Jan Z. Olsen, OTR Company Founder & Creator of Handwriting Without Tears and Learning Without Tears
Welcome to Handwriting Without Tears 2025. Our program was created by an Occupational Therapist, Jan Olsen, when her son started coming home in first grade crying because of his struggles with handwriting. As an OT, Jan was trained to find solutions to help people struggling with daily activities. She turned her focus to handwriting and started developing strategies to facilitate students’ success while producing amazing results.
Now the science of reading has caught up with what we’ve always known, handwriting is foundational to reading. Writing words aids in orthographic mapping and solidifying the words in students’ memories. Handwriting makes reading easier when letter formation becomes an automatic skill.
We’ve developed Handwriting Without Tears 2025 embracing the science of reading and handwriting to offer a dedicated, dynamic solution that is both intuitive and customizable to classroom needs. Designed for maximum flexibility, the program was intentionally built on the explicit teaching strategies that align with what we know about how students best learn handwriting. It’s simple to understand and put into practice.
We are now a company of teachers, literacy specialists, therapists, and digital experts from all over the world. We create mainstream solutions that work across curricula and integrate with today’s classrooms. Our approach is all about joyful learning.
Handwriting Without Tears 2025 embraces the science of reading and handwriting to offer a dedicated, dynamic solution that is both intuitive and customizable to classroom needs.
Why Teach Handwriting?
When students succeed, everyone succeeds. Handwriting is a fundamental skill that children need to participate in school and to succeed in life. In fact, school districts across the country increasingly recognize the value of handwriting instruction as a pillar in reading development.
Handwriting is a core foundational skill that helps children to develop strong letter recognition and letter-sound knowledge for reading and spelling. Writing helps young students make the connection between the way a letter looks and the way a letter sounds. Writing words and sentences helps develop the orthographic memory needed for word recognition and recall.
Handwriting goes beyond reading development; It is the primary method of communication for students and the lens through which teachers evaluate their work. Students spend up to 60% of their academic day engaged in work requiring legible handwriting*. A student’s academic progress is tethered to their ability to convey their thoughts in writing, fluently and legibly.
Developing automaticity with handwriting, forming the letters and placing them on paper without having to think about how to do it, allows students to focus on the quality of their content and creative expression instead of spending time struggling with the mechanics of handwriting. For students who have a strong foundation in handwriting, success is always within reach, even as they move beyond the classroom.
A student’s academic progress is tethered to their ability to convey their thoughts in writing, fluently and legibly.
So, what’s the key to mastering handwriting? An explicit, dedicated, developmentally appropriate handwriting curriculum that helps students develop the motor and cognitive skills that help them succeed in school and in life. It’s about finding the balance between the muscles, the mind, and the mechanics, creating a harmonious symphony that results in legible, confident handwriting. *For
A Dedicated Solution
What makes us the right choice for Administrators, Educators, and Parents?
Through 40 years of experience, we have evolved handwriting to meet educator needs and to always provide the best handwriting program available. OTs developed the program and teachers informed and enhanced it.
We have a profound understanding of what truly works in developing foundational skills in a dedicated handwriting program. Schools and school districts and their educators choose Handwriting Without Tears because they know it works.
Driven by Science, OTs, and Teachers
We’ve invested time and resources to understand handwriting’s role in successful reading and the research to understand what children most need to develop this foundational skill. In staying current, we develop timely, unique, and effective teaching materials. Our approach seamlessly integrates handwriting instruction with phonics.
Result:
The curriculum is inspiring for teachers and delivers excellent results for students.
Easily Integrates with Literacy Curricula
Lessons include differentiation, support with the language used for ELLs, articulation videos, and gradeappropriate ELA enhancements for developing reading and writing skills.
Result:
Children progress quickly and are more proficient with applied writing across all subjects.
Multisensory Activities Develop Motor Skills
Our program incorporates hands-on materials and multisensory activities that help students develop fine and gross motor skills for handwriting. Each lesson includes a unique activity that is relevant to the particular lesson.
Result:
Children not only build motor skills essential in achieving handwriting fluency but also find themselves more engaged in handwriting lessons.
Intuitive and Customizable
The Interactive Digital Teaching Tool makes it simple for teachers to launch lessons without prep time. Teachers use the expanded explicit language for teaching, found both in the digital and print Teacher’s Guides. Adapt the lesson sequence or components to suit your classroom needs.
Result:
Educators are confident in delivering effective lessons and students thrive using the program.
Timely Educator Support
A rich array of Professional Learning Options are available to all users. One example is just-in-time microlearning, embedded in the Interactive Digital Teaching Tool to provide just the right bit of support when and where it’s needed.
Result:
Educators with various experience levels build their knowledge, competencies, and mindsets to help more children by empowering efficient teaching and effective student learning.
Student Editions
Handwriting Without Tears 2025 student editions are meticulously crafted with the understanding that learning to write can be a demanding cognitive task for young students.
Printing Book
Design
Each page is thoughtfully designed to minimize cognitive load, offering clear instructions and purposeful design that accompany students on their journey through the writing process.
Result:
Students develop strong handwriting and foundational reading skills.
Friendly Language supported by Illustrations
Our friendly, easy-to-remember language and illustrations are intentionally simple, using words that resonate with what children already know and understand.
Result:
Children enjoy memorable and exciting lessons with instructions they can all clearly understand, regardless of background.
Size and Placement of Letters on Lines
We start by teaching children about size and how letters fit together. Then we place them on lines. Double lines serve as a pivotal element in our approach, aiding children in placing letters correctly and effectively. We transition to teaching children how to place letters on other styles of paper they use in real life - four lines, single lines, and no lines.
