Page 45 - Module 2: Teachers Guide for Getting Ready for Writing PONY

Module 2: Getting Ready for Writing Teacher’s Guide.
Objective: Showing readiness for writing letters
Lesson Plan:
Young children are constantly changing and developing at different rates, even within the same age group. It is important, therefore, to be able to recognise those children that are showing more readiness for writing letters.
In Module 1: Learning The Cognitive Framework you will have taught children to associate Harriet the Cow, Georgia the Shetland Pony, Rupert the white Sheep and Zac the Grey Sheep animal characters with a distinct starting shape for each letter in that animal category. These starting shapes are in themselves closely aligned with developmentally appropriate shapes that are universally recognised. When children can execute these shapes it is a good indicator that they are ready to start learning to write letters. Vertical and horizontal lines and the circle are the three initial shapes children must be competent in copying before they show the prewriting skills required for letter formation.
Recommended action:
1. Using the pre-printed sheets in the Hemispheres Developmental Screening Tool,
baseline the children’s ability to copy the first 3-6 shapes.
2. When the children show competence in copying the first 3 shapes they are
demonstrating the first indicator of readiness for letter writing.
3. The Hemispheres Think Write Handwriting Programme is a cursive writing
programme. To demonstrate the second indicator of readiness for letter writing it is recommended that the children are able to copy Harriet the Cow, Georgia the Shetland Pony, Rupert the White Sheep and Zac the Grey Sheep starting shapes accurately on Illustrated Paper.
4. Once a child shows the ability to copy a starting shape they are then ready to learn to write the corresponding letters in that animal category. See the example below of Harriet the Cow’s starting shape and corresponding letters. l, t, b, h, k, f.
5. It is recommended that initially the children be exposed to the letters that
are most closely allied to the picture of the original starting shape. They can then progress to letters that ‘look’ somewhat different to this shape. The sequence above reflects the order of learning for Harriet the Cow’s letters using this framework. Throughout the Hemispheres Think Write Handwriting Programme this teaching order for the animal categories has been reflected.
© 2016. Shelley Birkett-Eyles. Hemispheres Think Write Limited
Pre Writing Skills