (IEP aide), allow extra time for the child to practice handwriting. Because the child may be easily distracted, you may want to schedule extra time for breaks. Here are some tips for working with children who have low muscle tone (hypotonia) due to Down Syndrome: •

I f the child struggles with writing because of low muscle tone, have them write in all capital letters

•

Assess the child’s comfortable size of writing

•

Use a modified pencil grasp

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Adapt seating in the classroom and at home

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Work on extra fine motor activities to strengthen the hands.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Strategies for Children with Special Needs Poor Vision If a child has poor vision, modify teaching materials appropriately. Here are some ideas to increase the visibility of teaching materials: •

Use brightly colored paints with a bright contrasting mat (black and white works well)

•

Enlarge all workbook pages

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Double lines can work well for children with poor vision

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Enlarge or thicken lines with a marker until the child is comfortable with the chosen size

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Provide a texture on the lines to help the child locate the line position.

Cerebral Palsy To help a child with cerebral palsy, begin by establishing good positioning. If the child is in a wheelchair, try using a lap tray during writing time for support and stability of the arms and shoulders. If the child only has use of one extremity, clamp down paper and other materials using a clipboard clamp screwed into the lap tray. Once good writing position has been established, try these tips for writing success: •

I f the child has problems with muscle tone, try an adapted pencil grip for more control of the pencil.

•

hildren with cerebral palsy may do better initially writing in capitals, which are C developmentally easier to read and write.

•

I f the child has perceptual or visual problems, it may help to enlarge the worksheets and darken the print.

Dyslexia Dyslexic children typically struggle with organization and using language effectively. Often, they struggle with writing because letter formation is not automatic. The teaching techniques help the child develop good habits: starting at the top with letter formation; learning a left-to-right flow in the sequence of reading and writing; and learning consistent, child-friendly terminology when learning letter formation. Help a child with dyslexia in the following ways:

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Use the double lines to teach consistency in placement of letters on the lines.

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Teach letters in groups of similar strokes, as taught in the workbooks.

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Provide many opportunities for review and mastery lessons.

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Strategies for Children with Special Needs Dysgraphia Children with dysgraphia have trouble producing written language due to poor motor planning. They may struggle with organizational skills and movements that need to be in an automatic and specific order, such as the formation of letters for writing. This can cause handwriting to be illegible or contain irregular and inconsistent letter formations. Children with dysgraphia can be scattered in their writing habits. For example, their writing is sometimes a mixture of lowercase and capital letters. You can help organize these children in the following ways: •

rovide visual models for the child to follow. Refer the child to the pictures in P the workbooks that give additional visual cues for letter formation.

•

Provide many practice sessions to develop patterns for letter formation.

•

T each the letters in the recommended groups of similar strokes to help develop consistent patterns of letter formation.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Handwriting Standards for Written Production Handwriting instruction must adhere to developmental principles to ensure success for all children.

Yet educational guidelines often are limited to one standard in the English Language Arts standards—“produces legible handwriting.” When students fail to meet this standard, teachers have no means for examining which skills are lacking. To review standards visit our website LWTears.com.

Handwriting is an essential skill for both children and adults (Feder and Majnemer 2007). Even in the age of technology, handwriting remains the primary tool of communication and knowledge assessment for students in the classroom. The demands for handwriting are great, whether in the classroom or beyond.

A 1992 study (McHale and Cermak) found that 85 percent of all fine motor time in second-, fourth- and sixth-grade classrooms was spent on paper and pencil activities. A more recent study (Marr, Cermak, Cohn and Henderson 2003) noted that kindergarten children are now spending 42 percent of their fine motor time on paper and pencil activities. The addition of handwritten components to many state standardized assessments and of a handwritten essay to the College Board SAT further emphasize the importance of handwriting. Furthermore, good handwriting is important long after graduation. In Script and Scribble (2009), Florey writes in reference to handwritten job applications, “Like it or not, even in our machinedriven world, people still judge you by your handwriting.”

Research literature extensively documents the consequences of poor handwriting on early literacy and academic performance. Children who experience difficulty mastering this skill [handwriting] may avoid writing and decide they cannot write, leading to arrested writing development (Graham, Harris and Fink 2000). Handwriting is critical to the production of creative and well-written text (Graham and Harris 2005) affecting both fluency and the quality of the composition. Handwriting instruction must adhere to developmental principles to ensure success for all children. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, newborn to eight-year-old children learn best from methods that are consistent with developmentally appropriate practice (1998). However, due to a general lack of professional development in the area of handwriting, educators are not always aware of the specific objectives to be addressed at various age and grade levels.

Seeing the need for a more specific analysis of skills, a team of occupational therapists and educators developed a set of handwriting standards. We hope it serves as an example to educators and curriculum decision-makers and brings increased attention to this crucial, yet often overlooked, area of education.