Result:
Double lines make it easy for children to learn and students using Handwriting Without Tears can place letters on all styles of lines and paper.
Transitional Kindergarten Program
The Handwriting Without Tears transitional kindergarten program incorporates multisensory activities and materials to develop little hands. The program uses fun and interactive lessons to teach letter and number formation skills.
Large step-by-step letter formation models are easy to teach and finger trace.
Child-friendly language makes letter and number formation easy.
Gray Blocks and Slates prevent reversals of letters and numbers.
Developmental progression from finger tracing to pencil tracing, to writing with a starting dot.
There is always a visible perfect model for the child to copy, to the left and right or top and bottom. We never ask a child to copy his or her own work or to copy something a lefty can’t see.
Illustrations are child-friendly, and fun to color.
Mat Man® teaches important readiness skills: body awareness, sequencing, sharing, drawing,
Flip Crayons® promote proper grip and develop fine motor skills as children flip to change colors.
Wood Pieces Set for Capital Letters teach size, shape, and position concepts and building capitals.
Explicit Instruction [[]]
The letter lessons follow these steps:
1. Teach and Model
Introduce the letter, where it starts, and say the words for the steps while you demonstrate.
2. Guided Practice
Children say the words and finger trace the steps. Then they copy the letter.
3. Check Letter
Children check their letter for the correct start and steps.
Reading Connection]]
Activities have a foundational reading focus: phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts
Kick Start Kindergarten
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION
1. Teach and Model Children “Frog Jump” by lifting their pencil, not retracing the stoke. Make the Frog Jump fun by saying, “ribbit!”
Capital F: F is a Frog Jump Capital. Start: F starts in the Starting Corner. Steps: Big Line down, Frog Jump, Little Line across the top, Little Line across the middle.
2. Guided Practice
Children finger trace step-by-step models on the page while saying the words. Children trace F, and then copy F
3. Check Letter
Monitor as children trace and copy letters for correct start and steps.
4. Read, Color, and Draw Write FISH on the board. Read the word. Point to the letter F and say: This is capital F. Children can color the fish.
READING CONNECTION
Phonological Awareness
Use the word fish in a spoken sentence, such as “A fish has fins.” Guide children to tap out each word as they say the sentence after you.
OBJECTIVE
To develop correct habits for writing capital F
MULTISENSORY WARM-UP
Building Capital Letters and Numbers
Build capital F piece by piece using Wood Pieces on the Mat. Go to p. 147 for the full activity.
TEACH IT Use Resources
Introduce the names of all four Wood Pieces used for building capital letters. Go to p. 144 for the full activity.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
Crouch down and jump forward, like a frog. Say: jump. Have children repeat the action and the word. Invite children to finger trace the F again while saying the steps, including jump
Digital Teaching Engage children with tools on idtt.lwtears.com including:
• A Click Away supports
• Animations
• Songs and lyrics
WRITING CONNECTION
Build Sentences
Help children build sentences about fish by asking questions and writing their answers on the board.
Ask: How does a fish move? Write: A fish swims. Say each word as you write. Model adding a space between each.
Letter Lesson Heading
Letters are shown prominently in the top corner.
Multisensory Warm-up
Lessons include a recommended multi-sensory activity.
Multilingual Learners
Extra language support to help learners understand the language in the lesson.
Digital Teaching] Engaging digital activities for teaching and extras for school and home.
Writing Connection] Practice handwriting along with writing conventions, sentence structure, grammar and types of writing.
rocking songs use coordination and rhythm to develop self-esteem and body awareness.
Letters to Words Blackboard Set helps children learn the sounds that letters and letter combinations make while practicing writing on double lines.
Capital Letter Cards for Wood Pieces are great for children learning to build letters. Rock, Rap, Tap & Learn album: 25 upbeat and
Transitional Kindergarten Program
Sample Pages
Aim and Scribble and Help Me Write My Name
Using Aim and Scribble, teach pencil grip and control for writing as students aim at the paper and do the scribbling activity.
In Help Me Write My Name, the teacher models the student’s name in capitals and adds starting dots for the student to copy. Students feel immediate success once they can write their names.
Letter O student page
Teach the correct habits for writing and placing lowercase o on lines as children trace and copy o’s between perfect models. See LWTears.com/HWTnewfor25
Kick Start Kindergarten
Number 2 student page
Teach the correct habit for writing 2 without reversals by starting with the frame of the slate and gray block.
Cc,Oo,Sc review page
Practice the letters already taught and teach children that sentences begin with a capital, have space between words, and end with a period.
Hands-on and Multisensory Teaching
Handwriting Without Tears is unique in our use of hands-on materials and activities to build motor skills and match students with the right manipulative or activity for the lesson being taught.
Teaching With Music
Music speaks to children and sparks learning. Our 25-song Rock Rap Tap and Learn album has children singing, chanting, dancing, and rapping their way through lessons.
Building Capital Letters
Children start with Wood Pieces on the Letters Cards and learn the placement and sequencing of the parts for building capitals before they transition to independent formation on the blue mat.
Wet- Dry-Try on the Slate
Write reversal-free capitals and numbers using this memorable activity on the Slate Chalkboard.
Letters to Words Blackboard Set
Fun hands-on literacy learning helps children build alphabet knowledge and grow as readers and hand writers and they practice foundational skills.
Interactive Digital Teaching Tool
Our digital solution has all you need for easy lesson delivery with little planning and engaging teaching.
