Handwriting

[Guest guest]

We use Handwriting Without Tears. It uses a 2 line paper instead of 2 solid and

a dashed line that we grew up with. They said it's the European writing style.

I know does pretty good with the 2 close lines (it eliminates the top

line, they just have lines for the lower case lines). He's done about half the

book, not into sentences yet, and he writes like he's drawing a masterpiece, but

it's legible.

Loriann

Wife to Dewight

Mom to , 10 years, DS-ASD, ADHD, ODD

And , 16 months and Strong Willed

[Guest guest]

Joan,

My 13 yo is able to write in manuscript and cursive. I actually

think the cursive is easier for her cause the lines are more fluid (she

doesn't have to lift up the pencil) and takes less motor planning. When

school wanted to move on to cursive I was apprehensive cause I felt like she

should make her block letters more distinctive. The end result is she can do

both and we continue to practice both. I didn't want her to be frustrated

and yet wanted her to learn.

Hope that gives some ideas.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

has better handwriting than I do. I don't remember when they

started teaching it. I don't suppose it is terribly important but they need

to be able to at least sign their names in cursive. My cousin's 2 " kids "

with DS, older than print their names on cards and it looks like

prekindergarten. And these are bright, articulate people. Jessie

[Guest guest]

Hi, My daughter is 10 and she is struggling with handwritting. Last year

when she was in 3rd grade, the teachers started her on cursive. She was

having such a hard time. Then I found a book I think it was " Teaching

Handwriting to Children with Down Syndrome " (like the teaching reading one)

and they said that in most kids with DS, their fine motor strength is not

developed enough to write in cursive. So I photocopied the pages for the

teachers and they stopped giving her cursive.

This years she's in 4th grade and they gave her a book and still she's

struggling. So i let her try it and she really cant do it. So the teachers

backed down again after I discussed it with them.

I am surprised, though that her OT is giving them handwriting. Try to get

the book. i saw it in B & N, but dont buy it, just copy the pages about

cursive. I thought maybe amanda learning cursive would make her write

quicker, but it's just too much trouble and I'm not forcing her to learn it

now.

I spoke to some of my friends who have teenagers with disabilities and they

too, do not force their kids to write in script. I hope this helps.

[Guest guest]

's class is starting to identify curive in second grade. I have

started with making flash cards of lower case print and lower case cursive so

she can identify them. She is doing pretty good with that so far.

kathy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/2/01 8:41:03 AM Central Standard Time,

collarbone@... writes:

> Wow, my son is in third grade, and they just started cursive. I think it

is

> too

> early, especially for .

>

> Karla in Texas

>

> Joanson@... wrote:

>

> > is fully included in 2nd grade The class, however, along with the

> the

> > two

> > children that shares an OT with, are moving onto cursive

handwriting.

>

HI

I can tell you personally nightmare stories with ME and cursive hand writing

lol as a child I grew up with hives, they were all over my body...worse on my

hands. This was all during the cursive writing ages. My penmanship is worse

than my typing (Heehee for you AOLer's who have been in chat with me) lol I

cried many tears over trying to write legible and I really didn't and still

don't see any reason for it. I don't think Ive ever read a book typed in

cursive lol and when I sign my name...shoot who cares lol it looks like many

intelligent Drs. scripts lol

Sooooo as a fellow child (at heart Heehee) don't push the cursive until your

child is ready or they might be as tearful as I was at their age

Kathy mom to Sara 9............even my family made fun of my penmanship and

still does

[Guest guest]

I agree with the school, Joan. My (27, DS) learned cursive at that

age and still uses it. She doesn't have the best handwriting in the world,

but neither do a lot of people (including me!). And the practice does help

fine motor skills. It's my understanding that fine motor must be developed

at an early age if it's to be developed at all.

granny

---

" Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must

in time be utterly lost. " -- Walt Whitman

http://home.earthlink.net/~bspyle

Handwriting

> I am usually a quiet lurker, but I now have a very specific concern bout

my 8

> year old daughters handwriting instruction. I could use a voice of

> experience right now.

>

> is fully included in 2nd grade Her OT, who she shares with two

other

> children in the class, gives whole class instruction in handwriting. Up

> until now that has worked great because is very motivated to do what

> the others around her are doing. The class, however, along with the the

two

> children that shares an OT with, are moving onto cursive

handwriting.

> They are having practice the strokes too.

