handwriting for the preschooler
Sandra Dodd
I was responding to an e-mail and decided to bring it here for more ideas. A four-year-old (recently turned four) wants to learn cursive writing as the mom writes.
----------------------------------
-=-I think she sees handwriting right now as an art form and not as a means of communication. I could be wrong, but that's the sense I get.-=-
She's right.
If she wants cursive penmanship, that's not the same as writing for communication, which is nowadays done just as I'm communicating with you (or by phone texts).
http://sandradodd.com/writing talks about the different aspects of "writing."
I can't show you what I think might help her here, but loops---the loops that eventually become small "e" and "l" in cursive. If you and she can practice making those in succession, so her hand can travel to the right and she can practice being consistent in size and spacing, that's a good practice. My granny who had been born in 1902 or so, showed me those. And another one was drawing ocean waves (small "i" but without dots) across a page.
Then I would decorate those, turn them into flowers or a fence or something. Color in the loops.
There were the fancy ocean waves, too, for "c" or "o", but those are difficult and frustrating. I would stick with "i" "e" and "l" now, connected up all across a row.
But if your daughter were saying she wanted to drive a car, you might give her a toy car to play with, and tell her someday she can drive.
Would she like to put her hand on your hand as you write? Maybe she could close her eyes and put her hand over yours and just feel the movement.
-=-My concern is that she has voiced a desire to learn cursive several times and I feel that I'm failing to provide an environment or the right tools for her to learn how to do it.=-
If when she voices a desire you offer a tool, that's all you can do right now. Be sweet and encouraging, don't tell her she's too little, don't say "you can't" or "you can." She can't until she can, but there's no sense saying so. :-)
Holly had a little electronic spelling tool the size of a calculator when she was young, and if you put in a word (on the little keyboard) it showed the word, and then wrote it in cursive, slowly, and showed it again.
-----------------
Other ideas? Thanks!
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
----------------------------------
-=-I think she sees handwriting right now as an art form and not as a means of communication. I could be wrong, but that's the sense I get.-=-
She's right.
If she wants cursive penmanship, that's not the same as writing for communication, which is nowadays done just as I'm communicating with you (or by phone texts).
http://sandradodd.com/writing talks about the different aspects of "writing."
I can't show you what I think might help her here, but loops---the loops that eventually become small "e" and "l" in cursive. If you and she can practice making those in succession, so her hand can travel to the right and she can practice being consistent in size and spacing, that's a good practice. My granny who had been born in 1902 or so, showed me those. And another one was drawing ocean waves (small "i" but without dots) across a page.
Then I would decorate those, turn them into flowers or a fence or something. Color in the loops.
There were the fancy ocean waves, too, for "c" or "o", but those are difficult and frustrating. I would stick with "i" "e" and "l" now, connected up all across a row.
But if your daughter were saying she wanted to drive a car, you might give her a toy car to play with, and tell her someday she can drive.
Would she like to put her hand on your hand as you write? Maybe she could close her eyes and put her hand over yours and just feel the movement.
-=-My concern is that she has voiced a desire to learn cursive several times and I feel that I'm failing to provide an environment or the right tools for her to learn how to do it.=-
If when she voices a desire you offer a tool, that's all you can do right now. Be sweet and encouraging, don't tell her she's too little, don't say "you can't" or "you can." She can't until she can, but there's no sense saying so. :-)
Holly had a little electronic spelling tool the size of a calculator when she was young, and if you put in a word (on the little keyboard) it showed the word, and then wrote it in cursive, slowly, and showed it again.
-----------------
Other ideas? Thanks!
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
sheeboo2
Sandra's idea of her putting her hand over yours, and sticking with i,l,c sound like a nice way for her to literally 'get a feel" for it and not become too frustrated. If it seems like she's wanting to explore more independently, perhaps bring home something like this erasable placemat:
http://www.amazon.com/Painless-Learning-SSR1-Cursive-Placemat/dp/B000J2GX4Q
We have a ton of these with various themes, like the human body and maps, and Noor loved writing/drawing on them. They come with a crayon type of writing tool, but we found *washable* markers work better and clean up easily. Test whatever you use on a small corner first.
I remember reading (a looooong time ago) that cursive is more difficult with a pencil, because of drag/friction, I guess. So maybe using something where a pen really glides, like a dry earase board, would be fun too.
When Noor was that age she loved Sagwa, a cartoon by Amy Tan about Chinese cats who were court caligraphers. She spent a few months drawing caligraphy. She would even find all kinds of things non-pen-like to use to draw because Sagwa used her tail. I brought home books on Chinese symbols and caligraphy and sometimes she would ask me to help her find a specific symbol and then she'd copy it, but mostly she made it up as she went along. She was, for the most part, wholy interested in it for the art form.
But......not knowing where your daughter is on her journey with reading/writing, I also wonder if she may be curious about what your writing says. About a year ago, I started writing my grocery lists and other "public" text in print because I knew Noor wanted, sometimes, to be able to work out the words (on her own, without having to ask). That may or may not be something to think about with your daughter too.
