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Angie Mc
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Daily Handwriting Practice Contemporary Cursive is reasonably priced, allows for photocopying (single classroom use), and has broad content (considering how brief the lessons are.) This is a good fit for older students with poor handwriting, students who have completed a handwriting program but need continuing practice, families who don't want to spend a lot of time on handwriting, and families who prefer to have meaningful content (copywork) with handwriting practice.
What do you do for daily handwriting practice? What resources have found helpful?
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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SeaStar
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Angie-
Thanks for this tip. My ds is currently racing through CHC's cursive handwriting book. He's getting near the end, and I've been mildly panicking about what to about cursive after that.... for some reason he has always been fascinated with it. I know he'll want another book that is "just curly writing" 
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Mackfam
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We use copywork exclusively for handwriting. I can tailor the copywork to a current subject, or the liturgical year, quote from a saint, hymn, selection from the day's missal readings, poem, sports quote, anything pertinent to our day. And because it is eminently flexible, I can tailor the length and complexity of the selection to fit and also gently challenge my child.
My favorite resource which is completely non-consumable and totally customizable from font (print to cursive), size of font, style and content is Startwrite.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
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JodieLyn
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I got Startwrite as well Jen. I'm not sure if mine's an older copy or not but it does take a bit of fiddling with to figure out the quirks.. but then it's EASY to use.. I love that we can pick what we want to practise with our writing. I had one child who wanted "The Ride of Paul Revere" I think it took us almost 2 weeks to do it all.. but it was fun.. each day after writing we'd read from day one up to the current part.. it was fun.. and we got to learn the poem well enough to pace it properly and to get some expressive reading into it (well for me.. mostly I read it outloud to the child for that reason) She knew the first few stanzas from a movie and so we were both unfamiliar with the later stanzas.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: April 12 2011 at 6:32am | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
| it does take a bit of fiddling with to figure out the quirks.. but then it's EASY to use. |
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Mine has quirks, too. I spoke with Startwrite not too long ago and they are working on a new/updated release (free to those that have already purchased the program) that would *hopefully* update these issues. The biggest quirk for me is that you can only build one page of text at a time...so with a long poem like The Ride of Paul Revere, as I'm sure you know, you have to enter a little bit of text and then once you're to the end of a page, print, and start the remaining text on the next page/new file. Sometimes, it would be nice to just type out one long poem.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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kristacecilia
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Oh, I am glad to hear that Startwrite is updating and it will be free to those who already have it. We use this exclusively for handwriting as well. We have used the CHC handwriting books in the past, too, and they were very nice. The selections were primarily copywork (as opposed to tracing, except in the very early years they did a trace a fair bit). The weekly selections also reflected something else being taught- prayers, selections about making your first confession or holy communion, etc, were in the second grade book.
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Krista
Wife to a great guy, mom to two boys ('04, '06) and three girls ('08, '10, '12!)
I blog at http://kristacecilia.wordpress.com/
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: April 12 2011 at 11:46am | IP Logged
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I use the free online worksheetworks for copywork, too. My dd wrote all the time and loved to contribute to the content of copywork.
My boys? Not so much. What they like about their current daily handwriting practice is the format. It starts small and builds; the boys are more inclined to need reminders of detail. It is super brief, forcing complete concentration for a short time. They like that all Mondays look similar and all Fridays look similar.
My dd would not have appreciated any of the above reasons .
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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CrunchyMom
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For those using Startwrite, how do you start?
I mean, I really can see copy work being the best and how I would implement it once the child is writing. But do you start out where teh copy work is just certain strokes or a similar letters or learn the letters alphabetically, etc?
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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startwrite will do dotted letters for them to trace even. 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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I start when they're learning to write the alphabet -- big font, dotted letters --
A a B b C c D d....
and so on. I remember to use a timer (5 min.) for copywork initially - I don't ask them to finish an entire page of the alphabet in one sitting! I INTENTIONALLY make these lessons super short to focus on careful formation of letters....sometimes I use HUMONGOUS font to make my point and practice.
From there, I build simple sentences --
Ann is at Mass.
And I just continue to build based on what they're reading. I like to include sight words in copywork for early readers! Lois Lenski's poems have been some of my all time favorite early copywork sources! They're simple and fun to read!
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Jen Mackintosh
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CrunchyMom
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JodieLyn wrote:
| startwrite will do dotted letters for them to trace even. |
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I know. But handwriting programs will often have certain stroke patterns to practice or like with cursive have you do a whole page of just connecting "m"s or introduce the letters in groups of the same type of strokes required.