>

> My problem is that is just at the point where manuscript letters and

> their sounds are making real sense to her. She is reading at a low first

> grade level and real progress can be seen. Am I wrong to think that

cursive

> handwriting is a waste of time for her at this point? Will she need this

> skill in the near future or will it only confuse the matter? The school

> claims it is good fine motor practice, and important for reading cursive

in

> the future even if she doesn't write using it. Heck my 10 year old still

has

> trouble reading cursive.

>

> Is cursive handwriting functional for adults with Down syndrome? Is this

a

> skill she will ever need? HELP!

>

> Confused,

> Joan

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Wow, my son is in third grade, and they just started cursive. I think it is too

early, especially for .

Karla in Texas

Joanson@... wrote:

> is fully included in 2nd grade The class, however, along with the the

> two

> children that shares an OT with, are moving onto cursive handwriting.

[Guest guest]

At Tims school, and in most UK schools, kids start cursive writing from day

one in school, that is year R. Year R is the school year in which a child

turns 5. That said Tim is learning to print! We have SAT tests here in

year 2 (grade 1) and kids are expected to acheive a certain level in

handwriting, its a nightmare as few kids acheive it.

Sue Wong

Re: Handwriting

> 's class is starting to identify curive in second grade. I have

> started with making flash cards of lower case print and lower case cursive

so

> she can identify them. She is doing pretty good with that so far.

> kathy

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/27/01 9:36:13 PM Central Standard Time,

rdill@... writes:

> She has much better penmanship than I ever had and mine is long

> gone from years of just printing and typing.

has better handwriting than I do too, and as you say, mine has

suffered from typing, etc. Can hardly read it myself any more. Can't

remember when he started writing cursive, too long ago for me. sometimes I

suffere from CRS. Jessie

[Guest guest]

I've never pushed it either. and I both deal with familial tremors,

as did my mother and her mother and most of my cousins, so teaching keyboard

has had a higher priority.

granny

---

" Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must

in time be utterly lost. " -- Walt Whitman

http://www.bspyle.com/granny.html

Handwriting

> Patience may be the answer. We didn't push Jan. She learned to stroke

> out printed letters well enough to get through the early grades. By ten

> she found that the computer keyboard was a better match for her to

> communicate. It wasn't until late teens that handwriting finally caught

> up. She has much better penmanship than I ever had and mine is long

> gone from years of just printing and typing. She regards writing in

> longhand the real skill, not typing which most of us had to learn late.

> I think that is the answer.

>

> In the meantime, let your children develop as best they can, whether it

> is cutting with scissors, running, basketball .. or whatever. It all

> helps.

>

> Rick ...... dad to 28 year old Jan

>

>

[Guest guest]

The website is: www.hwtears.com

[Guest guest]

The website is: www.hwtears.com

[Guest guest]

I LOVE it. Maverick was doing Loops and Groups at that age,,,,didn't start

HWT until he was in 3rd grade because I learned about it on this listserv.

It really helped him with his writing ......finally " clicked " when he started

the HWT program!

[Guest guest]

We are trying this this summer.. to see if it will help with the printing..

As for the reading.. spelling.. my daughter did and is doing the sing,spell,read

and write. It is a phonics song type deal.. she learned 150 words this past

9months.. and heading to 2nd grade next year:)

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know how early you can start that?

Di

Re: handwriting

I LOVE it. Maverick was doing Loops and Groups at that age,,,,didn't start

HWT until he was in 3rd grade because I learned about it on this listserv.

It really helped him with his writing ......finally " clicked " when he started

the HWT program!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/22/2002 9:48:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

drf218@... writes:

<< Does anyone know how early you can start that?

>>

Liam's last school started to prepare kids for Handwriting w/out Tears as

soon as they could pick up a stick. I remember the Music teacher telling me

that she was using rhythm sticks to formulate letters. he was 2 at the time.

Now his OT is using the same method. Liam started writing letters with her

last month. The first one was L, which she said was the first one you teach.

Works for us!

Kathy, Liam's mom(4)

[Guest guest]

> ......finally " clicked " when he started

> the HWT program!

>

>

>

in in her second year of using HWT and she's actully makind progress, at

least the letters are getting smaller. :-) I'd recommend it to everyone.

I also heard it from the list.

Joy

[Guest guest]

My advise on this is simple. Don't push! With Jan, we worked hard to

see that she was taught upwards from her state at any time. On the

other hand, we didn't put timetables on achievements.

