Handwriting Without Tears
Jan Olsen, the Author of Handwriting Without Tears, has been an Occupational Therapist for 28 years. She developed the program when her own son was having trouble with handwriting in the first grade. Taking a developmental approach, she kept what worked, threw away what didn't, and created Handwriting Without Tears. She spent many years working with children who had difficulty with handwriting. Since that time, Handwriting Without Tears has been adopted into the public school systems of 9 states.
The Purpose of Handwriting Without Tears
To teach children handwriting techniques that will make handwriting an automatic and natural skill. Children who know how to write, want to write! It is a fun method of teaching handwriting that truly takes away the tears! Children of all abilities are successful with handwriting when using Handwriting Without Tears.
Problems with Handwriting
Why are children having so much trouble with handwriting?
Children are expected to write but are not taught how to write.
Some educators believe that the computer keyboard can become a permanent alternative to handwriting. Many teachers say, "As long as I can read it….", or "They will eventually just pick it up". BUT…. Without a good foundation, a child will not achieve speed and neatness together, in handwriting. The writing may be OK until the child is expected to write with speed. When the quantity increases, problems with neatness and precision will develop.
The Handwriting Without Tears Program
- Handwriting Without Tears techniques are taught like piano lessons where the child builds on what has been mastered.
- The program is divided into three sections: readiness (pre-writing activities), printing, and cursive writing.
- All techniques are developmentally based and diagonal lines ( the most difficult) are taught last. Letters are taught in groups of similar strokes.
- Multi-sensory teaching techniques are used.
- The children learn to use posture and balance, control and movement, perception and memory, and coordination correctly, to develop good handwriting habits from the very beginning.
- Teacher demonstration - child imitation throughout the entire program.
- Techniques used prevent and correct reversals.