Handwriting

Welcome to Handwriting

Methods for Supporting Handwriting Development at Home

This page offers information on handwriting and pre-writing skills. The first resource is a video tutorial. The Second is a handout on how to form letters and numbers, using the Handwriting Without Tears format. Next are visual supports to assist with handwriting, such as a Handwriting Without Tears Letter Chart, and a Printing Checklist. Following that are copies of Handwriting Without Tears style paper that you can print out at home and use for handwriting practice.

Pre-Writing/Handwriting Tutorial

Use this video tutorial to learn all about improving handwriting skills. It follows a natural progression from pre-writing skills (tracing simple shapes) all the way to advanced writing (writing paragraphs). Once you start the video, you can slide the bar on the bottom to the right to get to the appropriate developmental level for your child's skills. At the start of the video is a table of contents for where to find each skill.

Handwriting Tutorial.mp4

Early Writing on IPad Tutorial

This video gives tips on how to use our favorite iPad tracing apps. This is a great strategy for students who need visual motor practice but resist pencil/paper activities.


IPad Tracing Tutorial - English.MOV

Handout on Handwriting

This handout offers information on how to form letters and numbers, using the Handwriting Without Tears model. It starts with the pre-writing skills of tracing and copying shapes. It progresses through different groups of letters that are clustered together because they are formed in similar ways. It also offers pointers to making letter formation easier, such as starting letters at the top.

Handwriting - English

Handout on Handwriting

Handwriting - Spanish

Handout on Handwriting - Spanish

Visual Supports

Handwriting Without Tears Letter Formation Chart

Use this chart as a reminder on how to form each letter. Practice forming letters with this chart available and without. Click on the image, expand by clicking "pop-out" button on top right, print, use as a reference for letter formation while your child is writing.

HWT Letter Chart.pdf

Printing Visual Checklist - English

Click on image, expand by clicking "pop-out" button on top right, print, and use before writing (front-loading expectations) and after writing to make corrections (self-editing)

Printing Visual Checklist

Printing Visual Checklist - Spanish

Click on image, expand by clicking "pop-out" button on top right, print, and use before writing (front-loading expectations) and after writing to make corrections (self-editing)

Printing Visual Checklist - Spanish

Scanned Sheets of "Handwriting Without Tears" Style Paper

Print these out to practice handwriting at home

Paper is organized by grade/ability level


Benefits:

1) Paper with a red bottom line (to work on correctly anchoring letters)

2) With a left margin (to work on left margin alignment)

3) With a name line on top (to work on writing the student's name with correct spatial organization)

Paper

Open link and print for home use.

This is Handwriting Without Tears style paper. It is essentially only shows the middle and bottom line. The tall letters (b, d, f, h, k, l, t) go above the line, the short letters (a, c, e, i, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, x, z) stay inside the lines, and the hanging/tail letters (g, j, p, q, y) go beyond/below the bottom red line. Click on image, expand by clicking "pop-out" button on top right, and print.


Kinder.pdf

Paper for Kindergarten to the Beginning of First Grade

First.pdf

Paper for Late First Grade

Second.pdf

Paper for Second Grade

Third.pdf

Paper for Third Grade

Fourth+.pdf

Paper for Fourth Grade and up

Practice Sheets For Tracing - Copying

Sight words On Block Paper for Uppercase Letter Practice - Trace Then Copy

Click on image, expand by clicking "pop-out" button on top right, and print.

YOU on Block Paper.pdf

YOU

AND on Block Paper.pdf

AND

FOR on Block Paper.pdf

FOR

HE on Block Paper.pdf

HE

IN on Block Paper.pdf

IN

THE on Block Paper.pdf

THE

TO on Block Paper.pdf

TO

WAS on Block Paper.pdf

WAS

IS on Block Paper.pdf

IS

IT on Block Paper.pdf

IT

OF on Block Paper.pdf

OF

THAT on Block Paper.pdf

THAT

Sight words On First Grade Paper

For Lowercase Letter Practice - Trace Then Copy

Click on image, expand by clicking "pop-out" button on top right, and print.

and on First Grade Paper.pdf

and

for on First Grade Paper.pdf

for

he on First Grade Paper.pdf

he

if on First Grade Paper.pdf

it

that on First Grade Paper.pdf

that

of on First Grade Paper.pdf

of

is on First Grade Paper.pdf

is

in on First Grade Paper.pdf

in

you on First Grade Paper.pdf

you

the on First Grade Paper.pdf

the

was on First Grade Paper.pdf

was

to on First Grade Paper.pdf

to

Copying Practice

First From Printed Sentences, Then Typed Sentences

Click on image, expand by clicking "pop-out" button on top right, and print.

Kinder Copying.pdf

On Kinder Paper

First Copying.pdf

On First Grade Paper

Second Copying.pdf

On Second Grade Paper


Third Copying.pdf

On Third Grade Paper


Fourth + Copying.pdf

On Fourth+ Grade Paper

Alternate Pencil

A program for students who don't have the ability to write conventionally.

Alternate Pencil

Flip Chart Example

Making an Alternative Pencil

Letter Flip Chart

Click on image, expand by clicking "pop-out" button on top right, and print.

upper-case-white-letter-flip.pdf

Alternative Pencil in Action