Kindergarten

Getting Started with Kindergarten

Your kindergarten materials help you teach printing with lowercase letters
and capitals in words and sentences.
Essential Components:
sLetters and Numbers for Me student workbook
sKindergarten Teacher’s Guide
sRock, Rap, Tap & Learn CD
s,ETTER"UILDING+IT
s"LACKBOARDWITH$OUBLE,INES

Multisensory Learning
Learning with Music using the Rock, Rap, Tap & Learn CD
Your students will sing and dance their way to better language and motor skills with the
upbeat rhythm and clever lyrics on this CD recorded by back-to-back Grammy® award
WINNERSFOR"EST#HILDRENS!LBUM#ATHY&INK-ARCY-ARXER

0REVIEW SECONDSEGMENTSOFALL#$SONGSONOURWEBSITEWWWHWTEARSCOMMUSIC

Teaching with Wood Pieces and Music

Children use the Wood Pieces Set and music from the Rock, Rap, Tap & Learn #$TOLEARNPOSITIONSINSPACEBODY
PARTSANDSHAPES

Up in the Air Touch My Toes Make a Circle

Building Capitals on the Letter Cards and Mat

This activity helps students master top-to-bottom formation habits and capital letters.

1. Demonstrate for the child. Ask 2. Demonstrate letter formation on 3. D is done!

the child to build the letter on the Mat. Ask the child to build
the Capital Letter Card. the letter step by step.

Handwriting Without Tears® | 8001 MacArthur Blvd. | Cabin John, MD 20818 | 301.263.2700 | www.hwtears.com

K_Adoption 1-pager.indd 1 10/15/2008 4:58:21 PM

 Kindergarten

Learning Capitals and Numbers on the Slate Chalkboard

Students learn to write capitals and numbers using this fun hands-on activity that works for all learning styles.

1. Demonstrate for the child. Have 2. Have the child trace the 3. Have the child pick up a Little
the child trace the model with model with a crumpled #HALK"ITANDWRITEOVERTHE
a wet Little Sponge Cube. paper towel piece. dry model. B looks great!

Learning Letters on the Blackboard with Double Lines

#HILDRENLEARNCORRECTLETTERPLACEMENTTOPROMOTENEATANDFASTPRINTING5SETHE"LACKBOARDWITH$OUBLE,INES
FORLETTERWORDANDNAMEPRACTICEBEFORETRANSITIONINGTOPENCILANDPAPER

1. Gather materials. 2. Demonstrate for the child. 3. Have the child trace the model
with a wet Little Sponge Cube.

4. Have the child trace the model with 5. Have the child pick up a Little Chalk 6. Charlie is proud to write his name.
a crumpled paper towel piece. "ITANDWRITEOVERTHEDRYMODEL

&ORVIDEODEMONSTRATIONSEEWWWHWTEARSCOMVIDEOS

Handwriting Without Tears® | 8001 MacArthur Blvd. | Cabin John, MD 20818 | 301.263.2700 | www.hwtears.com

K_Adoption 1-pager.indd 2 10/15/2008 4:58:41 PM

 Kindergarten

Building, Singing, and Drawing Mat Man™

Mat Man™MAKESDRAWINGEASY4HISACTIVITYDEVELOPSACHILDSBODYAWARENESSDRAWINGANDCOUNTINGSKILLS

1. Teacher builds Mat Man on the floor 2. Children build Mat Man while singing -AT-ANISBUILT.OWITSTIMETODRAW
and gives Mat Man parts to the children. the Mat Man song. him on paper!

Letters and Numbers for Me INCLUDESCAPITALANDLOWERCASELETTERSNUMBERWORDANDSENTENCELESSONS

that combine handwriting instruction with other language arts lessons.
s'RAY"LOCKSFORTEACHINGCAPITALSANDNUMBERS s,ARGESTEP BY STEPILLUSTRATEDINSTRUCTIONS
without reversals s#HILD FRIENDLYCONSISTENTLANGUAGE
s3TUDENTSELF CHECKSFORLETTERSWORDSANDSENTENCES

BIG LINE + LITTLE CURVE + LITTLE LINE Magic c up like a up back down
higher bump

r r r r
L L L L L L L L

d
R Write & Check

D d d d d d
Write & Check
L

r r r r
L L L L L L L

L L L L L L L L L

D is for duck.
RAINBOW

14 Handwriting Without Tears® Letters and Numbers for Me © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen
© 2008 Jan Z. Olsen Handwriting Without Tears® Letters and Numbers for Me 49

s$OUBLELINESTOFACILITATECORRECTSIZEANDPLACEMENT s,EFT HANDFRIENDLYDESIGN

s'ENEROUSSPACINGWITHROOMTOWRITE s3IMPLEBLACK AND WHITEPAGES

Words for Me 5 starts in the starting corner.

5 makes a little line down to

z ip qu i t fox
the middle. It starts to rain.
5 makes a little curve around.
5 puts a little line on top to
stop the rain.

five umbrellas
Check fox I can write 5.