• Digital versions of the student edition and teacher’s guide
• Choose a digital application to teach – Wet-Dry-Try, letter and number formations, songs, articulation videos, teacher videos, or animations
• Select a dedicated developmental teaching order or adapt to your own
• Just in time micro-learning applicable to the lesson
• Assign student lessons
Kindergarten Program
The Handwriting Without Tears Kindergarten program engages students with physical and digital activities to support handwriting and foundational reading skills. We use music, movement, and simple, explicit teaching for letters, numbers, words, and sentences.
Step-by-step letter formations are easy to teach.
Gray Blocks and Slates prevent reversals of capitals and numbers.
Illustrations are child-friendly, and fun to color.
Student self-check helps students check their letters.
Developmental progression from heavier to lighter
and from writing with a
Teach and Model
Explicit Instruction [[]]
The letter lessons follow these steps:
1. Teach and Model
Introduce the letter, where it starts, and say the steps while you demonstrate.
Capital D: D is a Frog Jump Capital.
Start: D starts in the Starting Corner.
2. Guided Practice
Letters and Numbers for Me
B, R
1. Teach and Model
Capital : is a Frog Jump Capital.
Start: starts in the Starting Corner.
OBJECTIVE
To develop correct habits for writing capitals and R
MULTISENSORY WARM-UP
Mystery Letters
Use the Slate Chalkboard for the Mystery Letter Game for the letters F, E, D, P, , and R. Go to p. 150 for the full activity.
DIFFERENTIATION
Enrichment
Use the Gray Block Paper to practice writing the letters F, E
, R. Write the letter model across the top and have children copy below.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
Letter Lesson Heading
Letters shown prominently in the top corner make it easy to find letters.
Multisensory Warm-up
Lessons include a recommended multi-sensory activity to reinforce the skills being taught.
Multilingual Learners
Steps: Big Line down, Frog Jump, Big Curve to the bottom.
Capital P: P is a Frog Jump Capital.
Start: P starts in the Starting Corner.
Steps: Big Line down, Frog Jump, Little Curve to the middle.
Guided Practice
Children say the words and finger trace the steps. Then they copy.
Children finger trace step-by-step models on the page while saying the words. Children copy D and P
3. Check Letter
Check Letter
Steps: Big Line down, Frog Jump, Little Curve to the middle, Little Curve to the bottom.
Capital R: R is a Frog Jump Capital.
Start: R starts in the Starting Corner.
Steps: Big Line down, Frog Jump, Little Curve to the middle, Little Line slides down.
2. Guided Practice
Children finger trace step-by-step models on the page while saying the words. Children copy and R
Point to the bottom of a Slate Chalkboard, drawing an invisible horizontal line to show the bottom. Say bottom and have children repeat. Have children point to the bottom of a gray block and say bottom
Digital Teaching
Extra language support to help learners understand the language in the lesson.
Digital Teaching]
pot, pen,
Children check their letter for correct start and steps.
Help children their letter for correct start and steps.
3. Check Letter
Help children their letter for correct start and steps.
READING CONNECTION
Phonological Awareness
Reading Connection]]
Activities with a foundational reading focus: phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts.
Ask children which word pairs rhyme: hug/rug, frog/bike, sock/lock, whale/hole. Children can respond with a thumbs up or down.
Engage children with tools on idtt.lwtears.com including:
• Animations
• Formation Tools
• Live Teaching Videos
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING
Science
Explain that bananas grow in warm places. Ask children if they have ever been to a place where bananas grow. Then, ask if they think bananas grow on trees or underground. (on trees)
Engaging digital activities for teaching and extras for school and home.
Knowledge Building]
Fun ways to provide general knowledge in other curricular areas: science, social studies, art. Interactive Digital Teaching Tool brings your classroom to life with easy to launch lessons that require little teacher prep.
Writing Journal – 80-page journal with double lines for reading response or writing practice provides a record of the student’s work. Building Writers – provides supplemental writing practice for core writing skills focused on narrative, information, and opinion/argument writing.
Kindergarten Program
p letter teaching page
Step-by-step language and formation of p with a model that is big enough to finger trace followed by practice with perfect models and starting dots to facilitate copying to the left and to the right.
Words for Me page
Practice writing words and sentences emphasizing recently taught letters p and j using different line styles children see in school.
Number 4 student page
Practice writing the numbers 1-4 with the correct formation in gray blocks without reversals.
Question and Answer: Toes
Practice writing questions and completing answers on double lines and checking sentences for capitalization, word spacing, and punctuation.
Printing Program: First Grade
Child-friendly language makes letter and number formation easy.
Large step-by-step models are easy to teach and finger trace.
Support for lefties makes direction easy to teach for everyone.
The Handwriting Without Tears 1st Grade program prepares students for writing with an emphasis on hands-on teaching strategies and developing foundational reading and writing skills. Lessons are designed using grade appropriate phonics and vocabulary words. Letters to Words Blackboard Set helps children learn the sounds that letters and letter combinations make while practicing writing on double lines.
Learn and Check helps students check their letter, word, and sentence skills.
Illustrations are child-friendly, and fun to color.
Developmental progression from starting dots with models on both sides to writing independently.
Multisensory Warm-up
Lessons include a recommended multi-sensory activity.
Teach It
Letter Stories help make letter formations memorable.
Multilingual Learners
Extra language support to help learners understand the language in the lesson.
Letter Lesson Heading
Letters are shown prominently in the top corner.
OBJECTIVE
• To use correct habits for writing lowercase t
MULTISENSORY WARM-UP
Air Writing
Have children trace the letter t in the air. Go to p. 12 for the full activity.
