Review: Handwriting Today Cursive Writing Pupil Workbooks and Let’s join in-handwriting today software from Prim-Ed
The Handwriting Today series is made up of four pupil workbooks A-D. With the new writing language curriculum ready to enfold itself upon Irish primary classrooms, teachers will need to take a look at their current handwriting pedagogy. The great news is that most of the work has been done for the teacher who wants to use a workbook! It follows a well-researched approach to teaching handwriting by using cursive writing from the beginning. The teacher’s handbook that accompanies each workbook explains the research in detail.
In Book A, we have some pre-writing activities followed by two pages for each letter divided into anticlockwise, clockwise and downstroke letters. There is also a good section of numbers, review and assessment checklist. Each Book builds on the last in terms of skills and development.
I always think that the workbook is never enough for a teacher and does not satisfy the need to differentiate for abilities in a teacher’s class. Prim-Ed have designed a Handwriting Today:Let’s join in! CD-Rom for use with projected screen/IWB to help differentiate further. In this CD-ROM, the teacher can provide opportunities to create differentiated worksheets. The teacher can change line size, stroke size and design as well. It compliments the workbooks but is sold separately. Another of its handy options is that the teacher can leave an animation of a chosen letter on the projected screen while she observes the children’s writing. Children can look up and remember without the teacher having to go back and forth to the board to demonstrate.
Handwriting is proving to be a vital component of any good language programme with links to spelling and reading becoming evident. Cursive writing has been found to have many unique benefits to printing letters. It reinforces the need for a child to be fluid and legible as does this Prim-Ed programme. It comes recommended by spelling and handwriting life-time researcher, Brendan Culligan as an excellent resource to have. Prim-Ed have a downloadable, free teacher handbook to accompany each level in the series.
Teachers will need to work on a fine motor skills programme before and during the use of the Handwriting Today programme but that would be the same for any handwriting programme.
Prim-Ed have very kindly given us a set of Handwriting Today workbooks and software for this month’s prize! See our mash.ie and anseo.net facebook page for details on how to enter.
The Handwriting Today workbooks are available for the price of €6.99 and the Let’s join in software package is priced at €50 for a whole school site licence, which is excellent value. You can purchase these online from www.prim-ed.com
Last Update: March 28, 2018