Handwriting by Beth Moore Goals

Transcription

Handwriting by Beth Moore Goals
What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
Handwriting
by
Beth Moore
Reading in the Rockies
Beaver Creek, Colorado
October 15 & 16, 2010
October 2010
Goals
• Importance of Writing
• Current Literacy Crisis
• History of Written Language
• Pioneers in Remediation
• Neurology of Writing
• Kinesthetic Memory
• Developmental Stages of Writing
• Handwriting Issues
• Effective Handwriting Instruction
• Fine Motor Training
The Importance of Writing
Means of self expression
Expression of individual uniqueness
Powerful kinesthetic reinforcement for reading
and spelling
Signatures/applications require writing
Computers not always available
Legibility improves grades and spelling
Note taking required in middle and high school
SAT II requires writing
Means of Self
Expression
Elizabeth Moore
Means of Self
Expression
Legibility
Improves
Grades and
Spelling
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
Literary Crisis
38%
of fourth graders below grade level
75%
of drop-outs have reading problems
October 2010
Picture Writing
Events began to be recorded in pictures.
50%
of drug abuse students have reading
problems
60%of
20%
inmates are illiterate
of adults are functionally illiterate
75%
of unemployed adults have reading and
writing difficulties
Pictures Stand for Words
Ideograms
Pictures began to stand for words as in Egyptian
Hieroglyphics. These were called pictographs.
Pictographs were replaced by ideograms.
These were simplified pictures for words as
in the Chinese language.
Symbols Represent Sounds
Back to the Ideogram
About 1000 BC languages developed
symbols for their sounds
Elizabeth Moore
The second event removed the sound
symbol representation of words, teaching
whole language or sight recognition of
words- the ideogram again.
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
Sounds Not Connected to Symbols
There
is a large gap between the concrete
sound and the abstract symbol.
In
the 1800’s and early 1900’s penmanship
was taught with an emphasis on correct
form and posture.
Since
1940 there has been no intense,
direct teaching of handwriting.
October 2010
The Current State of Handwriting
Little
direct instruction
Little
supervised writing
Teachers
untrained
Awkward
grip positions
Cramped,
Cursive
illegible writing
taught but never established
Reading
and writing instruction separated
from each other
Dr. Samuel Orton
1879-1948
Anna Gillingham
1878-1964
Achievements:
Psychiatrist
Neurologist
Pathologist
Professor
Researcher
Author
Reading
Disability
Specialist
Achievements:
• Educator
• Teacher Trainer
• Collaborated
with Dr. Orton
• Developed a
remedial
program for
dyslexic students
The Neurology of Writing
Helene Durbrow
Achievements:
• Trained with Anna
Gillingham
• Began reading progams
for dyslexic students
• Ran a summer camp in
Vermont
• Specialist in handwriting
• Author
Understanding the Brain
• Hemispheres
• Lobes
• Motor Cortex
• Language
centers
• Cerebellum
Elizabeth Moore
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
The Cerebellum
The
cerebellum
coordinates and
times all movement,
controls muscles,
establishes balance,
posture, and
equilibrium.
October 2010
How is Memory Formed
Neurons
wire together
Memory
is stored as a web
Kinds
of memory
episodic- events in life
semantic- knowledge
instinctive-impression
procedural-movement
working-short term
Dr. Orton’s Conclusions
Pathology studies showed language areas
damaged in stroke patients affecting their
reading, writing and spelling.
Students with language difficulties also
must have neurological issues in these areas.
Memory for letter name, sound, and motor pattern
is stored as an unconnected
web in these children.
The educational solution is to rewire the brain by
connecting the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
channels together.
Emergent-Scribbling
Elizabeth Moore
The Developmental Stages of Writing
Exploration-holding
objects; crayons in
mouth
Emergent-scribbling,
making pictures
Middle
emergent-random letters and
numerals incorporated
End
of emergent-letters written for sounds
heard
Writing
becomes language
Middle Emergent Phase
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
Letters Written for Sounds Heard
Handwriting Issues
Connected
to injury or accident
Poor
fine motor skills
Lack
of dominance
Connected
to reading and writing difficultiesslow rate of speed, too many erasures-poor
grip, fatigued hand, reversals, inconsistent
spacing
Not
fluent or automatic
Motor-visual
much pressure
Reversals
Elizabeth Moore
Letters Written
for Sounds
Heard
Connected to Reading and Spelling
Difficulties
Letters
omitted or
doubled
Inconsistent
slant
Letters poorly
connected
apraxia/dysgraphia
Connected to Reading and Spelling
Problems
Too
October 2010
Connected to Reading and Spelling
Problems
Reversals
Erasures
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
Connected to Reading and Spelling
Problems
October 2010
Connected to Reading and Writing
Problems
• Reversals
• Inversions
• Fine motor
issues
• Incomplete
motor patterns
• Spatial problems
• Inconsistent
size
• Spacing
problems
• Tall and small
letters the
same size
• Multiple restarts
Variations in Visual Motor Ability
• Both 6 years old
• Both with
reading, writing,
and spelling
problems
Principles of Effective Handwriting
Instruction
Prepare
the motor system with large muscle
movements.
