Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting Matters!

kindergarten friendly handwriting

From Nellie Edge Online Seminar #2:
A Master Class in Kindergarten Handwriting

Discover a Kindergarten-Friendly Approach to Handwriting Developed by Kindergarten Teachers

Are you happy with your kindergarten handwriting?

Learn strategies for a proven and authentic approach to kindergarten handwriting that simultaneously teaches high-frequency words and builds stamina for writing workshop. This multisensory, art-rich, integrated approach to handwriting is the most time-efficient, cost-efficient, and brain-friendly way we know of to plant good handwriting habits.

We are delighted with the response to our many blogs about handwriting, so we have combined our best handwriting tips and resources for you on one web page.

Scroll down and learn how to:

1. Teach efficient pencil grip
2. Use name ticket strategies
3. Involve parents as partners
4. Build efficient handwriting motions for sentence fluency

Includes free videos, printable practice pages, and actionable Parents as Partners resources.
Discover a Kindergarten-Friendly Approach to Handwriting Developed by Kindergarten Teachers
handwriting practice lessons
handwriting practice lessons
teach kindergartners handwriting
kindergarten friendly handwriting
teach kindergartners handwriting
teach kindergartners to write

Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting Begins with Good Pencil Grip and the Child’s Name

teach kindergartners handwriting
10 Kindergarten Handwriting: 1. Use a Name Ticket Model
teach kindergartners handwriting

Parents are Partners in Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting

We Send Parents a Copy of a Name Ticket Model and Our Practice Book for Nightly Review

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My Name Ticket Practice Book  and all handwriting templates and reproducibles included with the Nellie Edge Online Seminar #2.

name-ticket

Nellie Edge Shares a Preview of How to Use a Name Ticket

from Nellie Edge Online Seminar #2

The step-by-step video tutorials are broken into the following chapters:

Chapter 1: Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting
Chapter 2: Use a Name Ticket Model
Chapter 3: Handwriting Lessons in September
Chapter 4: Meaningful Handwriting Practice
Chapter 5: Building Handwriting Fluency

Handwriting practice is woven into authentic writing experiences that have meaning to the child—not isolated drill!

teach kindergartners to write
teach kindergartners to write

A Useful Tip for Teaching Efficient Pencil Grip Is… Keep the last two fingers engaged!

pencil grip for children

Put half of a tissue under the last two fingers

  • Use a cotton ball, small “fun” ball, or even a marble to keep the last two fingers engaged
  • Teach children “duck talk” using the thumb and pointer finger: put a small pencil in your duck’s mouth

Useful Parent Letters Support Efficient Pencil Grasp and Good Handwriting

Dear Families,

It is normal for children to enter kindergarten with a wide range of fine-motor development. Some children start the year with an efficient pencil grasp, and others are developing one. This is because children’s finger muscles develop with time and experience.

Young Children Benefit from Small Muscle Activities

play dough lessons
Use tweezers, beads and suction cups to encourage fine motor development.

It Can Be Useful To Provide an Actual Support for the Fingers

The “Writing C.L.A.W.” is the best pincher grasp support we have used.

C.L.A.W. photo from www.thepencilgrip.com

 

pencil grip for children - claw

We Celebrate Children’s Lives and Their Names

Early on, children learn to read and write friends’ names

handwriting practice lessons
kindergarten classsroom

Writing One’s Name and The Names of Friends Is Part of the Kindergarten Culture: It Matters!

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little-books
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All Handwriting resources are included free with Nellie Edge Online Seminar #2.

Learn How to Use Art to Teach Handwriting Concepts

Lift-the-pen motion for letters  f, k, p, t, x, y

Art to Teach Handwriting

Teach continuous motion for all remaining letters

Art to Teach Handwriting

Watch Nellie Edge Combine Drawing and Handwriting Instruction

from Nellie Edge Online Seminar #2

Here is a “Cross-the-Midline” Skill that Children Love to Practice

Once they master it, you’ll have stars on everything!

handwriting practice lessons
handwriting practice lessons
learn to draw in kindergarten

Purchase Nellie Edge Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting Curriculum
Integrates ABC Phonics, word work, sentence writing,
drawing, and fingerspelling Bundle on TPT

or receive it as a free digital download with Nellie Edge Online Seminar #2.

