The Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, for which Kimberly attended training in March 2016, also uses multi-sensory teaching methods for print and cursive instruction. She found that her dyslexic son greatly benefited from these methods. She incorporates some of the HWT tools into sight word
spelling practice with her Barton students.
Although keyboarding is a critical skill for dyslexic students to learn, research shows that handwriting instruction is still important.
- When children practice printing by hand, their neural activity is far more enhanced and adult-like (Bounds 2010).
- Research states that learning how to write by hand is a necessary motor exercise (Saperstein Associates 2012; James and Gauthier 2006; James 2012; Berninger 2012).
Unfortunately, cursive instruction has basically disappeared from the public school curriculum and there is little time spent on printing instruction. Dyslexic students often struggle with correctly forming lowercase letters. HWT methods help to eliminate this confusion.
During their in-person Barton tutoring sessions, she has her students write on paper, a dry erase board and sometimes on a chalkboard, depending upon the student’s preference, to maximize sensory input.
For more information about how Kimberly can help your student with either print or cursive HWT instruction, schedule an initial phone consultation.