TEACH IT
Letter Story
Tell the story “T Is Tall, t Is Tall But…”
Look at me. I can make capital
T. Look at me. I can make lowercase t. Capital T is tall. Lowercase t is tall, but it’s crossed lower. Capital T and lowercase t are both tall.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
To help with letter size, remind children what tall means. Have children stand on their tip toes and reach up to act out feeling tall. Invite them to talk about how much taller they’ve grown in the past year.
1. Teach and Model Size: Lowercase t is a tall letter. Start: t starts in the top space. Steps: Down, bump, cross.
2. Guided Practice
Children finger trace and say the step-by-step models. Children then use their pencils to copy each t
3. Check Letter
Help children their letter for correct start, steps, and bump.
4. Read, Color, and Draw
Articulation Video Show the t video. Remind children that t stands for /t/. Read aloud: T is for trumpet, and invite children to draw other instruments that begin with /t/ such as tuba, tambourine
Reading Connection]]
Activities with a foundational reading focus: phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts.
READING CONNECTION
Phonemic Awareness Say each word sound by sound. Prompt children to repeat the sounds, saying them faster and faster as they slide a hand down their other arm, until they say the whole word: /t/ // /p/ (tap), /t/ /oo/ /l/ (tool), /t/ /r/ /ē/ (tree), /t/ // /n/ /t/ (
Writing Journal – 80-page journal with double lines for reading response or writing practice as a record of the child’s work.
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING
Science: How Things Work Invite children to observe how sound is connected to vibration by plucking a rubber band around an empty tissue box. Explain that a trumpet uses vibration to make sound. When we put our lips on the mouthpiece and buzz, air vibrates down the metal
Building Writers – supplemental writing practice for core writing skills focused on narrative, information, and opinion/ argument writing.
Explicit Instruction [[]]
The letter lessons follow these steps:
1. Teach and Model
Introduce the letter, where it starts, and say the steps while you demonstrate.
2. Guided Practice
Children say the words and finger trace the steps. Then they copy the model.
1. Teach and Review Model how to write T t. Write to, cot, cost, and two as you read the words. Demonstrate adding rimes to the and n, writing in the words hot and not, followed by adding write mat Last, have children think about what missing under toss
2. Guided Practice Children copy words. Monitor as children complete words rimes to onsets or other missing letters.
3. Check Letter
3. Check Words
Help children their words for correct start, steps, and
4. Read Together
Say: Let’s read the words on the second row together: two. Now, let’s read words with ot pattern. pot, dot, hot, Repeat with post and most toss and toe
Children check their letter for correct start and steps.
Knowledge Building]
Fun ways to provide general knowledge in other curricular areas: science, social studies, art.
Double Line Notebook Paper reinforces and promotes the proper placement and size of letters.
on
Printing Program: First Grade
Sample Pages
T and t
Practice writing lowercase t and build fluency by adding rimes to onsets. Students selfcheck grade-appropriate phonics words.
Review and Write on Lines
Progress monitoring throughout the book to review previously learned letters and practice writing letters and words on all types of lines.
Question and Answer Bike/Car Build writing fluency while asking and answering questions correctly on triple lines.
Number 7 and 8 page Writing 7 and 8 with the correct formation on slates, in gray blocks, and on single lines without reversals. Children learn to count and the word for the number.
Printing Program: Second Grade
The Handwriting Without Tears 2nd Grade printing program develops print fluency with grade level appropriate language arts activities and phonics words.
Illustrations are child-friendly, and fun to color.
Large step-by-step models are easy to teach and finger trace.
Child-friendly language makes letter and number formation easy.
Developmental progression from starting dots with models on both sides to writing independently.
Learn and Check for students to check letter, word, and sentence skills.
Word choice expands vocabulary and aligns with phonological developmental progression.
Print Alphabet Desk Strips– adhesive strip and visual clue for letter formation
Writing Journal – 80-page journal with double lines for reading response or writing practice as a record of the child’s work.
Blackboard with Double Lines teaches letter formation and placement on lines.
Multisensory
Warm-up
Lessons include a recommended multi-sensory activity that enhances the lesson.
Differentiation
Remediation activities to reinforce stroke sequence.
Multilingual Learners
Extra language support to help learners understand the language in the lesson.
Letter Lesson Heading
Letters are shown prominently in the top corner.
A a Words
OBJECTIVES
• To practice writing lowercase a with correct habits in words
• To build fluency by writing words and sentences
MULTISENSORY WARM-UP
Forming Letters with Letters to Words Blackboard Set
Use the magnetic letters and hands to explore lowercase letter size and placement for a on the magnetic board.
DIFFERENTIATION
Remediation
Reinforce the Magic c stroke by air writing the letter a
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
Spanish Note: Draw a simple picture of a boat, and ask Spanish-speaking children what the word for boat is in Spanish (bote). Write both words on the board. Invite volunteers to the board to circle the b in both words.
Reading Connection]]
Activities with a foundational reading focus: phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts.
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION
1. Teach and Model Magic c Letters begin with the c stroke. Focus on turning c magically into a, d, g, and o. Have fun!
Demonstrate writing A a and adding rimes to onsets on double lines.
Size: Lowercase a is a small letter.
Start: a starts on the mid line.
Steps: Magic c, up like a helicopter, bump, back down, bump.
2. Guided Practice
Monitor as children copy letters and add rimes to onsets.
3. Check Letter and Word
Help children their letters for correct start, steps, and bump, and their word for correct letter size, placement, and closeness.
4. Read and Discuss
Read the words on the page togehter. Invite students to share which words have the short sound a in them.
