Handwriting Without Tears review

The handwriting curriculum that K12 uses (well, that UTVA uses through K12) is called Handwriting Without Tears. I had read a little about this program when I was researching different methods of homeschooling, but really hadn't seen it or used it first-hand until Harrison started UTVA.

Well, I am IMPRESSED. I thought it just looked like another, albeit unique, handwriting method. It is so much better! Harrison's handwriting was awful. He hates writing, and pretty much anything to do with English (except for reading, he loves to read).

Still, while I had worked with him on improving his penmanship, and it was getting a little bit better, this method has brought sudden changes. He's already forming his letters better. His writing looks so much better than it previously did. When I tell him "best handwriting" it actually looks improved!

So, what is actually different? Well, compared to the other methods I have looked at and tried, and compared to the one that Harrison was taught with at the local school, a big difference is in the paper that is used.

Most methods use the typical traditional manuscript paper that has two solid lines and a dotted middle line. This is supposed to help the student know where to place all the letters. This never really worked so well with Harrison.

The Handwriting Without Tears method uses different paper. It looks like this:




This for some reason helps your student know where exactly the letter should go, and how big the circle on the a, o, etc... should really be. From what I can tell after only using it one week with Harrison, it really does help!

I also like the way they describe how to form the letters. I, in turn, describe it that way to Harrison, and we are correcting bad habits that he has always struggled with in writing. Drawing his o's backwards (which you wouldn't think would be a big deal, but really is when you want uniform writing), starting up and going down when you write l's, h's, etc...

The teacher's manual is great for helping you, as the parent, know how to help your child do this correctly. I even started using it with Hazel when we worked on her valentine's and it was helping her too! I am very tempted to get the kindergarten manual so I can work with her on handwriting at home after she gets home from school.

It even talks about some of the incorrect ways that kids hold their pencils, the unique problems that left-handed students may encounter, and other things, that before I didn't notice, but now I am able to help both my kids with.

Here is an example of one of the pages in the book.


So, personally, I think this method is AMAZING and give it 5 big huge shiny stars!