Handwriting Without Tears With 2 Boys

by Tiffany
(Forestburg, Tx , USA)

Product: Handwriting Without Tears
Subject: Handwriting
Levels Used: Pre-K
Dates Used: 2008

Likes: WOW! Handwriting Without Tears' Pre-K material is amazing! It is so much more than a handwriting curriculum. The songs are fun & upbeat. We love dancing around in the morning to the "Hello" song as we begin our day.

I am using this with a 2 & just turned 4 year old & they are doing fantastic. Within days of using the little pencils & flip crayons they were holding them perfectly. I had struggled with this for weeks & was dreading this process, but it just happened (I wish I could take credit for it).

They love building their letters with the wooden set. They have passed the durable test with a few sword fights b/t letter building. The letter cards are a great addition to building time & are quick & get the job done. I was surprised by my 2 year olds progress with these. The Stamp board is great for on the go times or waiting in doctor's offices.

This has been so fun for us & is almost a complete Pre-K curriculum: letter recoginition, motor skills, songs, shapes, numbers, colors -- WOW! I am so impressed! The letter strips for the desk are fantastic! -- My boys actually use them (again, even the 2 year old is spotting his letters on this).

As for teaching, it is hands on & a fun time with my children. The teacher's guide is very informative & gives helpful suggestions. Once you get the concept of the process & materials there is very little prep time. I really like the suggestions of describing the strokes - so simple. The wall cards are big, but easy for my boys to spot & recognize. I have enjoyed this curriculum as much as my boys have.

Dislikes: I really don't have any dislikes - it is not a laid out curriculum, you have to get your feel for it (althought there is a suggestion page at the end of the guide - just not detailed). At the Pre-K level, it was expensive to purchase all the materials suggested/available; however, I do feel like it was money well spent.

I would say the must haves if you are on budget would be the music, crayons, pencils & wooden letter sets with the cards. The playdough isn't any different than regular playdough & I feel like can be done without the set, but it is convenient. The Mat Man activities seems like too much prep for me, so we just read the book - not sure if I would purchase again though.