READING CONNECTION
Phonemic Awareness
Have students follow the prompts to create word chains. Say: Start with toast. Change /t/ to /k/. What’s the word? (coast) Now, say coast without the /s/. (coat) Last, leave off the /k/and add /th//r/ instead. (throat)
argument writing
WRITING CONNECTION
Punctuation Marks
Explain that sentences that
Explicit Instruction [[]]
The lessons follow these steps:
1. Teach and Model
Introduce the letter, where it starts, and say the steps while you demonstrate.
2. Guided Practice
Children say the words and finger trace the steps. Then they copy.
3. Check Letter and Word
Children check their letter and word for start, step, and bump as well as placement and spacing.
Knowledge Building]
Fun ways to provide general knowledge in other curricular areas: science, social studies, art.
Line Notebook Paper reinforces
Printing Program: Second Grade
Sample Pages
Starting Corner Capitals
Q and q
Practice writing capitals and their lowercase partner followed by sentences using both letters. Check your best work with the final letters and sentences.
Starting Corner Capitals
Practice writing starting corner capitals group on gray blocks, on triple lines, and on single lines.
This is a great assessment to understand where students are on capiltals.
Quiet! The fox might hear you.
My fuzzy quilt is extra soft!
Zain expects to finish the quiz.
Words: Irregular Nouns and Verbs
Match the singular to the plural using irregular nouns and the present to the past tense on irregular verbs while practicing formation, size, placement, and spacing of letters in words.
Line practice
Progress monitoring is incorproated throughout throughout the book to review previously learned letters and practice writing sentences on all types of lines.
Cursive Program: Second Grade
The Handwriting Without Tears Cursive program in 2nd grade teaches a clean, vertical style of cursive that is easy to learn, easy to read, and easy to write. Word choices in the handwriting lessons align with 2nd grade phonics and reading concepts.
Child-friendly language makes letter and number formation easy.
Large step-by-step models are easy to finger trace.
Copy the models.
Developmental progression from starting dots with models on both sides to writing independently.
Always a perfect model to copy— left and right or top and bottom.
Illustrations support the teaching language.
Learn and Check for students to check letter, word, and sentence skills.
of words and sentences.
Cursive Alphabet Desk Strips– adhesive strip and visual clue for letter formation
Blackboard with Double Lines teaches letter formation and placement on lines.
Multisensory
Warm-up
Lessons include a recommended multi-sensory activity.
Differentiation
Remediation activities to reinforce stroke sequence.
Multilingual Learners
Extra language support to help learners understand the language in the lesson.
Letter Lesson Heading
Letters are shown prominently in the top corner.
hOBJECTIVES
• To develop habits for writing and placing lowercase h
• To connect h to other letters
MULTISENSORY WARM-UP
Air Writing
Practice h with active movement. Use an Air Writing activity such as Voices or Laser Letters. Go to p. 145 for the full activity.
DIFFERENTIATION
Remediation
Use the Cursive Warm-Ups from A Click Away to practice the up and straight down strokes when making h
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
Portuguese Note: The letter h is silent at the beginning of words in Portuguese. Write and say words that begin with h—such as hop—having students repeat.
Cursive Kickoff
Reading Connection]]
Activities with a foundational reading focus: phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts.
WRITING CONNECTION
Narrative Writing
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION
1. Teach and Model
Demonstrate h and connections with h
Start: Lowercase h starts on the base line.
2. Guided Practice
Steps: Travel, up like a helicopter, back down, bump, climb back up and over, and down, bump, travel away.
Students finger trace the step-by-step models while saying the words. Students copy the letters and connections.
3. Check Letters and Steps
Help students their letters for correct start, steps, and bump and their connecting letters steps for correct size, placement, and connections.
4. Read and Discuss
Have students turn to a partner and think of three words that start with h, which stands for the /h/ sound, like in helicopter. Write: Hayden has a huge helicopter. Read the sentence together.
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING
Science: How Things Work
Construct a story with children, building off: Hayden has a huge helicopter. Add: He traveled to the ocean in his helicopter. Invite students to come up with sentences that tell what Hayden did at the ocean and to write an ending, such as He had a great day! Review the beginning, middle, and end.
Share a few facts about helicopters: Helicopters are smaller than planes and need less space to take off and land. They can go straight up in the air and hover. They have propellers that spin, and they are slower than planes. Ask: When would a helicopter be useful? Pairs can discuss.
Explicit Instruction [[]]
The letter lessons follow these steps:
1. Teach and Model
Introduce the letter, where it starts, and say the steps while you demonstrate.
2. Guided Practice
Children finger trace the step-by-step models while saying the words. Students copy the letters and connections.
3. Check Letter and Steps
Children check letters for correct start, steps, and bump and check connecting letters for correct size placement and connections.
Knowledge Building]
Fun ways to provide general knowledge in other curricular areas: science, social studies, art.
Cursive Program: Second Grade
Sample Pages
Pause and Practice
Progress monitoring and developing fluency with a review of previously learned letters and connections while practicing writing words.
Develop
Aug. 8, Dec. 12, Apr. 4, July 7, Nov. 11, Mar. 3, June 6, Oct. 10, Feb. 2, May 5, Sept. 9, Jan. 1, Love, Sincerely, Your
Dates Practice writing cursive capitals and lowercase letters in words along with abbreviations, commas, and numbers.
1, 2
Practice writing numbers 1 and 2 during a review of print. Write the words one and two in cursive.
Cursive Program: Third Grade
Children in 3rd grade learn cursive with fun multisensory lessons. Vocabulary is grade-level and standards appropriate. Lessons include engaging and memorable activities on different line styles.
Child-friendly language makes letter and number formation easy.
Students always copy a perfect model that a lefty or a righty can see.
Letters are immediately incorporated into grade level appropriate vocabulary words with previously taught letters.
