Handwriting Resources - Paper, fonts, pencils, grips

[lyntley]

Beautiful scripture pages

Just wanted to mention this neat resource we're using. It's called Pretty Pages and Beautiful Borders, 36 reproducible writing pages. You can google to find it. I had originally seen it on Duffy homeschool reviews under writing curriculum. It's put out by Sycamore Tree (dot com). I saw it on amazon too but they didn't have any pictures. I was so excited when I got it because one of the borders has children from around the world. It fit right in with our ECC.

It is 36 reproducible writing pages with borders to color. We have been using them for the scripture copy work and our bible notebooks are coming out beautifully. The kiddies often make an extra to give as a gift or send with their friday letters.

[Julie in MN]

What type of paper for 4th grader?

What kind of paper do you use for a 4th graders' copy-work? We have used workbooks before and really had no need for paper, except for spelling or math.

When we start school again I am going to try following MFW for ECC and they will need paper for their memory verse, writing (which I haven't decided on yet), English (using PLL & ILL) and anything else that they are supposed to do.

Thanks!

Hi Linda,
I think part of it depends on the student. If you have a student who can write decently on the notebook paper that you can get for 25 cents at the back-to-school sales, then I would use that!

My youngest is very sloppy and so in 4th grade I used paper with dotted lines on it. We started the year with the wider lines (and dotted line in the middle) on a Walmart tablet. Then I got the narrower lines (still with the dots in the middle) from TheWorksPeople. Pricey but it met our needs very well.

It wasn't until 6th grade that my son started using regular lined paper, but he's a laid-back, kinda sloppy writer. And after all, what use is writing if no one can read it, eh?! He prefers the tablets that tear off at the top, by the way.

Julie

[lyntley]

I agree with Julie. It really depends on your students hand control. My 4th grade dd uses regular ruled paper. If she had a problem with some letters I will give her a primary midline notebook. The size is not much bigger but includes the dotted midline. Sometimes it's harder for kids to have control if the lines are too big. But the midline helps keep things neat. They carry them at Staples.

[GoodCat]

You know what I mean, right? Is there an easy way that is neat and I am just not thinking right? I keep thinking that we either have to write in the lines (bleh...messy), or I have to get my word processor to make a page of lines that won't cover the picture (bleh...takes lots of trial and error). HELP!?

Hi Winni,

If its the pages I think you mean, you can just make a page of lines and then use that one page all the time by putting it under the notebooking page. The lines will show through while they are writing and when they're done you can just put the "lined" page away until you need it again.

Does that make sense?? I actually don't use lines. I just let them do the best they can and they do pretty well :)

Cathy

[Julie in MN]

My son types so it isn't an issue, but...

You can easily run the same piece of paper through the printer twice. One time you copy the page with the picture at the top and the other time you copy the blank page with lines at the bottom.

My son has done that on occasion to print out his typing and then to print the MFW picture at the top of the page.

[dascott]

I found a form on donnayoung.org that can be printed. The top half of the page is blank (great for drawing pictures) and the bottom half has lines. The best part is you can decide how wide you want your lines to be. When you go to the website click on Handwriting at the top and then click on paper, then click on Blank Top Paper and this will take you to the page where you can choose the width of the lines. Hope this helps.

Dedra

[Tracey in ME]

Yeah! I love the Donna Young site. This site at notebookingpages.com has some great free pages, too! http://www.notebookingpages.com/index.p ... -Resources

[MJP]

Miller Pad and Paper has templates that you can draw lines on any paper with.

[dascott]

Another company that you might try is Bare Books. Their website is www.barebooks.com. They have books that have half the page blank and half with lines. They also have line guides that fit over paper so that it is easy to draw lines, and they have guides that fit behind the paper so you can write straight without acutally drawing the lines. They also carry a lot of other neat items.

Dedra

[TriciaMR]

I am wondering when you all switched from a dotted lined first and second grade paper to plain notebook paper. I had expectations of switching my 8 year old to lined notebook paper but in watching her write using that paper I am rethinking that one.

Connie

Connie,

Abeka switches the kids over to Wide lined ruled paper half-way through second grade (cursive)... My dd doesn't always have lowercase letters "half" sized, but I know it takes a lot of practice to get there. I know Abeka gradually makes the lines with the dotted half-lines smaller as the year goes on.

-Trish

[Amy in NC]

My 3rd grade 8yo dd still needs the dotted line in the middle to write legibly. If given notebook paper she uses two lines to make a letter. Each year I just get paper with narrower lines. Miller Pad and Paper carries lined paper up to 4th grade, I believe. I figure, as long as she is gradually writing smaller, she will eventually get to notebook paper. HTH

[Cyndi (AZ)]

I type up the memory verses in a large font for my ds b/c copying out of a Bible is difficult for him. (Tracking issues). My problem is that I realized the font I was using, although close, has some letters that are not a handwriting font. The capital I for instance doesn't have the lines across the top and bottom. I use Microsoft Word. Does anyone happen to know of a font in Microsoft Word that would be closer to a handwriting font? TIA

I use Century Gothic - but it doesn't have the lines on the capital "I" either. It is the closest I could ever find. I wonder if Donna Young has something available? She's got great cursive fonts . . .

eta: Yep - I went and looked at Donna's Young site. She links you over to another site to download a free font called "Print Clearly." I think that's what you're looking for.

[NJCheryl]

How about Bookman Old Style?

