Today is part three in our series of posts from Michelle Yoder that celebrate National Handwriting Day
Research shows that handwriting contributes to academic success and that students must be taught handwriting. The question is – who will teach your child how to write? Did you know that teachers have limited time to focus on letter formation in the classroom and are counting on parents to help teach and practice handwriting at home?
So, if home is where the practice is, Fundanoodle provides great tools for making learning fun. Keep these tips in mind as you begin to work with your child on handwriting skills using the Fundanoodle program:
1. Set aside ten minutes a day to focus on handwriting instruction.
2. It’s good to start with an activity like the muscle mover cards or the magnetic letter building strips, followed by work in the tablet.
3. Don’t worry too much about where this takes place; on the floor on her tummy or at the easel. Some kids think it’s pretty cool to write on paper taped to the bottom of the table! (check out another Fundanoodle post about this)
4. Try to promote an appropriate pencil grasp using the thumb and first two fingers to “pinch” the pencil.
5. When using the I Can Write Uppercase Letters workbook, work from the front of the tablet to the back. This book introduces the letters in a developmentally appropriate sequence which helps children gain confidence and want to do more.
6. Demonstrate the formation of the letter using the example in gray in the first box.
7. Next, have the student form the same letter with the magnetic strips from the I Can Build Uppercase Kit followed by writing it on another media such as the dry erase board or in a bin of rice. Writing it in the air or on carpet square with chalk would also provide nice kinesthetic input.
8. Going back to the workbook, using the first row of boxes, have him practice getting the letter on the paper within the boxes and watch to see that he is following Max’s instructions to insure proper formation.
9. In the next row, focus on formation using the green and red guidelines for both formation and sizing.
10. Once she has written a row of letters, have her go back and mark the best looking one in the row. Teach him how to self-evaluate his work. Is my line straight? Did I start at the top? Did I stay in the box? Did I stay above the red line?
11. Move on down the page using the same approach. Monitor letter formation and have him assess which trial looks the best.
12. After completing each page, choose the corresponding sticker in the back for each letter.
13. Should a particular letter be difficult, be sure to use the practice pages in the back of the book.
I Can Write My Own Stories
FUNDANOODLE 