I believe that children learn through play and through hands-on experiences. We spend lots of time playing in our classroom. This year, I am trying the Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) program. We will be using the HWT manipulatives, we will not be using the worksheets or work books. HWT uses four basic shapes to create the letters of the alphabet - long line, short line, big curve, and little curve. I really like that HWT starts with the letters that are the easiest to make, allowing children to build on what they learned from previous letters. You can learn more about this curriculum here:
http://www.hwtears.com/. As you know, we have already learned about L, F, E, H, T, and I. We have also learned about Mat Man.
We worked together to make Mat Man the first time. Here he is:
(I'm pretty sure Mat Man has magical powers - he can get 5 preschoolers to sit still at the same time!)
This week we are talking about the letter U. Mat Man is holding his umbrella so he can stay dry. Ask your child to sing Mat Man's song to you!