Illustrations support the letter teaching language.
Learn and Check for students to check letter, word, and sentence skills.
Cursive Wall Cards– large models for above the board that show correct letter formations.
Cursive Alphabet Desk Strips– adhesive strip and visual clue for letter formation.
Multisensory
Warm-up
Lessons include a recommended multi-sensory activity.
Teach It
Letter Stories help make letter formations memorable.
Multilingual Learners
Extra language support to help learners understand the language in the lesson.
Letter Lesson Heading
Letters are shown prominently in the top corner.
Cursive Handwriting
Reading Connection]]
Activities with a foundational reading focus: phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts.
OBJECTIVES
• To develop habits for writing and placing lowercase b
• To connect b in words
MULTISENSORY WARM-UP
Wet-Dry-Try for Letters and Numbers
Prepare a Blackboard with Double Lines for each child by writing b in chalk. Model each step of Wet-Dry-Try, while children imitate. Go to p. 140 for the full routine.
TEACH IT
Use Strategies
Show students how to make the tow straight on the b. Make the tow long enough so that the next letter won’t be too close.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
Review the meaning of tow, using the tow truck picture for support. Write tow and two on the board and point out the different spellings. Then, display different images for tow and two. Invite students to say the correct word in response to each image.
READING CONNECTION
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION
1. Teach and Model
Demonstrate b and connections with b. in words
Start: Lowercase b starts on the base line.
2. Guided Practice
Steps: Travel, then up, turn down, bump, travel and up, end with a tow.
Students finger trace the step-by-step models while saying the words. Students copy the letters and words.
3. Check Letter and Word
Help students their letter for correct start, steps, and bump and their word for correct letter size, placement, and connections.
4. Read and Discuss Have students read the words on the page. Ask: Which words have two syllables? (body, about)
Phonics Review the sound for a in about, reminding students that if the vowel sound in an unstressed syllable is not a short or a long sound, it is a schwa sound. Have pairs find the schwa sound in these multisyllabic words and then read them: balloon, astonish, bottom, celebrate.
Writing Journal – 80-page journal with double lines for reading response or writing practice as a record of the child’s work.
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING
Grammar: Conjunctions
Discuss how to connect ideas with a conjunction. Invite students to write a sentence using any of the words on the page and a conjunction, such as and, but, yet, and or. For example: My bag is big, but it has a hole in it.
Building Writers– supplemental writing practice for core writing skills focused on narrative, information, and opinion/ argument writing.
Explicit Instruction
The letter lessons follow these steps:
1. Teach and Model
Introduce the letter, where it starts, and say the steps while you demonstrate.
2. Guided Practice
bugs
Bats eat little bugs.
Children finger trace the step-by-step models while saying the words. Students copy the letters and words.
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION
1. Teach and Model
3. Check Letter and Word
Demonstrate words with b and writing a sentence. Say the you write b and the letter connections.
2. Guided Practice
Monitor as students copy letters, words, and sentences.
3. Check Sentence
Help students their sentence for capitalization, word spacing, ending.
4. Read and Discuss
Have students read the words and sentences on the page. ask them to think of other words that end in b, like crab, and generate sentences to say about crabs.
Children check letters for correct start, steps, and bump and check connecting letters in words for correct size placement and connections.
READING CONNECTION
Knowledge Building]
Comprehension
In pairs, students can reread the sentences on the page and talk about what the details tell about bats. Ask whether bats are active during the day or night, finding the word dusk as a clue. Then, invite pairs to think of other facts about bats to support the idea that they are nocturnal.
Fun ways to provide general knowledge in other curricular areas: science, social studies, art.
teacher prep.
Cursive Program: Third Grade
Sample Pages
Pause and Practice: Cursive to Cursive Use this informal assessment to check your students’ letter formations and connections for previously taught letters.
LWTears.com/HWTnewfor25 for
Immediately practice the newly learned letter and incorporate it into words.
Guide pages.
Delo Dr. carrots? in Brazil.
you asleep?� Friday. Europe.
Georgia glided in Greece.
Hey has a homophone.
Ivan inited Isabel.
Jaime jumped in January.
Kimi kayaked in Kansas.
Lani liked Lake Louise.
Mr. Me met Malik.
Capitals
Learn how to write cursive capitals and practice them in sentences.
Words: Suffixes
Practice writing words with suffixes while learning about professions.
-er: astronomer, diver, teacher
philsopher, jazz singer
-or: author, doctor, inventor
-ian: magician, a physician, optician
-ist: pianist, dentist, motorist
scientist, artist
Words - Suffixes
Cursive Program: Fourth Grade
In 4th grade, Handwriting Without Tears students learn and practice cursive with lessons featuring paragraphs, poems and independent writing. Students transition from double lines to single lines to ensure cursive success on any type of classroom paper.
Large step-by-step models are easy to teach and finger trace.
Child-friendly language makes letter and number formation easy.
Students always copy a perfect model that a lefty or a righty can see.
Illustrations are child-friendly, and fun to color.
Step-by-step for cursive capitals, too.
Spacing allows for students to focus on forming words, not making them fit on a line.
Learn and Check for students to check letter, word, and sentence skills.
Cursive Wall Cards– large models for above the board that show correct letter formations.
Writing Journal – 80-page journal with double lines for reading response or writing practice as a record of the child’s work.
Cursive Alphabet Desk Strips– adhesive strip and visual clue for letter formation.
Multisensory
Warm-up
Lessons include a recommended multi-sensory activity.
Teach It
Letter Stories help make letter formations memorable.
Multilingual Learners
Extra language support to help learners understand the language in the lesson.