Preparations Skills

5.1 Physical Approaches & Skill Development Students demonstrate strokes needed for cursive handwriting: strokes that change direction, retrace lines, or form loops. Each student will: A. Connect an under to an over stroke, moving left to right B. Retrace a vertical stroke C. Retrace a curved stroke D. Produce neat loops (ascending and descending) 5.2 Letter Skills Students demonstrate cursive writing skills efficiently from memory. Each student will: A. Form lowercase letters correctly B. Form capital letters correctly

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Handwriting Standards for Written Production C. Place letters on a base line (within 1/16" above or below) D. Write letters in a grade-appropriate size E. Follow the writing guidelines of various styles of paper (single lines) 5.3 Connection Skills Students join letters using standard, efficient connections to form words. Each student will: A. Demonstrate correct base line connections, maintaining letter integrity 1. Connect base line ending to base line start (e.g., t to e) 2. Connect base line ending to mid line start (e.g., c to a) B. Demonstrate correct high connections, maintaining letter integrity 1. Connect a high ending to mid line start (e.g., o to u) 2. Connect a high ending letter to base line start (e.g., w to h, b to r) C. Use appropriate spacing between connected letters (close together, NOT overlapping with only connections touching) D. Cross and dot appropriate letters after completing connected letters E. Demonstrate correct connections from capital letters 1. Write signature in cursive using correct connections 2. Use correct connections for proper nouns 5.4 Sentence Skills Students will write words to express thoughts, forming sentences. Each student will: A. Write from left to right, returning to left margin of subsequent lines as needed B. Use sentence writing conventions: 1. Begin with a capital letter 2. Leave a clearly defined space between words 3. Use ending punctuation (period, question mark, or exclamation point) C. Use comma and quotation marks correctly to indicate speech D. Use commas to separate items in series and to set off clauses and phrases 5.5 Writing Conventions Students will combine sentences to express ideas or opinions, using formatting conventions that are extensions of handwriting skills. Each student will: A. Write paragraphs using proper conventions 1. Write five- to six-sentence paragraphs 2. Indent the beginning of each paragraph B. Write titles of written works, capitalizing the first, last, and important words C. Follow standard format for business letters 1. Write heading (return address and date) at left margin 2. Write inside address at left margin 3. Write salutation at left margin 4. Write body using paragraph skills, leaving line space between paragraphs 5. Write closing at left margin 6. Place signature at left margin 7. Leave line space after heading, inside address, salutation, body, closing

Š 2018 Learning Without Tears

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Making a Magic C Bunny Make the Magic C Bunny

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Open paper napkin.

Hold by one corner.

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Spread index and middle fingers apart.

Pull napkin out to side.

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

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Pull corner between your index and middle fingers (first ear).

Take the next corner. Pull corner between your middle and ring fingers (second ear).

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Wrap napkin over fingers and tuck into hand.

Add the face with a pen. It’s a bunny! You may slip the bunny off your fingers and give it to a child. Tape or staple the napkin to hold it.

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Child imitates first name:

Adult models child’s first name:

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Circle the letters in your first name.

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Circle the first letter of your first name.

My Cursive Name

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Mystery Word Game with cc Mystery Word Game with

cc

Directions ’ll help you you write write Magic Magic cc words. words.

I’ll help Play this game when you know all your lowercase letters.

1. Call out a cc or ccc word.

2. Spell the word.

3. Children trace c’s to write the word.

4. Do a column a day.

Do one row a day.

: ace, act, age, cat, cab, car, can, cap, do, doll, dot, gas, gap, go, got : ago, cage, code, coat, cool, cook, dad, dog, door, good, goat, goal

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

3rd Grade Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

© 2008 Handwriting Without Tears®

Add spots

Design a tie

Teacher’s Guide page 54.

Add grass

Add rungs

Add a mane

Printing Power

Swirl the lollipop

Make holes

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

Add spokes

Make it rain

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

See –

Connect the dots

Make shining stars

Pencil Pick-Ups

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

© 2008 Handwriting Without Tears®

Add teeth

Make shining stars

Teacher’s Guide page 78.

Letters and Numbers for Me

Make holes

Add sprinkles

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

Swirl the lollipop

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

See –

Add grass

Add sheep’s wool

Finish shell

Pencil Pick-Ups

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

For Families: Handwriting Practice Use It, Don’t Lose It Handwriting Practice Ideas Use the following ideas to encourage handwriting practice so good skills remain strong. Handwriting is something that is easily accessible to a child. With a little encouragement, children can practice cursive just about anywhere, anytime.

