Learning to Print

[momofjoshnkylie]

I am looking to get a curriculum for leanring to print for my ds age 5. Any suggestions? I had heard Zaner Bloser puts one out, but am unable to find it anywhere.

[True Blue]

www.zaner-bloser.com

We haven't tried an official one yet, just a couple Kumon workbooks and such for when DS feels like writing. Handwriting Without Tears is popular too but it teaches only upper case for the first year, which some find objectionable.

[GoodEats]

I like Handwriting Without Tears. Bailey's 5, too, and has shown marked improvement in just a couple of months using it. She's getting more confident and her printing has really lost that shaky pre-school look. I'd say we're probably about halfway through the book at this point, so I'll have to decide shortly whether to abandon handwriting for hte rest of first grade or move onto the next book... we'll probably just keep moving on to the next until she gets terribly bored or hits cursive and either learns that or isn't ready.

We skipped the first book, though. We just didn't see the need because the yellow (first grade) book also goes through upper case as well as lower case and I thought the first one would be redundant for her. If he's writing and just needs to practice the craft, I'd go with the yellow book.

[annethcz]

I used Handwriting Without Tears for a short time, but it got old after awhile.

Now, I just have my kids do short copywork. I started by teaching them to write their names, address and phone number. We also use Explode the Code for phonics, and I've found that these books have enough handwriting practice that my kids don't need a seperate handwriting book.

[littlest birds]

I was really glad to have introduced Italic printing from the start with my oldest, and plan to introduce the same to my other children.

The slightly-slanted writing looks nice, is quite simple, and makes an easier transition to cursive (especially with italic cursive, because the cursive is VERY understated and without loops--it's similar to the printing simply joined together). D'Nealian is also a similar style that has slanting letters, with curved-up tails on the letters to later facilitate cursive.

I am planning to get my first graders the second grade book because it has themes they will like (transportation, months, days of the week) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/087...lance&n=283155

[USAmma]

My dd did very well with ZB from the beginning. She has beautiful handwriting for a child her age.

Spelling test. (Gotta brag! Why not?)