Handwriting Articles

Includes our Weekly Focus and Blog Articles

Weekly Focus: Ten Tips for Teaching Handwriting Grip

July 11, 2021

Two of the foundation skills for kindergarten teachers to introduce during the first busy weeks of school are good handwriting grip and efficient name writing. 1. Determine a child’s handedness. Ask parents. Watch the child with manipulative toys. Notice which hand the child uses to pick up crayons or small pencils. Help parents understand that […]

Kindergartners Love to Make Stamp and Read Books

June 30, 2021

Their discovery? “I can read!” Download FREE Anchor Chart: Have it printed on foam board at your favorite print shop Organize for Success with Stamp and Read Books Organize and store your stamps in tackle boxes for efficiency. The first “Exploring Stamps” lesson is to teach children how to use word stamps, animal stamps, and […]

7 Kindergarten Name Writing Tips with Family Practice Book

March 1, 2021

Helping you involve parents with learning I am remembering again how challenging and important it is to teach good name writing from the first days of school. Why not ask “parents to be partners” at spring registration? Our FREE resources may help you! Kindergarten-age students, in classrooms or at home, represent a 4-year developmental span […]

heart words in kindergarten teacher resources

10 Reasons to Teach Fingerspelling in Kindergarten

January 29, 2021

Fingerspelling helps the brain remember letters and sounds: It becomes the memory hook to ABC/Phonics mastery. Fingerspelling will enhance the effectiveness of any ABC/Phonics program.

Write-a-Message Center empowers children to use writing for real world purposes.

How to Set Up a Write-a-Message Center: Inspire kindergarten writers and friends all year long

November 1, 2020

Settling-In Time Sets the Emotional Tone for the Day: Developing Friendship, Responsibility, Self-Motivation, and Collaboration Skills

How Kindergarten Families Can Support Their Young Writers at Home

September 30, 2020

Thank you Celeste Starr and families for your gracious permission to share photos. Here is my favorite distance learning photo from Spring 2020. Ezra wants his at-home learning area to look just like his kindergarten writing center at school, so he made “heart word” posters for the wall. I love how the teacher’s and parent’s […]

back to school in kindergarten classroom

How to Have the Best Kindergarten Back-to-School Night Ever: Family Scavenger Hunt Step-by-Step

July 29, 2020

This back-to-school (BTS) blog went out last August and shows happy families gathered in the classroom for a Scavenger Hunt. Now, distance learning is suddenly the norm for most teachers. Though your BTS night most likely won’t look this, I’d like to point out the BEST components that you can use for this fall’s class: […]