Woodson Kindergarten Center pilots handwriting program
Published 6:16 am Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Kindergarten is not just playtime anymore. But, the kids might not notice.
Students in Katie Schug’s kindergarten class spend time with Play-Doh, wooden blocks and chalk each morning — all exercises aimed to foster their handwriting.
Schug’s class at Woodson Kindergarten Center is piloting an alternative writing program this year called Handwriting Without Tears, which emphasizes occupational therapies as handwriting lessons.
“It is working very well, and the students are having more fun with it,” Schug said.
The program used to be used at Woodson only for kids who needed extra support, explained special education teacher Mary Beth Petersen.
Now, Schug’s students work on writing 15 minutes per day with herself and Petersen, who was specially trained in the teaching technique in the Twin Cities.
Petersen said the different exercises make writing less frustrating and more accessible to all students.
“Students who are not frustrated can enjoy writing at an early age, and that carries over into creative writing lessons later,” she said.
There are visual, tactile, auditory and kinesthetic approaches to teaching Handwriting without Tears.
Visual steps include the design of clear, black and white workbooks, in which students practice writing letters in shaded boxes.
This is a stark difference from the rest of the classes at Woodson, and the district, where Zaner-Bloser Handwriting is taught. That is the traditional method, where students practice writing on special handwriting pages, with dotted lines.
“We teach them to write big lines, little lines and curved lines. There are only four strokes and in Zaner-Bloser, there are 12 or 13. It is much less overwhelming,” Petersen said.
Tactile lessons include using chalkboard slates and sponges to practice “Wet-Dry-Try.” Students write a letter with chalk, then go over the letter’s shape with a wet sponge and finally, blow the letter dry, following it’s shape.
“With that exercise, they practice the letters in three ways. And, they seem to really enjoy it,” Petersen said.
Other tactile exercises include rolling Play-Doh into letters, and forming letters with wooden sticks.
Auditory and kinesthetic approaches include music and movement.
Handwriting Without Tears was developed by Jan Z. Olsen, an occupational therapist who became interested in handwriting when her own son had problems with it in the first grade.
A Handwriting Without Tears Teacher’s Guide states that handwriting is still important, even in the age of computers. The guide suggests that handwriting is a first step to school achievement and academic self-esteem.
“It allows kids to take their time, try different learning styles and talk themselves through their work,” Schug said.
While Petersen and Schug think the program works well, its future at Woodson is yet to be determined. It is a pre-school through sixth grade curriculum, and would thus have to be adopted by the entire district, Petersen said.