What things are the Antithetical to education? Handwriting sheets that teach child to make a capital “A” as their first letter are blatantly unfair to beginning printers.

Opposing inclined left and right slant lines of capital “A” require skill level that is far beyond children’s beginning skill. By introducing uppercase “B” next, with its complex set of directional cues and new shape control cues. Children gain no relatedness to the skills they just tried to master with the uppercase “A”. Since the letters are not directionally related, learning one letter does not reinforce their budding skills or build their confidence. If “C” is introduced next, with its unique “under the top” start, most kids are justifiably confused and frustrated. As result, most children get idea that learning to print is very difficult and frustrating process. They seek to avoid it because it is taught in such confusing and unrelated way.

How it is bad?

Last hundred years, teachers blame their students for “not trying hard enough” when presented with their poor printing skills. If we want children to be enthusiastic about literacy, shouldn’t we give them a learning to print experience? It is fair and respects their budding skills so they can embrace it and eagerly want to do by succeeding t? Imagine solving this curriculum problem by providing a letter teaching system. It builds skills and confidence by teaching the letters in progressive directional groups. It actually promotes early mastery and produces students who are eager to do more. Why are the normal three lines not enough to teach beginning printers how to make their letters and numbers? The answer is: Of 52 upper and lower case letters, 26 do not start, or end, on these 3 lines. This makes their proper formation a matter of guesswork.

How to learn things?

In other words, usual 3 lines don’t help a child who is anxiously looking to master this very difficult task. In educational terms, these letters required the “skill of approximation”. It is the ability to abstract the amount a letter is drawn above or below a line. Unfortunately, children don’t develop this skill until they are 8 or 9. Pre-K and Kindergarten children are concrete thinkers – what they can see, feel, and touch they know. Learning process involves skills they actually have, the more success they can enjoy. Figuring out fractional pieces of space and consistently making their pencils go there is rudely beyond their skill set. Show them a line where a letter starts and they can do that consistently. Tell them about a place that isn’t mark and, unless they are artistically gift. They will not be able to find it reliably– and that will frustrate them.

Or, as most adults will tell you, they make up their own place, and, if no one corrects them. They will have sloppy handwriting for the rest of their lives. Think about it for a moment. How would you show someone how to make a capital “O”? Would you tell them to place their pencil below Top Line? If you don’t, their “O” will look like an egg.