Ask Jan
Q. I don’t have time to go through the entire teacher’s guide. How do I get students going in their workbooks?
A. I suggest that you take an hour or so to familiarize yourself with your teacher's guide because it includes a lot of information that will save you time and effort: daily lesson plans, tips, remediation tools, review and mastery sections, and more. However, if you are in a hurry and want a quick start, just jump straight to the lesson plans section of your guide. Each lesson is clearly planned and requires only 10 minutes of instruction time each day.
Q. Why do your 6s look like bs? Doesn’t this confuse students?
A. Children often reverse their sixes. So we teach a vertical style of six that starts in the top left corner to prevent reversals every time. When children can write the number six fluidly, without reversals, they can then start at the top center. Don’t worry; this will happen naturally over time.
Do you have a handwriting question for Jan Olsen, renowned OTR? Each quarter, Jan selects and answers the best question. If we select your question, you will receive a free Magic C Bunny.
Recent Comments
I teach a Level IV Special Education program. Many students have low cognitive abilities. They have had OT and have learned capital letters for handwriting over the last few years. How do I help them "unlearn" using capitals throughout their sentences. These students are in 4th and 5th grade. Writing with capitals has been habituated, and I have I.E.P. goals that they will write with proper conventions.
Diane Fleming
— Diane Fleming on January 5, 2009 at 3:09 pm
In response to writing in all CAPS:
Dear Diane,
You mention that many students have low cognitive abilities in your classroom and have been learning capital letters over the last few years. Switching their writing to mostly lowercase may not be in their best interest because of their low cognitive status. Capitals are developmentally easier, and lowercase letters require much higher skill levels in cognition, visual, and motor areas. I recommend that you first decide if their abilities are on par with late kindergarten or 1st graders before you move forward. If not, their I.E.P. goals may need to be adjusted for writing.
If you decide that they are ready to move forward with lowercase, use the Kindergarten workbook and provide instruction in lowercase letters, words and sentences using the 3 Stages of Learning from the Teachers Guide. If you need additional guidance please contact HWT directly for assistance.
Lastly, writing in all capital letters is functional. There are many adults who choose to write in all capitals; this makes the process of filling out forms and job applications easier. Capitals are easier to recognize. Using lowercase letters may decrease the legibility of some of your students writing.
I wish you and your students success!
Sincerely,
Katrina
— Katrina Erickson on January 6, 2009 at 6:40 am
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