I guess I was just wondering if you started out with basic letter formation and practice before moving on to actual words. I haven't really seen a Charlotte Masonish resource that really breaks down these initial first steps before independent copy work. Most handwriting programs seem to be workbook based. I don't mind coming up with my own sheets, but I guess I'd just like a little guidance in how to instruct.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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oh well I print color pages that also have them write letters.. so they do that.
And then I start with words they're highly interested in writing.. like their name.
And then go onto other things they like. Nursery rhymes, things they're learning to read, prayers they're learning in CCD, scout oaths, pledge of alegience.. whatever they're learning really.
I don't do individual strokes.. that would annoy me greatly but I might backtrack to that if a child was struggling with a particular letter or stroke.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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seeker
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| Posted: April 16 2011 at 8:39am | IP Logged
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Angie Mc wrote:
I use the free online worksheetworks for copywork, too. My dd wrote all the time and loved to contribute to the content of copywork...
Love,
Angie |
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Thanks for that link, Angie  . My girls are at their table doing handwriting worksheets right now! I know it's Saturday, but they can't wait to hs  . My oldest is in ps right now. She'll even come in in the afternoons and ask to be hs'd - after she's been in school all day   (I know the novelty will wear off, but...)
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Grace&Chaos
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CrunchyMom wrote:
JodieLyn wrote:
| startwrite will do dotted letters for them to trace even. |
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I know. But handwriting programs will often have certain stroke patterns to practice or like with cursive have you do a whole page of just connecting "m"s or introduce the letters in groups of the same type of strokes required.
I guess I was just wondering if you started out with basic letter formation and practice before moving on to actual words. I haven't really seen a Charlotte Masonish resource that really breaks down these initial first steps before independent copy work. Most handwriting programs seem to be workbook based. I don't mind coming up with my own sheets, but I guess I'd just like a little guidance in how to instruct. |
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I'm bumping this because I'm wondering the same thing lately.
Jodie, you mentioned your method. How long do you have them do individual letters before moving to words. Do you hand them a sheet of just one letter at a time or several letters. Then do you just do words for a while, do they repeat the same word on the page or is just one word, one try before moving on to sentences?
I would imagine that this is daily for a set of time.
Should I introduce her other copywork in cursive too or wait until it is mastered during these sessions.
I think I'm just nervous about starting cursive on Startwrite because they don't have stroke lines and I was trying to put some sheets together for my dd. And well, it's just the first time I'm trying this.
Oh, another thought: how big is the font. I can see the benefit of big when your learning basic writing, but not so much for cursive 
(sigh) you'd think I was sending her off too college
Angie, loved that worksheets site, thanks 
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Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
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Grace&Chaos
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I just ran across this post and it's exactly about what we're talking about. 
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Blessings,
Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
Grace in Loving Chaos
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Jenn Sal
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Thank's for bumping this! My dd is not into HWT anymore, yet she really needs to practice her cursive. Actually, her printing too, but she enjoys cursive more.
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Jennifer, Texas
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dolorsofmary
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hmmm... reading through some of the responses here makes me wonder if my son is behind but I tell myself - naaaahhh. He is only 5 going on 6 and he will be doing K work at home starting this september. But his handwriting on some letters and numbers is pretty bad. But this is the first I really tried anything with him - doing our summer program at home - so I'm just going to slow it down. Thanks for starting this thread it is right where we are at.
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SuzanneG
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CrunchyMom wrote:
| For those using Startwrite, how do you start? |
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I must've missed this when you initially posted, Lindsay! I was just coming back to this thread to find something and I just saw it and am chuckling.
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Suzanne in ID
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stacykay
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Did anyone catch the news story this past week about school districts around the country that plan on dropping handwriting to focus on keyboarding? I can't remember which news station I was watching, but it was astounding! They showed a clip from somewhere in Georgia and the folks were irate.
One of my friends works at the next over school district from us, and they are no longer teaching cursive. 
One of the parents who spoke in the GA clip asked how they think anyone will sign a check or a document if they don't learn how to handwrite. 
I'm just going to have a huge smile from now on while my boys complain about their hw'ing practice!!
Now, if I could "write" on the computer, I'd write my "John Hancock" here, but instead,
In Christ,
Stacy in MI
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*Lindsey*
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I'm seriously considering Startwrite for next year. Homeschool Buyers Coop says you can get 25% off your order when you order by phone and mention HSBC.
Here scroll down a bit.
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Lindsey
Mama to DS (11), DD(9), twin dds(7), DD (5), DS (4), DS (3), and 5 angels in heaven.
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: Daily Handwriting Practice