Jan was able to print a little in her Montessori pre-school. She

learned to keyboard and use simple word procesor programs in elementary

school. She learned about real word processors and fonts and graphics

in high school.

Writing came slowly. It wasn't until she was about 18 that she was able

to write well enough that it was a functional skill. Today, her writing

is far better than mine (but I gave up writing after I passed the 8th

grade writing test). It took that long for her fine motor control to

kick in. No wonder she thinks that writing is much more of a skill than

using a word processor on a computer.

You child will be different, but we've all got to relax a little about

hte expectations for our kids.

Rick

[Guest guest]

As usual, handwriting is a secondary issue, so anything you do to normalize

brain function will usually help. Oftentimes very fast, sloppy handwriting is

helped by quieting the brain, shifting into more SMR in the central strip. If

you change the brain issues, the effect in my experience is pretty permanent.

Pete

>

> From: " Duncan " <karenduncan@...>

> Date: 2004/07/04 Sun PM 04:36:23 EDT

> < >

> Subject: handwriting

>

> Does anyone know of a protocol that works to improve handwriting and if so are

the results long lasting? Thanks,

> ~

>

[Guest guest]

My handwriting isn't bad... but I can't sign my name twice and have it

look the same. I always worry when I create a new bank account and they

need a signature on file... I wonder if I'm the only person that doesn't

have a consistent signature.

Dan

________________________________________________________________________

My handwriting is pretty weird. The same word can have different

appearances and styles on the same page. Totally inconsistent - the only

consistent thing is it is illegible.

Rory

[Guest guest]

No one signs their name exactly the same every time. But I've noticed an

above average discrepancy in mine too. If I'm sitting at home in peace and

quiet I sign my name much more neatly than if I'm on the run and just

scribbling it down on a cash-card slip in the supermarket. I too have been

worried that they wouldn't accept it, but I've never been questioned or

refused.

Inger

RE: Handwriting

My handwriting isn't bad... but I can't sign my name twice and have it

look the same. I always worry when I create a new bank account and they

need a signature on file... I wonder if I'm the only person that doesn't

have a consistent signature.

Dan

________________________________________________________________________

My handwriting is pretty weird. The same word can have different

appearances and styles on the same page. Totally inconsistent - the only

consistent thing is it is illegible.

Rory

FAM Secret Society is a community based on respect, friendship, support and

acceptance. Everyone is valued.

Don't forget, there are links to other FAM sites on the Links page in the

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[Guest guest]

Fine motor coordination usually responds quite well to effective SMR training.Pete-- Van Deusenpvdtlc@...http://www.brain-trainer.com

USA 305 433 3160BR 47 3346 6235The Learning Curve, Inc.

On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 11:39 AM, Sharrie <drsharrie@...> wrote:

 

I am trying to find some trainign tips on poor handwriting in the archives but can't seem to pull up needed info. Any tips sombody wanna throw out there?

[Guest guest]

Sharrie,You may be thinking of the motor homunculus, which identifies specific sites in the sensory-motor cortex that are related to specific body areas.  The area related to the right hand would be forward of C3 (over the motor cortex, not the sensory), but handwriting is likely related to coordination of movement as much as movement itself.  Training at Cz, where there are strong connections to the thalamus and the basal ganglia--one structure involved in adjusting and coordinating movement--would probably make the most sense.

Once again, despite the claims by some trainers to be able to have specific functional effects from specific trainings, there's not a whole lot of evidence of that.  If the body comes more under control, as it usually will with successful SMR training, handwriting usually improves.

Pete-- Van Deusenpvdtlc@...http://www.brain-trainer.comUSA 305 433 3160BR 47 3346 6235

The Learning Curve, Inc.

On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 8:00 PM, Sharrie Hanley <drsharrie@...> wrote:

 

I have been using the smr on the child with the handwriting issues but if I recall correctly there were specific areas that I could work on to help improve even more. I tried finding them on the listserve but couldn't find them.

 

Thanks for the assist

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

Can anybody share with us their successful experiences in improving handwriting at age 7. We have started now Handwriting without tears, but we still do not see any improvement. In October we will go for a family camp in Poland. Maybe one of the reflexes will further support him with his handwriting. An OT told us that he has a nice tripod but apparently his pointing finger pushes too strongly. Our son does not like to write, in fact he has shown us that he can make beautiful letters, but this is only when he is reminded of writing nicely. Will working on reflexes also support him with improving his memorisation and word finding?

Thanks for sharing your experences. Best regards,

Iris

Iris