Handwriting Without Tears
HWT is a multi-award winning programme that teaches children at a wide variety of developmental stages the basics of handwriting.
From children who struggle to hold a pencil through to adolescents who have struggled with common handwriting difficulties; such as letter reversals and confusion between upper and lowercase letters; HWT provides our students with the skills to overcome these and many other challenges.
The programme was first introduced to Goldfields School in 2010 and was initially used with a small group of children. But when the remarkable results became obvious it quickly became part of the school curriculum. Senior students had begun writing their name for the first time ever!
We begin by teaching capital letters as they take most of the guess work out of handwriting; they are easier to form, are all the same height and all begin at the top. And because they all look different, they are also more easily recognised. The letters are taught in an orderly and logical sequence which helps the child to master skills before building on them.
F E D P R M N
What do all these letters have in common?
They’re all Frog Jump letters! These letters are fundamental in teaching a child about the importance of stopping and lifting a pencil off the page before “jumping” back to the top to complete the letter. By breaking letters into groups such as the Frog Jump letters, students are able to remember and perfect basic handwriting skills.
Pre-writers
Wooden pieces are used to introduce early writers to the language of writing and help children to learn letter recognition and the correct formation. Students love playing with the pieces and are able to experience and celebrate the success which is normally reserved for children who can hold a pencil and form a deliberate line!
Fun colourful worksheets help the child to master basic strokes required for handwriting.
With the use of wooden pieces and fun and memorable songs the learning begins before a child even needs to pick up a pencil!