Letter Lesson Heading
Letters are shown prominently in the top corner.
Cursive Success
Reading Connection]]
Activities with a foundational reading focus: phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts.
OBJECTIVES
• To write W and w with correct formation
• To connect w in words
MULTISENSORY WARM-UP
Connection Inspection Students’ bodies become the cursive letters and their arms the connections. Go to p. 143 for the full activity.
TEACH IT
Use Resources
Show the Tow Truck Letters w animation.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
Review the meaning of tow by pointing to the picture. Write w, without the tow, on the board. Invite students to add the missing tow, as they say tow
1. Teach and Model
Demonstrate: w and W, words, and the sentence.
Start: Lowercase w starts on the mid line.
Steps: Down and up, down and up, end with a tow.
Start: Capital W starts in the top space.
Steps: Down, travel, up, again, end.
2. Guided Practice
Students finger trace the step-by-step models while saying the words. Monitor as they copy letters, words, and the sentence.
3. Check Letter and Sentence
Help students their letter for correct start, steps, and bump and their sentence for correct capitalization, word spacing, and end punctuation.
4. Read and Discuss
Ask students to read the words and sentence on the page.
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING
READING CONNECTION
Phonics
Review that when the letter w follows the vowels a, e, and o, it is part of what is called a vowel digraph. Pronounce the sounds that aw and ew stand for and both sounds that ow stands for. Have students repeat.
Science: How Things Work
Model how a claw works by pinching your fingers to your thumb and then opening and closing. Have students repeat. Define claw as pincher-like legs on some animals. Have students think of how claws help an animal. (grabbing prey to eat)
Explicit Instruction [[]] The letter lessons follow these steps:
1. Teach and Model
Introduce the letter, where it starts, and say the steps while you demonstrate.
2. Guided Practice
Children finger trace the step-by-step models while saying the words. Students copy the letters and words.
3. Check Letter and Steps
Children check letters for correct start, steps, and bump and check connecting letters in words for correct size placement and connections.
Knowledge Building] Fun ways to provide general knowledge in other curricular areas: science, social studies, art.
Cursive Program: Fourth Grade
Print to Cursive, Spelling to Cursive
Practice translating print to cursive and writing letters and connections from memory.
Capitals
Practice writing capitals with correct formation, following capitalization rules with proper nouns.
See LWTears.com/HWTnewfor25 for matching Teacher’s Guide pages.
N Nairoi, Kenya
O Ottawa, Canada
P Paris, France
Q Quito, Ecuador
R Rome, Italy
S Santiago, Chile T Tokyo, Japan
Paragraph - Biography Poem
Eugenie Clark, "The Shark Lady”
- Born May 4, 1922
- Ichthyologist
- Greek: icthy = fish
- Ologist = one who studies
and SCUBA diver
People thought sharks were dumb killers. She didnt. She spent years
Clark was a swimmer studying them. With SCUBA gear and interested in sharks. shark repellent, she swam with sharks and did important research.
Copy the poem.
The Flounder
Paragraph: Biography
The flounder is a funny fish, Sort of flat, like a dish, One side up, the other down, Eyes on top to look around.
Build cursive fluency by reinforcing paragraph skills with a biography.
Paragraph - Biography Poem
Clark was a swimmer
and SCUBA diver
Eugenie Clark, "The Shark Lady” - Born May 4, 1922 - Ichthyologist - Greek: icthy = fish - Ologist =
The Flounder
The flounder is a funny fish, Sort of flat, like a dish, One side up, the other down, Eyes on top to look around. Copy the poem.
Poem
People thought sharks were dumb killers. She didnt. She spent years
Translate from print to cursive to build writing fluency while reinforcing the characteristics of a poem.
studying them. With SCUBA gear and interested in sharks.
shark repellent, she swam with sharks and did important research.
FYI
Cursive Program: Fifth Grade
Can-Do Cursive
Can-Do Cursive is for 5th graders who are still improving or learning cursive.
• Students receive and effective and efficient review of cursive.
• Lessons reinforce that cursive should be neat, consistent and fast.
• Practice pages integrate with other language arts lessons, including vocabulary and grammar instruction.
• Students practice cursive as they are introduced to writing genre through well-known authors.
Can-Do Cursive
Mr. Justin Case
Can-Do Cursive
c, a, d, g
OBJECTIVE
To write cursive c
d, and g with correct formation
INTRODUCTION
Support students’ cursive fluency by helping them apply what they know about cursive c to the formation of the cursive letters a d, and g. Ask students what the cursive letters c, a, d, and g have in common in terms of how they look and are formed.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
Review the name of the character Mr. Justin Case. Explain that this name is a play on the phrase “just in case.” If possible, show an umbrella or raincoat. Show a picture of a sunny day, grab the umbrella, and say “just in case.” Encourage students to share other examples of what they might do “just in case.”
WRITING CONNECTION
Opinion Writing
1. Teach and Model Remind students’ that letters
d, and g begin by forming the cursive
Steps for c: Print c, travel away Steps for a: Print c, up, touch, down, travel away Steps for d: Print c, up, up higher, down, travel away Steps for g: Print c, up, touch, down,
away
Share this prompt and have students respond in their Writing Journals: Mr. Justin Case’s car is getting repaired at the shop. The mechanic informs Mr. Justin Case that the shop only accepts cash or check. He explains that the check needs to be signed in cursive to prevent problems at the bank. Do you agree or disagree with the mechanic? Clearly state your point of view and support it with reasons and information.
Learn about the parts of speech, like adverbs, as students write cohesive sentences in cursive.
