How to Teach Handwriting in Kindergarten and First Grade // Handwriting tips and strategies

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Handwriting sheets mentioned in the video: bit.ly/SJThandwriting

[@merlevink]

Hi! Love these sheets, but could you also create these for the UK Jolly Phonics kind of letters? These letters are a bit more curly, often with little tails. 😇

[@merlevink]

Also, could you please create separate sheets for uppercase and lowercase letters? I would like to teach lowercase strokes in isolation first, so these added uppercase letters might confuse my students. 😇

[@nehakumari8596]

My son’s teacher told them to use a finger space between words. That’s another great way for word spacing especially as tools may not always be around but finger is always conveniently right there.

[@eeejay235]

Yup. This works.

[@basiaw.3912]

Yes, there are many areas that teachers need to work on: behavior, sitting properly, holding a pencil, forming letters, keeping spaces between letters, words.. that’s the after- effects pandemic… a lots of it But, it’s doable! Thank you Susan for bringing up some great ideas to help us🌹

[@theComputerVoice]

omg the letter formation getting worse as they go along after they've traced is so true --- I love the trace/try on own method. I'll bring that up in our next director's meeting. I also bought those tracing sheets on your TPT! Thank you so much!!

[@michelleforbes1781]

I loved what you said about having students trace the letter and then make one of their own then teace again. When I have them forming the letters they go down out of order, lol so applying this method makes makes sense.

[@michelleforbes1781]

I always share your videos with my fellow colleagues here in Jamaica.

[@trinascanapico6358]

I’ve wanted to refocus on handwriting for a long time, but didn’t know the research to back it up. Your tips were great, and I can’t wait to listen to the SOR podcast. Thank you.

[@teachingismyministry]

This is wonderful!!! I tried it yesterday and it WORKS!!! Thank you!

[@ProfPephiasMwiinga]

I have enjoyed your tips i will teach my kids but im a tracher in training Bachelor of science with education maths and physics . Im a Zambian ❤

[@michelleforbes1781]

How did you know I needed this!! I am now at k3 and my student's are nowhere near writing. Some not holding their pencil well.

[@najwahasan9088]

Thanks for this video. Great ideas! For line spacing I would let my students use their pointer finger.

[@AnnMarieBranca]

really helpful for teaching handwriting for k through 2. Thank you so much

[@Moonlvr555]

Thanks for this video Susan. My second graders last year and this year definitely need the practice. They were on a computer screen for almost 18 months, and honestly writing was one of the areas most impacted.

[@markschmidt8191]

I would love to explicitly teach handwriting, but in my current situation, that is not possible. First, I have 36 first graders. Second, I am finding some of these students missed basic skills due to virtual instruction because of the pandemic. Also, poor attendance is a problem nowadays. I do model and say key handwriting question, and I go around and help students. I also help students by using a highlighter for tracing letters. But I have 8 students that find it difficult to write letters. Oh…I am by myself with the 36 first graders.

[@lisasroom012]

36 first graders is crazy! No help? That's insane. I have 14 kindergarten students with no help and find it challenging because they are not independent and need so much. Sounds like you're doing your best in the circumstances.

[@deniserivlin4810]

That is awful for you and the students. Where is this? Public, private, parochial ?

[@rebekahduncan8403]

Oh my word, that's so many little people!

[@lisasroom012]

I'm also curious as to where this school is. What a disservice to children.

[@deniserivlin4810]

Where do you teach? (State. City). Privatec ,public, or parochial ? Too many for many reasons. Not fair to you or the students. You are a saint for enduring this. I know you do it because it’s your passion and for the child/children.

[@merlevink]

Where to find any ‘trace - write - trace - write’ worksheets for the UK Jolly Phonics style kind of letters?

[@ninayang9097]

Thank you for this!!!! Helps so much.

[@pugscaniche7866]

Thanks

[@jessicakitari221]

Excellent tips! thank you for sharing

[@saraarmitage5855]

I too would love to get my hands on the handwriting sheets you mentioned. I can't find them in TPT and am not part of your SJT clubs.

[@abbe1abbe156]

It's not on TPT. Hopefully soon.

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Hi Sara! I just uploaded them to TPT today: bit.ly/SJThandwriting

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

@@abbe1abbe156 Just uploaded them today! bit.ly/SJThandwriting

[@abigailvasquez5031]

Thank you SOOOO MUCH!

[@tammyG1975]

Thank you so much for this. 😊

[@lisasroom012]

Is there any research out there or do you have any suggestions on what size pencils to use with kindergarten students or students with fine motor issues to assist with motor control when forming letters. I've used standard pencils and fat pencils. Last school year I started using golf size pencils and it seemed to help some.

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Hi Lisa! Great question - I would certainly ask an OT about that, but I have also heard about using the mini golf-sized pencils and heard it helps with grip!