5 5 5 5 5
Sentence for Me

z ebras run fast . L

I can count to 5.
L L L L

1 2 3 45
L L L L L

Check Sentence

© 2008 Jan Z. Olsen Handwriting Without Tears® Letters and Numbers for Me 75 88 Handwriting Without Tears® Letters and Numbers for Me © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

Handwriting Without Tears® | 8001 MacArthur Blvd. | Cabin John, MD 20818 | 301.263.2700 | www.hwtears.com

K_Adoption 1-pager.indd 3 10/15/2008 4:58:51 PM

 T
8 starts at the top, but in the center.
T
9 starts at the top, but in the right corner.
T
1O is made with 1 and O (Number O and letter O are made the same way.)

Each number page also gives a review of previously learned numbers. The children practice writing numbers
Kindergarten
on Gray Blocks and on a single line.

Double Lines and Other Lines

With so many lines and so many styles, children need paper that will prepare them for it all. HWT Double Lines
Line Generalization andletters
teach children to place Success onnaturally.
correctly and all Paper With justStyles
two lines, children understand quickly how to
place letters. Small letters fit in the middle space. Tall letters go into the top space. Descending letters go into the
bottom space. Later students can apply that philosophy to other styles of paper they’ll get in school. We also give
7ITHSOMANYLINESANDSOMANYSTYLESCHILDRENNEEDPAPERTHATWILLPREPARETHEMFORITALL5SING(74DOUBLE
them practice with other lines along the way.
LINESCHILDRENLEARNTOPLACELETTERSCORRECTLYANDNATURALLY
Take a look at space.
7ITHTWOLINESCHILDRENQUICKLYUNDERSTANDWHERETOPLACELETTERS3MALLLETTERSlTINTHEMIDDLESPACE4ALLLETTERS
go in the top space. Descending letters go in the bottom space.

a d g
tall
top space
small
mid line
middle space
baseSucceed
HANDWRITING INSTRUCTION: Why Children (and Teachers) line with HWT
bottom space
Line Generalization: Success on All Paper Stylesdescending
In Letters and Numbers for Me, we provide activities for children to experience different types of lined paper.
Practice using simple double lines makes it easy for students to succeed on any style of paper.
(74PROVIDESACTIVITIESFORCHILDRENTOEXPERIENCEDIFFERENTTYPESOFLINEDPAPERSINGLEDOUBLETRIPLEETC 
72 Handwriting Without Tears® Kindergarten Teacher’s Guide © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

PUNCTUATION SENTENCES
q ua ck ,
. . . . ? ? ? ? ! ! ! ! oink, oink. q ua ck. baa, baa. mo o.
Periods Question marks Exclamation points

Pigs say , .

Ducks say , .

Sheep say , .

Cows say .

© 2008 Jan Z. Olsen See – Teacher’s Guide pages 73 and 140. Handwriting Without Tears® Letters and Numbers for Me 77 82 Handwriting Without Tears® Letters and Numbers for Me See – Teacher’s Guide pages 73 and 145. © 2008 Jan Z. Olsen

Refer to Kindergarten
theGeneralization
Line Teacher’s Guide FORDETAILSONTEACHINGLETTERSANDACTIVITIES9OULLlNDHELPFULTIPS
Success
SHORTCUTSANDLESSONSOUTLINEDBYDAYANDBYWEEK!LLYOURSTUDENTSNEEDISMINUTESOFPRACTICEADAY
This child’s sample shows line transition skills from HWT double lines to a journal entry with triple lines.

Helpful Online Resources

Check the Handwriting Without Tears®WEBSITEFORVIDEODEMONSTRATIONSWEBINARSCHEDULETRAININGNEWACTIVITIES
and free downloads for lively and effective handwriting instruction: www.hwtears.com.

Free Support Newsletters

7ITHTHE(74PROGRAMSUPPORTISALWAYSATHAND
s9OUCANSIGNUPTORECEIVETHEFrog Jump Gazette automatically. This e-newsletter features timely
handwriting strategies and downloads for your classroom delivered three times a year straight to your
EMAILINBOX#HECKOUTTHELATESTISSUEATwww.hwtears.com/newsletter.
s.EWPROGRAMUSERSCANSIGNUPTORECEIVETHECAPITAL Start orientation newsletter. Each issue
provides tips and strategies to implement the Handwriting Without Tears® program successfully. It also
OFFERSNEWTEACHERINSIGHTSANDPROVIDESACCESSTOPROGRAMEXPERTSANDEXCLUSIVETEACHINGTOOLS
Paper Quality
www.hwtears.com/CapitalStart.
Who would have thought that the quality of paper could affect handwriting? We tested all kinds of paper and we
know good paper when we see it. Our handwriting paper is selected based on the following qualities:
Handwriting Without Tears® | 8001 MacArthur Blvd. | Cabin John, MD 20818 | 301.263.2700 | www.hwtears.com
1. Writability – This is referred to as tooth. When paper has good tooth, you can actually hear the pencil. Paper
with tooth gives children feedback and assists with control. Smooth paper doesn’t have tooth. It is hard to write on.
2. Erasability – Nothing is worse than paper that won’t erase or paper that wrinkles and tears. Sturdy paper
withstands erasing.
K_Adoption 1-pager.indd 4 10/15/2008 4:58:51 PM