Lists: • Shopping • Vacation • Camping • What to take to the pool • Picnic • To-do • Special Projects

Activities: • Write thank you cards • Send invitations • Write letters to friends and relatives • Find a summer penpal – exchange letters weekly or monthly • Keep a list of summer vocabulary words • Create a summer journal • Finger trace in the sand at the beach or park • Play games, write with sidewalk chalk • Paint with water (writing letters/numbers) on the driveway • Create stories with friends • Make cards • Send postcards

For Families: Handwriting Practice Use It, Don’t Lose It Handwriting Practice Ideas Use the following ideas to encourage handwriting practice so good skills remain strong. Handwriting is something that is easily accessible to a child. With a little encouragement, children can practice cursive just about anywhere, anytime.

Lists: • Shopping • Vacation • Camping • What to take to the pool • Picnic • To-do • Special Projects

© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Activities: • Write thank you cards • Send invitations • Write letters to friends and relatives • Find a summer penpal – exchange letters weekly or monthly • Keep a list of summer vocabulary words • Create a summer journal • Finger trace in the sand at the beach or park • Play games, write with sidewalk chalk • Paint with water (writing letters/numbers) on the driveway • Create stories with friends • Make cards • Send postcards

Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Reward Good Grip

Check My Grip

Look at me! I’m holding my pencil correctly.

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Photo of Correct Grip

Check My Grip

Look at me! I’m holding my pencil correctly.

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My reward is:

Photo of Correct Grip

Check My Grip

Look at me! I’m holding my pencil correctly.

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My reward is:

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Check My Grip

Look at me! I’m holding my pencil correctly.

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© 2018 Learning Without Tears

Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

The Eraser Challenge The Eraser Challenge

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The Eraser Challenge

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How many erasers will you have left at the end of the day?

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The Eraser Challenge

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How many erasers will you have left at the end of the day?

The Eraser Challenge

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How many erasers will you have left at the end of the day?

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Can-Do Cursive Teacher’s Guide: Resources

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Cursive Warm-Ups

Under and over

Up and straight down

Up and loop down

Descending loop

Start on the star. Do one row a day.

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Word Practice –

cadg

Trace and copy.

cc

cc

cc

ca

ca

ca

cd

cd

cd

cg

cg

cg

Copy in cursive.

ac dc gc

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

Mystery Letter Game with

cc

’ll help you change the second c into a, d, or g.

Directions 1. With colored pencil or pen, trace over the model cc and wait at the end.

2. Listen. Your teacher will randomly call out a, d, or

g.

3. Change the second one into the letter that your teacher calls out.

4. Do one column a day.

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

References

Dayley, Susan. 2012. “Why Children Should Still Learn Cursive.” Family News. http://familynews.com/whychildrenshould-still-learn-cursive/ Dennis, Julie L., and Yvonne Swinth. 2001. “Pencil Grasp and Children’s Handwriting Legibility During Different-Length Writing Tasks.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 55 (2): 175–183.

Feder, Katya P., and Annette Majnemer. 2007. “Handwriting Development, Competency, and Intervention.”

Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 49: 312–317.

Florey, Kitty Burns. 2009. Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting. New York: Melville House.

Graham, Steve, and Karen R. Harris. 2005. “Improving the Writing Performance of Young Struggling Writers: Theoretical and Programmatic Research from the Center on Accelerating Student Learning.” Journal of Special Education 39 (10): 19–33.

Lust, Carol A., and Denise K. Donica. 2011. “Effectiveness of a Handwriting Readiness Program in Head Start: A TwoGroup Controlled Trial.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 65 (5): 560–568.

Marr, Deborah, Sharon A. Cermak, Ellen S. Cohn, and Anne Henderson. 2003. “Fine Motor Activities in Head Start and Kindergarten Classrooms.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 65 (5): 560–557.

McHale, Kathleen, and Sharon Cermak. 1992. “Fine Motor Activities in Elementary School: Preliminary Findings and Provisional Implications for Children with Fine Motor Problems.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 46,10: 898–903.

National Association for the Education of Young Children & International Reading Association. 1998. “Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children.” Young Children 53 (4): 30–46. http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSREAD98.pdf.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. 2010. Common Core State Standards. Washington, D.C.: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. www.corestandards.org.

Russell, Dr. John J. 2009. “Learning By Hand: A Case for Handwriting Enhancing Reading.” Education Update Online. http://www.educationupdate.com/archives/2009/SEP/html/spec-learning.html Sapterstein Associates. 2012. “Handwriting in the 21st Century? Research Shows Why Handwriting Belongs in Today’s Classroom.” A Summary of Research Presented at Handwriting in the 21st Century? An Educational Summit. Http://sapersteinassociates.com/data/2_29_HW_Summit_White_Paper_eVersion.pdf Sousa, David. 2011. How the Brain Learns, 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Full list of references available on LWTears.com.

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Texas sample version of: Can-Do Cursive Teacher's Guide

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