Teacher’s Guide
Teacher’s Guide pages for Can-Do Cursive introduce the lesson, provide the exact language for teaching, include language supports for Multilingual Learners, and have an optional Writing or Reading Connection.
ADVERBS Rarely, sometimes, and usually He never misses practice.
Adverbs usually describe verbs. Adverbs sometimes describe other adverbs. Adverbs occasionally describe adjectives.
The dog never bites.
barked very loudly.
Adverbs tell when, where, why, and how often.
HOW OFTEN?
a really good dog. never rarely sometimes usually always
How often do you
. . . eat chicken? I sometimes eat chicken.
. . drink milk? I . . . make your bed? I . . . do the dishes? I . . . read the comics? I
. . go fishing? I
. read mysteries? I
She
She’s
Cursive in Sixth Grade and Older
Cursive and Beyond
Cursive and Beyond is for 6th graders or older students learning cursive.
• Students go through a quick and effective review of cursive.
• Lessons include an introduction to personalizing cursive style and signature.
• Morphology builds vocabulary and the understanding of root words.
• Practice includes knowledge building and storytelling about famous authors.
Cursive and Beyond
Ms. Paige Turner
OBJECTIVE
To write r, l, and f with correct formation
INTRODUCTION
Invite a volunteer to write r, f, and l in print. Then, have students look on the page to notice how different they look in cursive. Point out that when we write these letters in cursive, it’s not difficult to connect them to other letters that start on the baseline.
MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS
Talk about how travel, turn, and U-turn are used in the steps. Review travel up, travel away, turn, and U-turn. Have students share what they think each term means and confirm or clarify their understanding.
Cursive and Beyond
1. Teach and Model
Lowercase r has a smile stroke. Remind students to keep the smile small, so r doesn’t turn into u
Steps for r: Travel up, smile, down, travel away
Lowercase l and f have a similar stroke pattern. Remind students to control the turn at the top, so the loop stays thin.
Steps for l: Travel up, turn, down, travel away Steps for f: Travel up, turn, down, U-turn, aim for the corner, touch, travel away r, l, f
WRITING CONNECTION
Descriptive Writing with Adjectives
Provide a list of adjectives that begin with f, l, and r, such as: fascinating, fierce, flexible, lanky, lively, loyal, raw, reasonable, respectful. Have students confirm their meanings individually or in pairs. Then, they can choose three to five words to write a short paragraph that concretely describes something or someone.
Tow Truck
Learn how to write v and practice it’s different versions needed to connect to other letters.
Teacher’s Guide
Teacher’s Guide pages for Cursive and Beyond introduce the lesson, give explicit language for teaching, include vocabulary support for Multilingual Learners, and offer an optional Writing or Reading Connection.
Technology for the Classroom
Digital Teaching Tools
Engage your students with our Interactive Digital Teaching Tool to minimize lesson prep and deliver dynamic lessons.
Formation Tools
Use our animated models, Wet-Dry-Try, Wood Pieces, and Letter and Number Formations. Children follow along by finger tracing the steps in the student edition. English and Spanish, print and cursive.
Screener of Handwriting Proficiency
The screener is an easy to administer whole class assessment that helps identify students who are struggling with handwriting. The screener is universal and can be used independently or as part of an RTI framework.
A+ Worksheet Maker
Integrate the unique Handwriting Without Tears font and double lines into other classroom activities. Options include sentence writing, spelling, vocabulary and graphic organizers.
Digital Student Experience
Assign work at home or school for instruction, remediation, or as a school-to-home connection. Students can submit a digital copy of their work for teacher review without collecting student editions. Includes teacher assignments, lessons, and digital tools.
Name: mea
Handwriting and Standards
How does handwriting instruction support writing and other language standards?
• Fast, legible handwriting is critical to the production of creative and well-written text (Graham and Harris 2005).
• Greater writing speed “lessens the burden on working memory,” enabling children and adults to “create good reader-friendly prose” (Peverly 2006).
• Teaching handwriting has a greater impact on brain development, especially the areas of the brain related to literacy development (Berninger 2012, James 2012).
• Difficulties with handwriting negatively impact others’ evaluation of a student’s text; poor handwriting can drop a paper from the 50th percentile in quality to 10th-22nd percentile (Graham and Santangelo 2012).
• Teaching handwriting has a large, positive effect on the amount of text students generate (Graham and Santangelo 2012).
• Even at the higher grades, students who took notes by hand vs. on a computer were shown to have better comprehension of what was being said and had more sustained attention during discussion of texts and concepts (Peverly 2012).
• Writing by hand occupies up to 60% of a child’s school day and correlates with self-esteem and future academic success as literate individuals ( Stewart, 1992; Simner, 1998; Feder and Majnemer, 2007; Sassoon, 2007)
• Students who have explicit instruction in handwriting improve at writing and the ease with which they can document their ideas (Graham, 2020).
Professional Services
Equip and empower your educators with the tools and implementation support they need to help students succeed.
Our customizable Professional Services include a range of learning plans that build upon each other to meet the needs of your entire staff, helping educators apply their knowledge to achieve full implementation success.
• Working together, we co-design a complete cycle that includes collaborative Goal-Setting and Reflection to fuel success
• Flexible learning formats align with your structures and schedules to fit into your day
• Our skilled and credible facilitators quickly form authentic relationships and guide a generative learning process
• Joyful hands-on, minds-on learning experiences build educator commitment, competence, and confidence, equipping them to effectively use all LWT program components
• Our interactive, professional learning platform offers many ways to engage, collaborate, and learn via personalized options to maximize time and results, while keeping it simple for educators
• Success criteria include Knowledge, Application and Student Impact measures to focus on outcomes for more students
