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kingvozzo
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| Posted: Feb 20 2006 at 1:32pm | IP Logged
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Has anyone used this? Would you please share your experience with it? It was recommended by a friend.
My ds7 has been using Handwriting w/o Tears for the past 1 1/2 years, but gets frustrated at how slow his writing can be. My friend feels that this is helping her 2nd grader gain speed and fluidity with his handwriting, so I'm thinking it might help. But, I'd love some other opinions before I spend any money!
Thanks!
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Noreen
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Martha
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My dc enjoy the simple art, but have great dislike for doing the handwriting in it. We have had better success with HWT.
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Martha
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Rachel May
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I really like the series, but we just use it for the art. I have found that it was a good way to improve their pencil skills and control so that did help with their handwriting. Also, they will just get the books out to draw pictures, but they won't just sit and try to write so they get more practice than with our handwriting/phonics program (Sound Beginnings).
When we first got the books, I would give them paper where I had copied lines on one side and left it blank on the other. I would teach a picture and then have them practice a little writing on the other side, but not from the book since they were only in Kindergarten. Now we keep the books where they are available, but I rarely teach from them.
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Rachel
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Courtney
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Hi, Noreen. Candace used HWT since Kinder and then this year in Aug. was so eager to learn cursive, that we started it. Her handwriting is nicer and more fluid with the cursive than when she prints. Just a thought. We did use HWT for the cursive as well.
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Courtney in Texas
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Mary G
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We also loved the art -- and I just had them choose a sentence to write out -- I thought it was too much writing for my 5 and 6 yo. I like the way they break down the drawings to make them "easy" to draw.
Hope this helps.
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Sarah
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We love the series, but ONLY use it for art. However, I think it would be neat to use it for both. I have just never implemented it. The kids LOVE the simple drawing help, and it makes them feel really good about how their drawings look, then they fill in their own backgrounds.
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Victoria in AZ
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By the time my dd felt capable of drawing the pictures, she was already wanting to try out cursive. So I was not able to put the art and hw practice to use together.
Probably with a boy at age 7 it would be just right. Besides, it is busy work you can feel good about. I've used it as a time-filler while I work with my other child.
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Alcat
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Hi Noreen,
My ds is 7 and we have been using both HWT and DWN. I use them both for penmanship but with two different focus'.
I use HWT to practice letter formation. If I don't, he falls into bad habits like starting at the bottom to make a letter insted of "line down". I use it two to three times a week depending on what needs practice.
I use DWN for copy work. There are normally only 3-4 sentances, so I have him copy two one day and two the next. Soon he will copy all in one sitting. I had wanted him to go back and draw the picture once the copy work was completed but he seems uninterested in doing this.
If I use something else for copy work that day I don't do DWN. I don't find it to be that great for actual handwriting practice- the machanics, HWT does a much better job. I do like it for incouraging good/neat penmanship...
My dd5 does like it for the art lesson...
I hope this helps.
God Bless,
Alison
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Rachel May
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Alcat wrote:
| I use HWT to practice letter formation. If I don't, he falls into bad habits like starting at the bottom to make a letter insted of "line down". |
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I agree that you either will have to be vigilant about letter formation just using DWN or use a different program. That said, I do have friends who think I'm too strict about wanting pencils held correctly and letters made in a standard way.
We used DWN today to draw a picture of St. Martin de Porres and some mice. My husband was VERY excited about it since he could really see how well the program works(he's mostly unenthusiastic about homeschooling) so that is another point in it's favor. 
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Rachel
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kingvozzo
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Thanks for all the input! I decided to get one of the books (American History) to see how it goes over. I like the idea of copywork, as well as the help in drawing.
So, we'll see! I'll let you all know what ds thinks!
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Noreen
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Becky Parker
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Another question about DWN - are they "leveled"? I'm wondering if I should start with book 1 or just pick one that I think my dd would like to draw / write from.
Another question I have is do any of you let your child choose what they will do for copywork? I'm wondering how it would work to have several resources available - DWN, poetry, quotes from books she has read, Bible verses, etc. and let her choose which one she wants to do each day.
Becky
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Rachel May
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The books aren't leveled. They are combined by subject, but in each book there are some that are harder than others. I think the America book has some of the hardest, but my kids are all under 7.
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Rachel
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Katie
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My kids use the books for drawing now, and really prefer the animal ones to the people/building ones, at least for now. My dd who just turned 6 can also use them and her drawings are realy cute. They have really helped my ds (8) with his drawings, and especially with the use of coloring techniques and detail. I am artistically challenged, so it wasn't something I could naturally show them. Dd 4 prefers the little Usborne books (How to draw animals/people - I think they are caled that - we have the ones in Georgian, but figure it doesn't matter as we're only using the step-by-step pictures!).
Last year when ds was at home for 1st Grade, we used DWN for handwriting/copywork. He would start his picture and do two sentences one day, and color/finish the picture and write the 3rd and 4th lines the next day. This was something he could do early in the morning with his Dad while I was still in bed with the babies.
Sometimes he thought the information to be copied was very simplistic, so I encouraged him to think of something he would rather write. As the year progressed he tended to do one page a day, about every three days, alternating with journalling. One time we gathered a nice grouping of Polar Animal pictures during a particulalrly productive DWN stage (it tends to go in phases of popularity), we made a neat book and added lots of information. In that case the DWN books had allowed them to make pictures they were proud of, which spurred them to further research and writing. Not bad!
HTH!
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Mari
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Hi,
I tried to used DWN books in the past because it sounded like a cool way of getting kids motivated in these important areas. However, they only seem to use them at my suggestion (not spontaneously as I had hoped). Has anybody found that their kids don't - or is it just my own???
When I obseve them drawing, dd #2 closes her eyes before drawing and dd #1 likes looking / studying the object or a model (e.g. a realistic plastic animal). Then one starts by doing a sketch straight off and theother by building up the picture with shapes (circle, ovals for head, body , etc.) and then doing an outline.
Since they are showing their own methods, I am not sure if it would it be hampering them to contiune with WDN or if it is helpful to do the exercises in parallel.
Has anyone else experienced this?
I realise that sometimes there are different ways of doing things and it is interesting to get the same result (such as in maths) but I am wondering if in art it may be better if the method comes from the child.
Can anyone give me their fellings about this?
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Mari, mother of 2 loving daughters aged 8 and 10
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Topic: Draw Write Now
