Handwriting Lesson 2022
January 27, 2021 | Bridget O'Dowd
We’ve been working on handwriting! During teacher’s group, the students are learning to form capital letters using common starting points, formation rules, and correct orientation. A couple weeks ago, we finished up our last capital letter before moving on to lowercase letters last week!
Children enter Kindergarten with different levels of experience with the alphabet. Some students will recognize, form, and illustrate letters confidently while others feel more apprehensive. Skill levels will vary. The goal in kindergarten is for students to feel capable and confident in letter formation.
Before sitting down to write, children start with an exercise of taking one leg up and crossing arms across to touch the outside of the raised leg. We sing the alphabet and do one leg for each letter.
| This exercise is a practice in crossing the midline for the children. This promotes the coordination of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. |
The teacher models the formation of the letter, repeating specific language that accompanies the directions to form each letter. This verbal path helps students understand the directional movement for each letter and make visual connections within letter families. Students practice following a specific routine: “wet-dry-try.
Next, students prepare to write.
Students start stomping their feet. This helps their feet be on the floor and parallel to them.
| Next, students wave their arms in the air. This helps make their trunks straight. |
Did you noticed the books at a slight angle?
This helps children follow the natural arc of the writing hand. The right-handed children put the right corner higher. The left-handed children put the left corner higher.
When writing, students are encouraged to check their posture, their pencil grip, and to use the other hand to hold the paper.
Ask your child: “What letter did you write today?” “I wonder what words begin with that letter.”
