Homeschool,  Reviews

Handwriting Without Tears… a difference you can clearly see! {A Review}

Handwriting without Tears Logo
For months I have had people tell me to get Handwriting Without Tears for my boys to learn handwriting. I thought I could just as easily print  a bunch of worksheets off the internet and have the kids sit and do them and that magically their handwriting would just get better with practice. I was wrong. What would happen is the boys would get bored and annoyed with doing generic worksheets everyday. This caused frustration and their handwriting suffered!

HWTdifference
What a difference Handwriting Without Tears makes!

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I recently had the opportunity to review  Handwriting Without Tears Kindergarten Workbook and Teachers Guide. We have had more progress in the last month of using it in our home than we have had the entire year of printing out worksheets! Grant, who is 4 years old, is actually excite to work on his handwriting daily. Handwriting Without Tears teaches the children proper handwriting skills in creative, multi-sensory ways that really stick in their little minds! I overheard Grant in his room writing on a piece or paper. He was writing the letter “F”. He was repeating, out loud, to himself “big line, frog jump, little line, frog jump, little line”. That is when I knew that what he was learning from Handwriting Without Tears was working! We used it daily for a month and the difference in Grant’s handwriting was amazing!

GrantHWT

Handwriting Without Tears is effective because of the way it is taught. The lessons are ACTIVE! There is singing, movement, talk and experiences to go along with the handwriting practice. Handwriting Without Tears is child friendly because it uses simple terms that small children can understand like “big line, frog jump and small curve instead of left, right and clockwise”. The program is able to be used by left-handers and right-handers alike. The pictures printed on the pages are more than just illustrations. They are simple black and white illustrations that also promote proper left to right directionality. As a bonus the kids can color the pictures at the end of the lesson which my son loved to do as a reward!

HWTGrant1

Lessons are easy to follow and inventive. Each lesson in the Kindergarten Teachers Guide contains:

  • Information about how to teach the lesson.
  • A main activity with step-by-step instruction.
  • Additional instructional resources, tips and activities online.
  • Support for modifying or reinforcing the activity.
  • How to check and assess if the activity is being utilized correctly.
  • Ways to extend learning by adding complexity and variety.

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Handwriting Without Tears not only makes the program easy to follow and FUN… they also put a lot of thought and effort into TEACHER SUPPORT. They offer digital teaching tools to help teach letter formation. Also Handwriting Without Tears  makes it simple to make and print worksheets from their A+ Worksheet maker for extra reinforcement. You have access to video lessons which is an online library full of videos featuring teachers and occupational therapist using the materials with students as well as seminars and an E-Newsletter full of helpful tips, resources, activity ideas and more from experts!

Because Handwriting Without Tears is a multi-sensory program here is a list of a few materials that can help your child learn easier while having fun:

Wood pieces set for building letters.

Music and Movement CDs which makes learning letter fun!

Slate chalk board and/or Wet, Dry, Try App that adds multi-sensory learning to handwriting with their wet, dry, try approach.

Flip crayons which promote proper finger grip and fine motor skills.

Pencils for little hands that are smaller and easier for children to use a proper grip!

HWOT Kindergarten Workbook

Handwriting Without Tears Kindergarten workbook retails for $8.25

HWOT Kindergarten Teacher's Guide

Handwriting Without Tears Teachers Guide retails for $9.25

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To me this is such a small price to pay for progress you can clearly see! We look forward to continuing Handwriting Without Tears and I plan to purchase it for my 1st grader as well!

 

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Disclaimer:

I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

5 Comments

  • Danni

    Wow. I have been hearing a lot of good things about Handwriting Without Tears, but hadn’t been able to have anyone tell me WHY it was so great. THIS review was not only thorough, but led me to believe that this is something we definitely need to get. While the world is turning more and more to computers, texting, and phones (and I use all 3 on a consistent basis), it is still so vital that we incorporate beautiful and clear penmanship into our children’s education. I know that I can barely read my husband’s penmanship (don’t tell him I said that…nah, he knows). Just filling out an application or any type of form requires legible handwriting….I could go on. Off to see which of these products we can use for our 5 kids. Thanks, Happily Uprooted! Very well done.
    Danni

    • Jennifer

      I completely agree that we should still teach our children penmanship! We do homeschool primarily online and that was one of my biggest worries! I am glad we found Handwriting Without Tears while the boys are still young! They also have Cursive starting in the second grade… we will surely be starting that as well since I think it is important to be able to read and write both!

    • Jennifer

      You really can! I was flat out amazed with the progress of my 4 year old in such a short period of time! I am excited at the idea that he can have beautiful handwriting as mine is horrible! 🙂

  • looneylit

    My daughter’s kindergarten class uses this program and it is amazing! She has developmental delays and struggles with all things literacy. This program has made a tremendous difference in her directional and spatial skills! Plus it keeps her motivated!

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