Freakish Handwriting Opinion

I'm a bit of an oddity when it comes to handwriting. It's typical to hear, "Did you type that?" "No," I reply. "That's my handwriting. I'm kind of a freak of nature." So as one can imagine, there's a place for handwriting in my classroom, and I happen to have some opinions about it (go figure) which is why this post exists.

I've argued with myself about whether to share my point of view for some time now. My issue is something so many teachers do, maybe even you. I hate for anyone to think I'm critically watching and judging and noting. I'm not. Honestly, maybe the point I'm about to make is one only I would consider, because remember, I'm a freak of handwriting nature. And truthfully, in the big scheme of things, my opinion here is really not all that earth shatteringly important, but I'm still going to share it. :)

So without further ado...

I don't believe in asking my students to write on paper with more than the single, bottom line unless I'm expecting them to use all the lines appropriately. Those extra lines serve a purpose. If not used appropriately, they're simply in the way and possibly even complicating the writing process, especially for our struggling writers. Expecting students to write with all lines but allowing them to ignore them, also provides students opportunities to form bad habits. What then happens when it really is time to use those lines correctly? I believe this could create some confusion for students as to purpose and teacher expectations. What are these lines really for? When do I pay attention to them and when don't I?  

Most of the time when my writers write, I'm much more interested in their ideas than how they use the lines on the paper, so I only provide them with the bottom line only. (See picture below.) Why muddy the waters? 

There is a time and place to know how to write with more than one line, and then and only then, will my kids see extra lines on their papers and be required to use them and use them correctly. (As you see below.) Otherwise, I'm a one-line teacher and my kids are one-line writers.

Agree or disagree, the question goes back to this: Why do we do what we do? Even the little things require intentionality. 

Thank you for letting me share my freakish handwriting opinions with you today. I hope they were worth your while.

P.S. If you're interested in my recently published book for teachers, look here for information about how to purchase it. I'd love to share it with you!

A Traveling Visual

Does anyone else still struggle to help their littlest people with b and d? I was pretty sure I had seen all the tricks of the trade until this last year when I thought I invented a new one. Come to find out it wasn't so new, and I still wonder how in the world I just came to know about it 22 years into my career, but it really makes a ton of sense. Maybe there's someone else out there who hadn't seen this either. Anyway, I realized that you can make a lowercase b and d on each hand as a way to check on directionality. Since b comes before d in the alphabet, the kids could tell that b is on their left hand and d is on the right. The best part of this trick is that the visual is mobile. It travels with them wherever they go. They don't need to look anywhere but on their hands. Brilliant!

Letters: Close Enough to Kiss

When it comes to writing workshop, I'm all about focusing on content and looking beyond surface issues until the right time and place. Fortunately, there are moments outside of writing workshop that are perfect for fixing some pesky problems that can impede the readability of their daily writing. 

One of the issues that is bound to be a problem every year for a random few writers is putting too much air between letters in a word. The space isn't quite as dramatic as what might or should be used between words, but it's enough to become a problem. I'm not sure if other elementary teachers see this as predicament, but I think it creates issues with readability, especially if spacing between words is  already troublesome. So several years ago I invented a phrase that helps with this dilemma. 

Your letters should be close enough to kiss. 

In the note at the top, the letters in each word are close enough to kiss. The second note has spaces between each letter. To the casual observer, it might not seem like such a big deal, but as someone who reads their writing on a daily basis, I know firsthand how the habit of putting space between letters, like in the note at the bottom, leads to readability issues. 

So the answer is, "close enough to kiss." It might initially induce some giggles, but once they get over it, it works wonders.

Saturday Sayings: It Still Matters

A few of you noticed that Saturday Sayings disappeared for a while.  Thank you for noticing by the way.  It wasn't easy putting the breaks on 149 consecutive Saturday posts.  In fact, it was disappointing, but I felt possibly we all needed a break from my weekly opinions.  When I woke up this morning wishing I had something to post, I decided maybe today is the day.  Be forewarned.  My opinions are making a comeback.

Yesterday was National Handwriting Day.  I happen to have a natural inclination for handwriting that prompts people to ask, "Is that typed?" so celebrating handwriting is right up my alley.  When I posted about this special day on Facebook, one person responded with, "If only it was celebrated in schools!" I can't speak for anyone else, but I celebrate it in my room every day.

