HWT Different and Better

Handwriting Without Tears®’s unique curriculum enables children of all learning styles and ability levels to write neatly and efficiently—without tears! When comparing handwriting programs, focus on what makes HWT better for children.

Developmentally Based

Each stage of instruction promotes success at the next level. Using readiness activities in Pre-K and kindergarten, children learn to build capital letters and numbers correctly (correct sequence and orientation) with Capital Letter Wood Pieces, Roll-A-Dough Letters, the Stamp and See Screen, and the Mat and the Slate. Once they have developed the necessary fine motor, letter recognition, and stroke sequencing skills, children are ready to write capitals and numbers in their workbooks.

The transition to lowercase letters in kindergarten is easy. These lessons begin with the letters that are the same as their capital partners: c o s v w. Dividing printing into two distinct groups (capitals and lowercase) enables rapid progress and avoids the typical confusion between capital and lowercase letters. Later, the transition to cursive is comfortable because lessons begin with letters that are familiar from printing: c a d g h t p. Finally, cursive capitals are taught last starting with letters that are the same as lowercase cursive letters, just taller!

Step-by-step Illustrations

To understand correct letter formation, children need to see each step in sequence. The HWT workbooks contain large, step-by-step images that can be finger traced to show exactly how to make each part of the letter. Finger tracing helps children learn through their tactile (touch) and kinesthetic (movement) senses. Short, simple words describe each step.

Consistent, Child-Friendly Language

We don’t use jargon. Children relate to our instructions because we use words and concepts they understand.

HWT workbooks use child-friendly words to describe each step for making letters. Young children will know what you mean when you say “Magic c, up like a helicopter, up, slide down, bump.” The books use language and symbols that are familiar to children. The directions are intended to be read out loud to students, so that auditory (hearing) learners remember how to form letters correctly.

Multisensory Teaching Strategies

Writing instruction does not begin with seat work! It begins with multisensory play. Little children learn with all their senses. They are eager, curious, and physically active, needing to touch, feel, and manipulate real objects. HWT activities have children polishing, stacking, sorting, trading, feeling, squeezing, moving, placing, standing, sitting, and shaking hands. Children use the hands-on HWT materials for overall readiness and direct preparation for printing capital letters and numbers.

Easy-to-Follow Lines

HWT uses simple double lines that are easy to follow. This prevents line confusion and promotes neatness. The bottom line keeps the writing straight and the top line controls size. Many letters fit between the double lines, and 19 out of 26 letters begin on the top line. Children find it easy to place the letters that go above or below when there are only two lines. Children demonstrate more handwriting control, confidence, and size consistency learning on double lines.

As shown below, many children have trouble understanding multiple lines. Learning to follow multiple lines is as confusing as learning to drive on a four-lane freeway. When you look at a blue line at the top, a dotted line in the middle, a red line on the bottom, and another blue line below, it’s easy to see why so many children have trouble.

We recognize that the child’s world is filled with myriad styles of paper. Though we teach handwriting on the easiest style of paper for students to use, we also incorporate line transition activities into our workbooks and teacher’s guides to facilitate the teacher’s ability to teach line generalization and the student’s ability to write on any paper style.

Left-Hand Friendly Workbooks

All HWT workbooks are left-hand friendly. Each letter page is designed so right- and left-handed children have a model when they copy letters and words. The left-handed child is shown how to copy from the model on the right. It’s an easy trick that is unique to HWT.

Clean, Clear Workbook Pages

All HWT workbooks have simple black-and-white pages that are clean and clear. We deliberately avoid the visual confusion of distracting background images, overdone colored graphics, multicolored lines, and crowded pages. These stylized effects may be appealing, but they distract children and create visual perceptual difficulties.

Children who finish their lessons before others can color the pictures or add drawings to the pages. This gives children more confidence, while keeping faster learners busy and engaged.

Workbook illustrations promote left-to-right directionality and visual tracking. The pictures that face sideways always face to the right.

Simple, Vertical Style

The HWT printing and cursive styles are vertical, so it’s easier for children to identify, recognize, and write letters, and read words and sentences. Because the diagonal stroke is the most difficult to form developmentally, we teach a vertical style that fosters greater success in teaching print and cursive.

Research Supporting Handwriting Without Tears

For a printable handout: Research Supporting the Handwriting Without Tears Method