(Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way).
Handwriting for Reluctant Learners – Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook by Everyday Education, LLC
Since I only have one child, there are lots of things I'm learning that I sometimes wish I could apply to the next child around. Since God chose to bless me with only one very special child, I get to apply what I learn with him. A very interesting example of this is with handwriting.
Before my son started kindergarten, I tried to teach him how to write his name. However, he refused to do it. And when he started kindergarten, it was nearly impossible to get him to hold a pencil “correctly” or to do any kind of extensive handwriting. In fact, his OT school evaluation basically included the remark that, “He wasn't willing to do the writing.”
Eventually he was diagnosed with developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia), with handwriting being one of his main issues. As a result, he received occupational therapy for his handwriting. Despite this, he never learned to write in a manner that was nearly efficient enough to keep up with the amount or the level of schoolwork he needed to complete. So, I came up with alternative ways to help him communicate.
For example, speech-to-text, mom scribe (on his IEP), typing (though not nearly as effective as you might think).
Now that he is in 9th grade, it is an interesting phenomenon that I can now convince him to sit down and do the handwriting.
Thank goodness for the opportunity to review Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting curriculum!
The timing ended up being perfect for my son to practice his handwriting with Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting. For example, as he's gotten older I've noticed that he relaxes more while he writes. This is such a relief to me.
I give credit to Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting, however, for keeping him interested. This is because the assignments are truly interesting! I believe the fact that the type of handwriting used plays a huge part as well. It is called “Italics” and requires less work than the traditional method taught in schools.
When I asked my 15-year-old reluctant learner what he thought of Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting, he didn’t say much. (He is on the autism spectrum). However, all I had to do was observe his reaction to the assignments and how he completed them without complaint. Plus, when we got to the part of the curriculum where he had to copy silly sentences, there was absolutely no need to “talk him into it.”
We both thought the sentences in Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting were fun!
Nathan takes after me. We both have a silly side to our personality. This means that anything that’s silly, like limericks, alliterations, and such, are a blast! What this also means is that even though Nathan didn’t theoretically need the reading per se, he was in essence getting the reading. Not only that, he really struggles with spelling. So, having these simple words to copy and look at while writing are helping him improve his spelling as well.
As for the details of what is available. The program is written with Charlotte Mason style in mind and utilizes Phonics. We received the e-book format. If you purchase the e-book format, you will have the option to re-print pages, if necessary. This is especially convenient if you have multiple children. Of course, the print option is also available and you can purchase both at a discount.
I am no grammatician. However, it is clear that much thought was put into the creation of this curriculum. And grammar is a big part of reading.
You can rest assured that while your child is practicing his handwriting skills, he will also be introduced to the sound combinations required to read proficiently.
The e-book contains a total 218 pages of fun!
The bonus is that this is a handwriting AND reading curriculum. I did not plan on using it for reading. However, it's a given that your child will be reading. True bonus for us is the spelling. 😉
Check out the awesome Perfect Reading and Beautiful Handwriting by Everyday Education, LLC curriculum here.
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