Having said that, talk of handwriting is rarely a focus of mine during writing workshop unless we're specifically focusing on readability, it's becoming an issue with a certain student, or we're publishing.  Otherwise, my writing workshop is focused on clear thinking of ideas and details.  Yet I believe their handwriting during writing workshop is greatly affected by making handwriting a priority at other times of the day.  Besides some short, simple letter formation lessons at the beginning of the year, I also believe handwriting can be taught and practiced authentically.  So it's no surprise that the stack of handwriting workbooks in my room has yet to be touched.

There have been moments in my career when I've felt a tinge of guilt for retaining my fervor for handwriting in my classroom, but then I read Routman's words and feel validated.  She speaks of the writing confidence, stamina, and fluency that comes with formal handwriting instruction.  I'll add to that the readability and respect it shows for the audience which speaks, "I have something worthwhile to say, and I want you to be able to read it."  

One of my goals as a teacher of writing is to convey to my students the power of their written words and the effect they leave on an audience.  It matters not whether the writing is a small moment, persuasive letter, poem, procedural piece, an all-about book, or a love note.  If the audience can't read it, the point is moot.  Handwriting still matters.

P.S.  Here's proof that kids can learn to use great handwriting without a workbook.  Handwriting can be authentic and integrated. 

Spacemen

We call these fellows "spacemen."  That's because they create space between words.  All my kids use them at the beginning of the year with some of our handwriting routines.  Some kids choose to use them during writing workshop too.  As the year progresses, they're rarely used at all.  They're quite handy when first growing accustomed to spaces though.  I can't take credit for the idea.  I borrowed it from a creative kindergarten teacher years ago.  Now feel free to borrow it from me.

Thanks Tara for the linky.

Who's This?

To a young learner, an object is an object no matter which way you move it or look at it.  Turn a bowl upside down and it's still a bowl.  Obviously this isn't the case with letters and numerals.  To help my first graders catch on to this new concept, I use one of my smaller kiddos to help me demonstrate the idea several times during the first weeks of school while we're learning correct letter and numeral formation.  My kids love it every single time.  

Me:  Who's this?

Kids:  Michael

Me:  Who's this?

Kids:  Michael

Me:  Who's this?

Kids:  Michael

(I usually turn him one more time and ask the question again before this last step.)

Me:  Who's this?

Kids:  Michael
(Their favorite part!)

Then of course we talk about how this isn't the case with letters and numerals.  Turn them around, and they're not who they used to be.  Like I said, the kids love it and it makes a great point.

P.S.  I don't typically wear shorts and knee pads to school.  It was alphabet dress-up day, and my letter was V.  Look here if you'd like to know more about it.

A Little Look at 2012

Here's a little look at 2012 with the help of Christina at Bunting, Books, and Bainbridge.  Click on the link to visit her blog and link up too.

I'm not sure if this is the best of my blog from 2012, but it's what was looked at the most.  See each post and find freebies by clicking on the pictures.

#1: First Grade Common Core At-a-Glance

The Common Core can be hard to manage.  This document makes it a little bit easier to see what's expected of me.   

#2: Handwriting with Purple and Green

I teach handwriting with purple and green crayons.  It sounds crazy, but it actually works pretty well.  

#3: Table-Sized Anchor Charts

I was inspired to turn certain anchor charts into small versions for each table of kids. 

There are some blogs that I'd love to brag about too.  You'll see their links on the right side of my blog as you scroll down a bit.  Pay them a visit and you'll see why I love to brag about them.

I'd especially like to thank Lori from Conversations in Literacy who reads and comments on every single post I make.  She always has something encouraging to say about my thoughts.  In addition, she is the kind of teacher you'd want your own children to have, so you should definitely drop by and tell her I sent you.

Thank you so much for joining me this past year.  I'd love to see more of you in 2013!

 

Handwriting Meets Classroom Book

I shared a while back about a strategy I use for teaching proper letter formation.  (If you'd like to read about that, go here.)  This post is about what I did with all the purple and green letters I made - 26 to be exact.  They were transformed into a book of course.  

Just this week I saw one little reader choose the book during Daily 5.  She sat there and traced every single letter from beginning to end.  I thought it was pretty cool to watch.

When in doubt, turn things that might otherwise find a place on a dusty shelf into a book.