[Buttercup78]

I actually downloaded a font online (can't remember where) called Penmanship Print. It has the lines at top and bottom and the dashed line in the middle. I use this for copywork so my kids can see how to place their letters on the lines.

[jasntas]

Does anyone know of a website where I can create handwriting templates with my own text? I want to create a worksheet for my son with his name in dotted font so that he can practice tracing it but I don't want to "purchase" anything. Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

Yes.

http://handwritingworksheets.com/

HTH

[Dusenkids]

http://www.writingwizard.longcountdown. ... maker.html also works.

They also have a collection of what others have made so you may not have to create your own.

[rebeccal2002]

Hi! I have a dd whose brain is far ahead of her hands. We just began MFW 1 today...it went fine (She loved those pattern blocks!). I'm really excited for her to take the next step into reading!

Anyway, handwriting is a difficult thing for her (though I see big improvement from just a month ago before we took a "break" from school to move). What would you recommend for her to use for her handwriting pages? In the past, we have used markers, because they are bold and immediately show what you've done, in a nice thick line. But, that doesn't seem very "official," so I'm wondering if there is anything better. Today, she used a dark green colored pencil, but it's line was so light, we could barely see it. I like the red pencil that is used for the vowel marking, but I'd like to keep it special for that and any marks I make. A pen's line seems so thin and prone to wiggly-ness...sigh...I think I'm being picky!

Any suggestions?

We just use a plain, #2 pencil. You can get fat ones or three sided ones at Walmart or Staples if that would work better for your child. We used the Handwriting Without Tears for a couple of years. You can see it on their website. I've had great success with it (used it for my 3 older children so far.) I'm not sure my son would have been able to do the writing required in MFW 1, had he not had all the HWT practice previously.

Rebecca

[jasntas]

Just a thought. For now, what if she did most of her writing on a small white board with an erasable marker? Do you have to keep samples for reporting to your state? If so, maybe you could occasionally copy the white board, if you have a copy machine. Otherwise, #2 pencil works well as Rebecca suggested. HTH

...I had another thought. (Scary, I know. ) What about a fat ballpoint pen? My only concern is that with a pen, mistakes are not easily corrected which would be a BIG issue in our home. (With the kids, not me. ) Which is the reason a white board works well for us.

[gratitude]

I have always used the big fat yellow pencils for early writing, and then when they are ready they switch to the #2 pencil. I guess your marker idea might have been a long the same idea for thickness. The thicker pencils, or markers, are easier to hold onto for early writers. The pencil does write a thinner line though, which I think of as easier to control.

[alisoncooks]

We use a lot of different things. (DD is in MFWK.)

We have a mini chalkboard (a la HWT) to practice letters.
We use markers when tracing "dot" letters (shows up so much better).
We started using the fat pencils when DD started to complain of hand fatigue (she was using standard #2)...

What about those Papermate red felt tip pens (like teachers grade papers with)? I forget what they're called exactly, but I love them and they come in different colors (and are sized comparable to a standard pencil size). Then you get the benefit of a bold/visible line, but a little more "official"? IDK, just a thought.

[erin.kate]

I really love these pencils for early writers. The lead is soft and the writing comes out dark without having to press hard at all, and they are not enormous so as to alter the correct hand placement. They also have an eraser which is absent in some pencils made for younger grips. I start my kids with these then move to the standard #2 pencils, also by Ticonderoga.

http://millerpadsandpaper.com/My-First- ... 3-4089.htm

Hope this helps a little!

[Yodergoat]

I like those Papermate pens shown above! Got a bunch cheap out of a reduced cart, and use them for everything. My daughter likes them when I let her use them.... she's in K but we do lots of additional writing. They are bold enough to be like a marker but still look "official" to us, because they are between a pen and a marker. More "grown up," you know. And a nice variety of colors.

I don't know much about what's best for grip... sorry. I just know those Papermates make a nice, even and pleasing line.

We do use regular number 2 pencils for her "journal" pages (something we made up, not in curriculum) because she would despair if she messed up her journal and was not able to erase. Much of our other writing is done on dry erase board, and I have her do the few included worksheets that come in K with pencil. But for making charts, labeling things, writing her "words to remember" and such... we use the Papermates pictured or some other similar thin line "mature" looking marker.

[meagabby]

for what it's worth, my son doesn't like the feel of the "ridges" in pencils --even the 3 sided Ticonderoga ones I love.
I bought him a few of the FAT yellow pencils and he used them for a while and told me he could hold the proper grip.
At a school supply store I found a rubber grip that has placement spots for fingers for a regular sized #2 pencil. Now he doesn't complain about the "feel" of the pencil and writes much better.
He's still slow, but doing better.

[purpleheartwife]

As my girls are in the first week of ECC, we are practicing writing two letters/day. I am supposed to write it for them and then they practice. I have no guide to go by, and want to teach them an actual manuscript/cursive style, not just how I write. This is our first year, so I don't really know...

What style does MFW teach? Is there a google image I can print out and keep on the table with us while we are working. I need to have something I can print out for the inside of my 8th grade daughters notebook.

If you want something to print off you may try looking at Donna Young's website- there should be something there:)

If you don't find what you like, what I did was print off some handwriting paper and write the letters myself. I laminated the page, but you could also just put it in a page protector.

[Winkie]

All the levels from ADV on up schedule 3 weeks of handwriting review at the beginning of the year. I imagine there would be lots of online sites where you could print a page of the alphabet in cursive to use as a template. The Cursive Connections book says it is "modern style" cursive.