Where do you start your letters? At the top!
Where do you start your letters? At the top!
If you want to make a letter,
Then you better, better, better,
Remember to start them at the top!
Is this the top, top, top? No, it's the BOTTOM!
Is this the top, top, top? No, it's the MIDDLE!
Is this the top, top, top? YES, it's the top top top.
We always start our letters at the TOP!
For months, Mr. Johnson has been singing this song (to the tune of "If You're Happy And You Know It" with the Trees Class children as they watch him write the morning message.
For months, Ms. Jordan has sung a little song every time she has introduced how to hold a marker in September, a crayon in October, a paintbrush in November, or a colored pencil in December ...
My thumb is bent,
Pointer points to the tip,
Tall man uses his side!
I tuck my last two fingers in,
and take them for a ride!
And for months, children have been getting to know Big Line, Little Line, Big Curve, and Little Curve.
These are just three of the many elements (you can read about more in last week's blog) that make up our early childhood literacy curriculum in the Nest ...
Handwriting Without Tears.
Using songs, chants, manipulatives, and different media, this program carefully teaches children how to form letters in a very specific way. It's a bit like a dance or tai chi because the focus is not only on what the letter looks like at the end, but on creating the lines in the right order, and from the right orientation.
Starting with the first letter of their name, each child will repeat the ritual of writing this letter over and over, using the most efficient method, until writing it becomes automatic.
The long term benefit of this will be that they will soon (in kindergarten and first grade) be able to focus, not on forming letters, but on what they want to write — Getting the thoughts out of their heads and on to paper quickly because the logistics of the actual letter formation doesn’t slow them down.
The first tool we used was magnetic boards to stamp the letters with magnetic versions of big and little lines and curves. Then they traced those stamped lines on the boards. Then moving on to drawing them freehand with the magnet doodler.
Big line,
frog jump to the top,
big line,
little line:
"H"!
Next, we used the blue mats and large wooden shapes. They practice saying the names of the shapes as they trace the letter with their finger (again, always greeting smiley and starting at the top!).
Little curve,
turn,
little curve:
"S"!
Big curve:
"C"!
And finally, we have been practicing forming letters using a most peculiar but extremely engrossing process entitled “Wet, Dry, Try.” On a small chalkboard, children use a tiny sponge, then a tiny paper towel, and finally a piece of chalk to form the letters, all while narrating the line shapes as they form the letters...
WET
DRY
TRY
Eventually (if not already) the formation and shape will become automatic--starting at the top, left to right directionality, and forming each shape.
Big line,
frog jump (back to the top),
big line,
big line,
big line:
"M!”
Throughout this whole process, our friend, Mr. Smiley follows us as a helper. He is always in the upper left corner of the tools we use (the blue mats, the magnetic boards, the chalkboards) and no matter which one we use, we greet Mr. Smiley saying, “Hi Smiley!” to help solidify that we start letters at the top and left.
True to its name, we have had no tears at all — In fact, we see intense focus, perseverance, many smiles, much joy, and a lot of pride as children have been tackling this process.
Watch as our names grow beyond our first letters, and as we grow into better and better writers!