Seriously Hard to Break

Every first grade teacher probably knows that bad handwriting habits are seriously hard to break, especially when it comes to how pencils are held.  In the past I've always started the year with some kind of pencil gripper and am later left with the question, "Did it really work?"  Hmm, well, not exactly.  So far this year I haven't pulled them out.  I tried this idea from Pinterest one day though.  No offense to the person who invented it, but it didn't really work for me.

The child holds a tissue that's supposed to help them grip the pencil correctly.

I found something that else that seems easier to incorporate.  Check these out.  

Option 1

 Option 2

My district is moving towards a Handwriting Without Tears approach, which is where the above pictures came from. I didn't make it to the training and haven't fully bought in yet, but this is one of the things that I'm giving a whirl.  So far I've been trying Option 1.  Is it possible that after a good 100 times of hearing it, my writers might actually hold their pencils the right way?  Habits are hard to break, but it's worth a shot. Click here for copies of both options.

(When it all comes down to it though, the way they write their letters is more important than how they hold a pencil.  If you'd like to know about the purple and green handwriting strategy that works for me, go here.)

The Power of Purple and Green

Anyone who's familiar with my handwriting won't be surprised that handwriting is important in my classroom.  (People often mistake my writing for something that's been typed.)    One of the tricks I learned several years ago from Math Their Way helps my kids head into second grade with pretty good handwriting skills.  I teach all the numerals and letters with a purple and green crayon.  Here's a picture of a few of the purple/green numerals on my wall.  

Every numeral and every letter is made with purple and green, even if there's only one stroke involved.  More importantly, purple is always first.  For example, starting at the bottom of the numeral 1 is illegal, because that's green, not purple of course.   

When I teach the numerals and letters, I will actually say the colors as I make them.  The kids do too, even though they never actually use purple and green crayons.  Whether they're writing with their whiteboard markers or pencils, they will say the purple and green as they write.  (Under the pictures below, I've included how I would say the colors for the letters.  You'll notice that if there are two purples or two greens in a letter, I'll say the color names twice.) 

A - "Purple, purple, green."  a - "Purple, green."

B - "Purple, green, green,"  b - "Purple, green."

C - "Purple, green."  c - "Purple, green."

It might seem goofy, but it really does work.  For most of the kids, the visual and auditory connections (and a whole lot of repetition) help seal the correct directionality in their little brains and hands.  The simplicity of it helps as well.  There aren't any fancy directions for each letter that need to be memorized.

Just in case someone out there seems the slightest bit interested in this purple/green thing, I've created a few documents that will show how the numerals and letters are made with purple and green.  Click on the pictures for your own copy, and try not to notice my rudimentary tech skills when I made them. :)

  

Blossoming

As I was thinking about my kids during the last week of school it was hard to think of them as anything but almost 2nd grade readers, writers, and mathematicians.  The truth is that's not the way they came to me back in August.  It's so hard to remember who they used to be and easy to take for granted how much they really do grow in nine months.  Fortunately, there's a little something I do with my kids that helps me remember how much they've blossomed.  (I didn't invent this idea, and I found it so many years ago on the internet that I've no idea who to give credit to.)

Asking kids to copy something from the board is basically against my religion, but I make an exception twice a year.  During the first week of school while they're still fresh out of kindergarten, I have the kids copy a poem.  Even though it's very teacher directed (I write a letter - they write the letter), it's not the easiest thing to pull off.  It takes a lot of energy, enthusiasm, cheerleading, and breaks all provided by me.  After we've all recovered, we also draw and color self-portraits.  This is very teacher directed as well.

Now fast-forward to the last week of school.  We do the whole thing over again, although it's pretty much painless at this point.  I glue the August version of the poem and self-portrait to the back of the May version and send them home to parents.  The difference between the two is night and day.  The growth in both their artistic and handwriting abilities is a reminder to parents, the kids, and myself of how much these little people have blossomed in the past nine months.  Of course there's a whole lot more to first grade than art and handwriting.  The ways they grow as readers, writers, and mathematicians are amazing, but this little exercise sure makes for a nice visual for us all.  See for yourself.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

(Click on the words for your own copy if you're interested in trying this out too.)

First grade is a challenging grade, but what a reward to see how much they learn from beginning to end.  I think I might deserve a summer vacation.