"Children who write comfortably perform better in school,"
Jan Olsen, Occupational Therapist, author and developer of Handwriting Without Tears®
The Pre-K Program
Beginning Writers (Ages 4 1/2 - 6 years)
helps build the foundation for successful learning and writing.
It provides hands-on learning and coaching to help develop:
- Letter recognition
- Sound and letter association
- Sequencing to prevent letter and number reversals
- Visual skills for size and shape awareness
- Orientation for position awareness
- Fine Motor Skills
- Listening skills and Imitation
- Sensory Exploration
Foundations for beginning handwriting skills are taught using music, sensory motor activities, child-
friendly illustration and Handwriting Without Tears lesson workbooks.
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The Printing Program
(Grades K-5)
The Printing program works on building capitals, numbers and lowercase letters in developmentally-
based learning stages.
Stage 1 - Imitation
The teacher shows how to write the letter from Start to End point
The child imitates the steps to make the letter
Stage 2 - Copying
There is an example of a letter to be copied.
The child copies by looking at the letter
Stage 3 - Independent Writing
The child writes the letter independently - from memory.
The Handwriting without Tears Printing program provides hands on learning and coaching for
- top to bottom orientation
- stopping on a line
- correct letter formation
- big lines, little lines, big curve and little curve
- left to right sequencing
- proper posture
- placement of helper hand
- effective pencil grip
- sensible and developmentally based workbooks
- Large step-by-step instructions with fun illustrations
- support for other language arts activities
- Double lines for correct letter placement and easier transition to notebook paper
The Kindergarten program focuses on learning capitals, numbers and lowercase letters using
sensory manipulative games and activities such as Slate ChalkBoard, Mat-Man®, Letters wood
pieces, Wet-Dry-Try®
The First Grade program focuses primarily on printing the lower case correctly and using them in
words and sentences. Review exercises of Capital Letters are initially completed as they are the
foundation for lowercase printing.
The Second Grade program is for second graders and older beginners with focus on smaller size
printing in sentences and paragraphs. This program can benefit other students through a review of
smaller case printing. Smaller case printing is important for an easy transition to cursive handwriting.
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The Cursive Program
(Grades 3-5 and above)
The Third Grade program introduces simple and effective techniques for connecting letters. The
result is a clean, clear vertical style that is easy for the student to write and easy to read. Cursive
handwriting's emphasis is to develop correct habits for letter formation and connecting letters.
Correct habits develops ease in writing fluency.
The Fourth Grade program continues to addresses letter formation and connection. This time, the
emphasis is on developing ease in writing fluency in smaller size. Writing fluency in smaller sizes
promotes speed in handwriting skill.
The Fifth Grade program is for the designed for fast, fluent and NEAT cursive writing. It is also for
older students who need to master cursive. Review and Mastery" activities help develop speed and
fluency to promote an automatic and natural handwriting skill while maintaining legibility.
For more information, click on www.HWTears.com
Individual sessions available info@thedancenterforautism.com
