Product Recommendations

The Handwriting Without Tears® products are designed to meet the developmental needs of children, so we don’t label workbooks by grade level. The workbooks are designed for children in preschool through grade 5. However, an older child may need to use a workbook that is designed for a younger child. Not a problem! It is best to choose the products that meet your students’ needs, regardless of grade level or age. Here are some general criteria to help you choose materials:

Preschool

Materials: Get Set for School CD, Roll-A-Dough Letters, Stamp and See Screen, Capital Letter Wood Piece Set, Letter Cards, Mat, Slate Chalkboard, Pre-K Teacher’s Guide, Get Set for School student workbook, and Magic C Bunny puppet

Use for children who:

• Are at the preschool age (3-5 years old) or functioning at that level
• Need to learn the formation of capital letters
• Are not yet writing legibly
• Are still learning prepositions and directionality terms
• Can pay attention to your words and visual demonstrations and follow simple directions

Kindergarten

Materials: Rock, Rap, Tap, and Learn CD, Capital Letter Wood Piece Set, Letter Cards, Mat, Slate Chalkboard, Kindergarten Teacher’s Guide, Letters and Numbers For Me student workbook, Draw and Write Notebook, Wide Rule Double Line Paper (100 or 500 sheet pack), and Magic C Bunny puppet

Use for children who:

• Are at the kindergarten age or functioning at that level
• Need to learn the formation of capitals, lowercase letters or numbers
• Are not yet writing lowercase letters
• Are still learning prepositions and directionality terms
• Can pay attention to your words and visual demonstrations, and follow simple directions

First Grade

Materials: Rock, Rap, Tap, and Learn CD, Blackboard with Double Lines, Slate Chalkboard, 1st Grade Printing Teacher’s Guide, My Printing Book student workbook, Draw and Write Notebook, Wide Rule Double Line Paper (100 or 500 sheet pack), and Magic C Bunny puppet

Use for students who:

• Are in the first grade or functioning at that level
• Are learning to print lowercase letters and need to review capital letters
• Are beginning to form words and simple sentences
• Can copy from a visual demonstration/model
• Can hold a pencil using a functional grasp
• Can follow directions and pay attention to your verbal and visual instructions

Second Grade

Materials: Slate Chalkboard, 2nd Grade Printing Teacher’s Guide, Printing Power student workbook, Writing Notebook, Regular Rule Double Line Paper (100 or 500 sheet pack), and Magic C Bunny Puppet

Use for students who:

• Are in the second grade or functioning that level
• Are familiar with the formation of capital letters
• Need practice with lowercase letter formation
• Are writing sentences and paragraphs
• Need practice with number formation

Third Grade

Materials: Blackboard with Double Lines,3rd Grade Cursive Teacher’s Guide, Cursive Handwriting student workbook, Writing Notebook, Regular Rule Double Line Paper (100 or 500 sheet pack), and Magic C bunny puppet

Use for students who:

• Are in the third grade or functioning on that level
• Are ready for cursive writing
• Have never been introduced to cursive writing but are at the right age and ability level
• Are older, but struggling with cursive handwriting

Fourth Grade

Materials: Blackboard with Double Lines,4th Grade Cursive Teacher’s Guide, Cursive Success student workbook. My Journal, Narrow Rule Double Line Paper (100 or 500 sheet pack)

Use for students who:

• Are in the fourth grade or functioning at that level
• Need to review the formation of lowercase cursive letters
• Have illegible handwriting and need strategies for improvement
• Want to develop fluency in cursive writing

Fifth Grade

Materials: Blackboard with Double Lines,Can-do Cursive student workbook, Narrow Rule Double Line Paper (100 or 500 sheet pack)

Use for students who:

• Are in the fourth grade or functioning at that level
• Need to review the formation of lowercase cursive letters
• Have illegible handwriting and need strategies for improvement
• Want to develop fluency in cursive writing

Child Is Not Writing at Grade Level

Some students may need extra help with handwriting. Review the criteria listed above, decide which materials would be appropriate for them, and begin at that level.

The teachers’ guides will help you address letter formation, spacing, cursive connections, sentence writing, placement of letters on double lines, and more.

When students are learning a new skill, it may be necessary to decrease the amount of written work until they master a specific lesson. If overburdened with writing while having bad handwriting habits, students will become very frustrated. The teachers’ guides can help you resolve challenges.

Products for Students with a Learning Disability

The HWT materials are designed to teach handwriting in a developmental sequence. Teaching strategies encourage mastery of certain handwriting skills before progression to the next lesson. This strategy is appropriate for all children, including those with special needs.

Review the criteria lists above and determine which materials would be most appropriate for your students. Based on developmental ability, an older child may use a workbook designed for younger children.