[@rebekahduncan8403]

I've used the highlighters as a tracing step before, but I LOVE the glue idea as a physical bump they can feel with their pencil! I plan to try that! I have a couple of Firsties who want to not touch the bottom line so their words are always floating up off the line. I'm wondering about putting a line of glue at the bottom line so they have to come down to that bump before stopping. That might work for them. Thanks! Something our resource teacher told me about for spacing is skipping 2-3 dashes of the dotted line and starting the next letter after that skip. It works!

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Love that idea for spacing!! Thank you!

[@cassandradewar9155]

Love this!

[@gracetamkee8522]

Thanks for the video! A hot glue gun also works well for defining lines and it dries much faster if you're in a pinch 😊

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Yes!! Works great!

[@janisdrinkwater6250]

I like your idea about tracing and then writing on own, trace and then on their own. I agree with you that when they do on their own they sometimes get lazy and sloppy. I also like that you talked about grouping letters that are made the same way (straight line down, circle letters, etc). I use handwriting pages that focus on that currently. When I checked out your handwriting pages I noticed that you left space after tracing to write their own, but you don't do your handwriting pages by way they are made. You had capital A and lower case a on the same page. Are you planning on changing that?

[@jessicajaderquist5553]

Will those handwriting sheets be available on TpT ?😊

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Hi Jessica! I just uploaded these to TPT today actually: bit.ly/SJThandwriting

[@cathyjelsema9054]

Use post it notes instead of glue lines

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Great suggestion! Thank you!

[@ednaboyani8764]

😊

[@almarosales4931]

I tried joining your writing club but,it said enrollment was closed.

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Hi Alma! Be sure to join the wait list as I open it up only to waitlist members a few times per year :)

[@almarosales4931]

@@SusanJonesTeaching Thank you

[@shirleygarrioch2163]

Me again, I forgot to mention i dont have teacher's certificate I'm an early childhood educator.

[@MohamedSaad-x3x]

speak slowly to understand you .

[@pinkeyswear3226]

Thank you for this. 😊

[@thatot]

Okay thanks

[@Americanlife5752]

My 9 year old still writes unrecognizably,I really stress out about it!

[@tammyramey]

LOVE that you have lined paper available for your 2nd grade students! I also love the clear glue idea.

[@ginaschroeder7869]

Is there a place where we can get your handwriting practice pages? (Alternating tracing and writing on own). I tried joining the club, but it says enrollment is closed. I am very interested in getting those pages for my first graders.

[@sisterofsix7824]

I'm looking for the handwriting practice pages also. Thank you!

[@nataliebelotti5067]

@@sisterofsix7824 I'm also looking for handwriting practice pages (alternating tracing and writing on their own). I can't find any on teacherspayteachers, unless I'm entering into the search bar incorrectly.

[@sisterofsix7824]

@@nataliebelotti5067 I just purchased print uppercase and lowercase letters on Susan's website but it does not have alternating tracing and writing. So, don't get that. Lol. Susan's great. I'm sure she will reply soon. 😀

[@nataliebelotti5067]

@@sisterofsix7824 Thank you :)

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Hi Gina!! Currently they're only in the SJT Writing Club, but I am working on putting them on TPT Asap!

[@shirleygarrioch2163]

Hello, Susan. I came across your videos. I like everyone of them. I teach grade one. I have a few students that never stepped into a classroom before. Help!.I need all the tips and advice to help these students.

[@yusradztranslator696]

Here in algeria we teach handwriting on french lined notebooks (feuille seyes) so we should follow the french sizing when writing english where the capital letter is three times double the small letter size whereas some other teachers use the double sise method on the same notebooks. What do you think ? Any advice is really appreciated.

[@ahsankhan2095]

Hi Your work is awesome 👍 Can you mentioned the age of 1st grade and the whole syllabus

[@s.thurman1403]

Question about when and how to incorporate handwriting into daily lessons. Would you recommend going through the order of the letters as you mentioned, but do a letter a day? I have grade 1s and many can copy letters when seeing them but are unable to make them on their own without looking at a word. I will be starting to teach the sound wall this week after doing assessments on PA. Trying to manage a new grade and organize the best ways to cover everything. I appreciate any guidance!

[@matiquegooden-tomlinson3189]

Excellent tips, thank you for creating these videos for us as teachers ❤ 😀. I will definitely utilize them in my class.

[@jamiechen7863]

you are great!

[@thatot]

I love you because you don't have time ❤❤❤😊😊THANKS FOR TEACHING ME ❤💓❤

[@desireeshaw-stephens2596]

Love this video !! I purchased the Handwriting pages , do you have anymore that are similar to this set ?

[@titarhodateamthinker7388]

Thanks for sharing

[@minniewilliams1852]

Thank you 😊

[@georgejames7552]

Thanks!

[@malvarado5955]

🎉

[@lisasroom012]

I am also looking for handwriting practice sheets with alternating trace and write on your own. I also checked Susan's website on TPT and did not find any with that format. Would love to get those.

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Hi Lisa! Right now they're only in the SJT Writing Club, but I am working on putting them up on TPT!

[@SusanJonesTeaching]

Hi Lisa! I just uploaded these today: bit.ly/SJThandwriting