Learning to Write!

Well, preschool really hasn't been the focus lately.  :-(  I kind of miss that aspect but school-age is getting most of my attention out of necessity.  I'm actually considering put T. in a GSRP program for different reasons.  He's not so keen on "going to school".  Said he wanted to stay home with the rest of the kids.  But...it would be really good for him to get with his own peer group for once.  So, I'll register him and then make a decision one way or another if he gets accepted.

However, T. - 4 years old- is learning to read and write!  He has NEVER enjoyed writing exploration.  However, now that we are writing actual letters...he's loving it! 

We do a bit of reading from the Teach Your Child How to Read book I've mentioned several times.  Then we move to writing and this is how we've been doing each letter.  I'm hoping to slip in some sight word activities starting this week as he's learned quite a few from his reading lesson already.

(Yes, we move left to right.  Since he's a leftie...this has taken a bit longer for him to get comfortable with but I think it's mastered now!)

We've been slightly following the Handwriting Without Tears order for letters.  However, the workbook pages I printed to go along with the letters include lowercase.  So, on a whim, I pulled out the sandpaper lowercase letters also and sure enough...he handled them just fine.  So we aren't following the true order of HWT's as we do the lowercase letters as well...but we are focusing on the uppercase letters mostly...teaching the CORRECT :-P letter formation!!!

Step 1:  Match the sand paper letters and trace them.  (We've been doing 2 letters at a time.)

Step 2:  Build the letter with HWT's "mat man" mat.

Step 3:  Stamp the letter with HWT's magnet board, trace, erase, write.

Step four:  sponge the letter on HWT's chalkboard, trace with chalk, erase with sponge.  (If he is having trouble with the letter or it is a lower case letter...I use the sponge first and he traces with chalk and erases.)

Step 4:  choose a crayon and do the work book.

Step 5:  Stamp the book as a job well done! 

Ha!  I picked up some "nice work!" "Super!" etc self inking stamps in Target's Dollar section and they are a hit!  I think I'll pick up some more like that for my school-agers as they are a bit jealous right about now.  :-D

 I've had this booklet printed for quite awhile...but never got to it with T.  Wish I could share the link though.  It was free.  I am pretty sure it was from Growing Kinders.  I thought it was a TPT product from her.  I thought I pinned it on my Toddler-Preschooler board but I can NOT find it anywhere!  So if you recognize this and can share the link, please do so.