Your colleagues evaluate this program:
“These lessons are a game changer for my kinders. So engaging and I’ve seen so much improvement. Wish I would have started these in the Fall!”
-Chelsea G.
“This was very helpful to help teach writing. I homeschool my granddaughter and this was a perfect resource with little prep time.”
-Tamara R.
“Now we ..always start our letters at the top! 🙂 Thank you for another great program.”
-Chantelle O.
“I had been wanting to get my hands on this resource for a while. So glad it finally came in a digital format. I have used Nellie Edge's resources to teach the alphabet, letter names and sounds. This was a wonderful match up product to reinforce teaching and learning.”
-Educom K.
“I love everything Nellie Edge! She uses best practices! I love, love, love! Ever since I began using her program, I've seen a huge increase in my students learning.”
-Jessica H.
“Really great for step by step writing for kids.” -Sara B.
“Great activities for my first graders. I used it at the beginning of the year for review.”
-Andi S.

The "I" Chant and "I Always Start My Letters at the Top!"

From the Sing, Sign, Spell, and Read! CD of 33 songs available from our Online Store.

Watch Nellie Edge Teach the "I" Chant

“I love you” is the Handwriting Anchor Sentence!

teach kindergartners to write
teach kindergartners to write

We teach for mastery!

kindergarten friendly handwriting

Guided Handwriting Practice Pages Support and Challenge Diverse Learners

handwriting practice lessons
handwriting practice lessons
handwriting practice lessons

Pink “Heart Word” Sentences Provide Daily Handwriting Practice

We simultaneously develop handwriting fluency and high-frequency sentence fluency to accelerate writing proficiency.

heart word sentences
kindergarten handwriting lessons

Take a Master Class in Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting
with Nellie Edge Online Seminar #2

This Online Seminar includes step-by-step video tutorials, Teacher's Guide plus...

Over 200 pages of resources ready to download.
SEE ALL THE RESOURCES

Earn College Credits. Download Information and Form
(Includes Practicum Suggestions)

Learn more / Buy

Some Children Will Need Much More Multisensory Practice

Expect children to fingerspell and demonstrate handwriting motions while saying a/”a” and b/”b” and c/”c” with play dough mats. Fingerspelling builds finger strength and creates memory hooks for writing.

Free download from Nellie Edge TpT Store

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play dough lessons

Handwriting Instruction Is Meaningful and Memorable: We Write “Thank You” as Secret Messages to Take Home and Hide

teach kindergartners to write

All Children Have More Writing Stamina When They Learn Good Handwriting in Their First Language

Kindergarten-friendly handwriting is appropriate for English Language Learners.

little books
little books

By April or May, We Provide Whole Class ABC Fluency Practice Using Notebooks or White Boards

kindergarten lessons
kindergarten lessons

Every time children recall the letters from memory, the brain channels get faster. Our goal is to write 40 letters a-z (lowercase) in 60 seconds. Children practice every morning, beginning the last two months of school.

Give Children the Gift of Lifelong Habits for Legible Handwriting Right From the Start of Their Journey as Kindergarten Writers!

Art, Creativity, and Choice Are All Part of Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting!

kindergarten-friendly-handwriting

Is Good Handwriting Natural and Automatic for Your Kindergartners?

Accomplished kindergarten teachers have proven these engaging strategies. (5-pg PDF)

kindergarten-friendly-handwriting-2

Take a Master Class in Kindergarten-Friendly Handwriting
with Nellie Edge Online Seminar #2 

WITH EACH SEMINAR YOU'll RECEIVE:

Learn more / Buy

The Foundation Online Seminars Also Include: 
 #1 Multisensensory ABC and Phonics Immersion and  #3 Authentic Sight Word Work

Provide Ongoing PD for Your Literacy Team

Take advantage of team and district discounts.
Guidelines and Support for Study Group Leaders or contact us to learn more.

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