Handwriting Without Tears® Curriculum Analysis—2005

Handwriting Principles Approach Publisher’s Perspective

Readiness
Manipulatives are engaging and playful. They also make for more
Several. Capital letter wood pieces, wood piece cards, active learning. The manipulatives used lead to more successful
Manipulatives mats for wood pieces, Roll-A-Dough Letters™, Stamp and experiences. Children with unequal abilities can make equally
See Screen™, Slate Chalkboard. good looking letters. Uses more sensory modalities for different
types of learners.

Smiley face icon in the upper left corner of all

Teaches Left/Right Handwriting is unique to cultures. In English children read and
manipulatives/products is consistent throughout the program
Progression write from the top to bottom, left to right. This has to be taught.
and encourages the left to right, top to bottom habit.

Children are taught proper grip at an early age using

Teaches Proper Grip
Language Component
Teaches Sitting Position
Awkward grips happen, proper grips are taught. Training primary
physical demonstration and music. Teachers and parents are
educated regarding proper grip. Crayon grip taught to four
teachers to teach pencil grip will decrease problems with grip in
older grades.
year olds. Small golf pencils are encouraged in K/1.
Children taught positional concepts, body awareness,
Child friendly words that have meaning. Children learn through
size, position and shape of strokes by using
manipulatives. The terms big line, little line, big curve, little
standard, consistent terms that are used throughout the
curriculum.
curve are taught at an early age.
Activities for teaching sitting posture Children learn through movement activities. Children become
(Stomping Game, Stack Your Blocks). ready to learn and will sit the correct way.

Print
cF oE sD vP wB R N M F E D cP oB sR vNw M
tH K L H K Lt
aU dV gW X Y Z U V Wa Xd Yg Z Developmental teaching order based on task analysis.
Teaching Order
uC i Oe Ql kGy j C O Qu Gi e l k y j
pS rAn I m T hJ b S A I p T r Jn m h b
f q x z f q x z
Easier to write and more compatible with what they read in their
Letter Style** Manuscript. Vertical Style.
books.
Letter Formation** Top to bottom, left to right orientation. Letter formation patterns are uniform and easy to learn.

Child friendly language. Familiar words are utilized that don't

Example for letter ‘a’: Magic C, up like a helicopter, bump, presume the child is completely oriented (no right/left
Verbal Directions* slide down, bump. orientations used in verbal directions). Directions are at
the child’s reading level rather than at a higher reading level.

Preventing/Correcting Problems
Extensive multisensory strategies to prevent/correct reversals
Reversals are discussed throughout teacher’s guide for numbers and
letters.
Unique gray block paper prevents/corrects size issues
Size beginning in Kindergarten. Special double line paper assist
children with motor control and skills to guide size.
Belief that the HWT curriculum uses a mistake proof method
for preventing reversals from the earliest experiences with
manipulatives.
The size has been designed so that the child is able to do the work
without having to lift the hand.

Numbers

Fun stories are used for verbal directions to assist children in

Unique ways to prevent/correct reversals in the classroom.
Teaching Method number formation. Gray block paper and slate boards are
Children are motivated to repeat stories they can relate to.
used to emphasize correct directionality.

Cursive
Slanted or Vertical Style
Cursive writing has had a long history of problems with legibility.
Belief that the slant causes legibility problems. Writing done
Vertical
without a slant appears easier to read. Non-slanted cursive retains
legibility. Easier for children with special needs and left-handed.

Limited loops. 9 lowercase letters with loops – b, e, f, g, j, Motions on loops takes child away from the motion required to
Loops or No Loops l, q, y, and z complete the letter for h + k.
Easy connections (baseline connections) are taught before
Connections Four connections taught. Connections overemphasized.
tricky connections (top line connections).
3rd Grade. May introduce at the end of second but not
Age Introduced overly encouraged.
Eye-hand coordination is developed by third grade.

© 2005 E. Knapton
 c a d g h t p A C O U V W X Y Z An easy introduction. Starts with 7 letters that are easy to recognize
e l f i j u y P B R N M from print. The focus of the first lessons is connections. After
Letter Order k r s o w b v H K T F these are mastered, high frequency e, l, and f along with vowels
m n q x z I J D L G S E Q are taught.
No leads-ins used for c based letters a d g o q or u v w x
y and z. Lead-ins aren’t part of the letter they are part of the
Teaches Letters with Lead-ins Minimal
connection. The fewer things a child has to do the less chance of
error.

Teacher Support
130 national level workshops sponsored by the
Anyone interested in teaching children good handwriting habits is
In-service Training company for the public. School district in-service
encouraged to attend.
training available.

Website Support Yes. www.hwtears.com Interactive website assist educators with questions

Online parent support. Staff to answer questions of

Parent Support parents directly. Children’s handwriting success is the company’s number one goal.

Workbook Design
Organized pages are easier for children visually. Page design is
Organization of Pages* Clean, clear, B/W graphics
planned for flexible teaching strategies.
Page Incorporates Other
Yes Coloring and discussion of illustrations is encouraged.
Activities*
Capitals are taught first because they are developmentally easier for
Capitals taught before lowercase in print.
Use of Capitals/lowercase Lowercase taught before capitals in cursive.
children just starting to write. In cursive, printed capitals can be
used until capital cursive letters are taught.

Large models are big enough to finger trace or take step-by-step.

Letter Models* Large models.
The words that go with each step are directly underneath the model.

Two columns are used for word practice. Left-handed children are
Left Handed Friendly Yes
encouraged to look at the models on the right side of the page.

Belief that children need generous spacing to model

Spacing* Overemphasized on practice pages.
in workbooks.

Double-line paper is easier for children visually.

Type of Paper Used* Double-line

Illustrations
Placement Left to right orientation Encourages left to right writing and visual tracking.

Child friendly illustrations that children can relate to. Non-

Type (drawn/computer generated) Hand drawn by the author
distracting, easy to color.

Color/Black and White Black and White Coloring encouraged.

Price
Individual Teacher’s Guide $ 5.95 Per website.

Group Teacher’s Guide Discount Qty. Discount when ordering 30+ : $4.60 Per website.

Individual Workbooks $ 5.95 Per website.

Group Workbook Discount Qty. Discount when ordering 30+: $4.60 Per website.

Parent Cost Same as above Books are very affordable for parents to purchase.

Problems Observed in the Market Place Publisher’s Perspective

Developmentally capitals are easier to learn and write. Capitals build a
Capitals are taught in print before lowercase
foundation for writing lowercase letters with ease. Limited confusion.
Simple double lines are easy visually for children. Simple terms “bump the lines”
Double line paper
are child friendly and help children learn motor control.

Vertical cursive style Vertical cursive is widely used in other parts of the world without question.

* See student letter page. ** See letter chart

(All answers were obtained by reviewing websites and teacher’s guides to the best of the reviewer’s knowledge)

© 2005 E. Knapton