Left-right back and forth swing motion
• One boy, one
girl
The
Snowman
Elizabeth Moore
The Owl
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
Railroad Tracks
October 2010
Variation of Railroad Tracks
• Trace over and back with a one-two-one-two
rhythm
• Trace down and up with a one-two-one-two
rhythm
Christmas
Tree
Left to Right Scribbles
Elizabeth Moore
The
Tornado
Name Tracing
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
A Name Writing Journey
October 2010
Preparing the Fine Motor System
Practice
push-pull movements with the
fingers, looking at the hand and not looking
at it.
Give
direct, detailed instruction, drill, and
practice using the fingers in the correct
grip position.
Practice
push-pull movements coloring
small circles, squares, triangles, and
rainbows using this correct grip.
Approach Strokes
Swing-ups
are the easiest motorically.
Practice these with large motor movements
first, then add the fine motor using the
fingers.
Say “one two three four, take a break.”
Roller Coasters
Roller
coasters follow the same cadence,
“One two three four, take a break.”
Loops should all the the same size and
spacing.
Ocean Waves
Hills and Valleys
Hills
and Valleys are slightly more difficult
because the hand for large motor and the
fingers for fine motor have to move up, over,
down, and across.
Elizabeth Moore
Ocean
waves are the most difficult
movement.
These require the muscles to move over and
back in addition to up and down and over.
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
October 2010
Swing-up Letters
Practicing the Approach Strokes
Teach
cursive letters by approach strokes,
from the easiest motor movement to the
most difficult.
Swing-ups are
the easiest.
Words can even
be made with
just the first four
letters.
Hills and Valley Letters
Roller Coaster Letters
“e”
is a single loop.
“l”
is taught next with
attention paid to its
good posture.
All
the other roller
coaster letters are
made from the “l”
shape.
Ocean Waves
Hills
and valleys
start with an up and
over movement.
Avoid teaching
“m” and “n” at the
same time.
Building Linkages Between the Name,
Key Word, and Sound of the Letter
Ocean
wave letters
should be delayed
until the other
movements are
solid.
Swing
over and turn
back between one
and two o’clock.
Elizabeth Moore
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
Suggestions for Teaching Letters
one letter at a time
sure each letter is connected to its
name, key word, and sound
Connect letters to words immediately
regardless of age or ability because writing
must have meaning
Work from large muscle movements to fine
motor ones
Delay capitals until all lower case letters are
automatic
October 2010
Suggestions for Teaching Letters
Master
Make
Suggestions for Teaching Letters
Give special
attention
to finish
later letters
Give
special
attention to
bridge letters
Suggestions for Teaching Letters
Use
eyes averted technique- results in
automatic, quick, accurate letter writing
Practice
and drill letter motor patterns
without looking at them, connecting the
name and sound to the motion
Later
practice writing words and sentences
without looking at the hand
Anna
Gillingham, “No act is really learned
as long as it requires visual supervision.”
Watch Our Writing
Known
The
as the W.O.W position
feet need to be flat on the floor
The
back should be straight and slightly
angled forward
Fingers
should grip the pencil correctly
The
paper needs to slant-left for right
handers and right for left handers
The
helping hand anchors the paper
Elizabeth Moore
Grip Issues
Most
writing problems originate here
Students
teach themselves how to hold a
pencil, usually exerting too much pressure
Not
enough frequent, sustained, supervision
of the grip
Tension,
Poor
The
fatigue, erasures, frustration result
fine motor skills
thumb doesn’t function as it should
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
October 2010
Slant
Poor Grip Examples
Slant personalizes writing
Right slant, up and down, left slant are all
desireable
Right handed students usually slant to the right,
but can do the others as well
Left handed students tend to slant back or up
and down
Determining natural slant can be done with eyes
averted
Inconsistent slant is often a symptom of non
fluent writing
Pictures from the Pencil Grip Company
Los Angeles, California
General Suggestions
Advantages of Cursive
Use writing to simultaneously reinforce specific
reading and spelling skills
All letters start on the line
Remain vigilant that letters are made correctly
Continue to practice approach stroke exercises
Include writing in all lessons
Write the alphabet daily
Put a line through mistakes instead of erasing
Skip lines for clearer writing
Give near and far point copying opportunities
Advantages of Cursive
Advantages of Cursive
Words are easily seen as
connected groups of letters
Letters flow more easily from left to right
Elizabeth Moore
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What is So Important About Teaching
Handwriting? Everything!
Advantages of Cursive
What is it? “p” or “d” or “q?”
Fine Motor Training
Problems students present:
1. Some hands loose and floppy
2. Spaghetti fingers
3. Hands lack strength
4. Hands tense and tight
5. Lack of coordination-dropping items
6. Finger motions avoided in favor of
whole hand
7. Lack of established dominance
Summary Ideas
Handwriting
is intimately tied to reading
and spelling in the brain
Handwriting
reinforces reading and selling
and should be taught simultaneously with it
Handwriting
must be directly taught,
practiced, and supervised until it is
automatic and writing can be done without
the supervision of the eyes
Elizabeth Moore
October 2010
Advantages of Cursive
Reversals are not as easily made because
the motor patterns are more distinct
Fine Motor Training
Understanding hand function
1. Hand has skill side that needs to be
developed
2. Space between the thumb and first
finger needs openness and space
3. Fingers need to operate individually
4. Palm needs to hold an arch with
strength
5. Fingers and thumb need to work
together
Summary Ideas
Handwriting
vigilance must be practiced
to reinforce proper paper position,
posture, and grip
Handwriting
expectations should be
consistent from grade to grade
Handwriting
fine motor issues should be
addressed where needed
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