Brie
http://www.amazon.com/Painless-Learning-SSR1-Cursive-Placemat/dp/B000J2GX4Q
We have a ton of these with various themes, like the human body and maps, and Noor loved writing/drawing on them. They come with a crayon type of writing tool, but we found *washable* markers work better and clean up easily. Test whatever you use on a small corner first.
I remember reading (a looooong time ago) that cursive is more difficult with a pencil, because of drag/friction, I guess. So maybe using something where a pen really glides, like a dry earase board, would be fun too.
When Noor was that age she loved Sagwa, a cartoon by Amy Tan about Chinese cats who were court caligraphers. She spent a few months drawing caligraphy. She would even find all kinds of things non-pen-like to use to draw because Sagwa used her tail. I brought home books on Chinese symbols and caligraphy and sometimes she would ask me to help her find a specific symbol and then she'd copy it, but mostly she made it up as she went along. She was, for the most part, wholy interested in it for the art form.
But......not knowing where your daughter is on her journey with reading/writing, I also wonder if she may be curious about what your writing says. About a year ago, I started writing my grocery lists and other "public" text in print because I knew Noor wanted, sometimes, to be able to work out the words (on her own, without having to ask). That may or may not be something to think about with your daughter too.
Brie
plaidpanties666
I've seen laminated sheets for "handwriting practice" in shops - dollar store type places, but also office supply stores, too. Those could be fun.
Mo loved stencils when she was 4-5 and wanted to write but couldn't make the letters independently. I haven't seen stencils for cursive, but if you're handy you can make stencils - look in craft and fabric shops for the supplies or you can make simple ones with posterboard and a razor blade. For that matter, if you look in the quilting and home decor sections you'll find stencils of loops and waves, although the loops are awkward to trace as they're all broken up to keep the stencil together.
There's also a kind of doodling that she might enjoy, where you draw random lines without lifting your pen or pencil. I think of it as an exercise for machine-quilters, since that's what I do ;) and you may find good ideas if you look in quilting books under "fill patterns". All over squiggles, wave patterns, and loops are standard fill patterns, and they're fun to draw, too and then go back and color.
Whatever you do, it could help to start Big rather than small, although that will depend a lot on your daughter. But if she likes get her some big paper or a big dry-erase board where she can draw giant loops and waves and great big letters. Some people find it easier to learn large.
---Meredith
Mo loved stencils when she was 4-5 and wanted to write but couldn't make the letters independently. I haven't seen stencils for cursive, but if you're handy you can make stencils - look in craft and fabric shops for the supplies or you can make simple ones with posterboard and a razor blade. For that matter, if you look in the quilting and home decor sections you'll find stencils of loops and waves, although the loops are awkward to trace as they're all broken up to keep the stencil together.
There's also a kind of doodling that she might enjoy, where you draw random lines without lifting your pen or pencil. I think of it as an exercise for machine-quilters, since that's what I do ;) and you may find good ideas if you look in quilting books under "fill patterns". All over squiggles, wave patterns, and loops are standard fill patterns, and they're fun to draw, too and then go back and color.
Whatever you do, it could help to start Big rather than small, although that will depend a lot on your daughter. But if she likes get her some big paper or a big dry-erase board where she can draw giant loops and waves and great big letters. Some people find it easier to learn large.
---Meredith
Alex
> When Noor was that age she loved Sagwa, a cartoon by Amy Tan about Chinese cats who were court caligraphers. She spent a few months drawing caligraphy. She would even find all kinds of things non-pen-like to use to draw because Sagwa used her tail.Painting with water and a big but not wide brush outside can be a nice activity as it gets warmer and there's no wrong way to do that! My daughter, 4 this week, likes to play with shaving cream on the windows and writing with a brush or finger in that would be a nice way to practice loops too.
Alex N.
(apologies to Alex P. for not specifying in my last post!)
Ann-Marie
Hi,
In Australia you can buy books which show the cursive letters and then have dotted letters which you can write over, then space below to practise them again on your own. The books range in levels so the letters are bigger for younger childern. Letters are grouped according to how they are made (i.e. similar shapes such as a, e, c, d, g and q) and there are patterns to write over and practisewhich flow in the same way as the letters to enable the writer to get the 'feel' of them.
Maybe you get something like that. Not sure if they are available in the states or online.
Ann-Marie
In Australia you can buy books which show the cursive letters and then have dotted letters which you can write over, then space below to practise them again on your own. The books range in levels so the letters are bigger for younger childern. Letters are grouped according to how they are made (i.e. similar shapes such as a, e, c, d, g and q) and there are patterns to write over and practisewhich flow in the same way as the letters to enable the writer to get the 'feel' of them.
Maybe you get something like that. Not sure if they are available in the states or online.
Ann-Marie
--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
>
> I was responding to an e-mail and decided to bring it here for more ideas. A four-year-old (recently turned four) wants to learn cursive writing as the mom writes.
>
> Other ideas? Thanks!
>
> Sandra
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Gwen Montoya
I found (at Walmart, I think, years ago, but I've seen them other places
since) - laminated sheets (like place mats) that can be written on with a
dry erase marker & wiped off. The one we have has Seseme Street characters
on it, but I've seen plain kinds too. I've seen them for printing & for
cursive.
Gwen
since) - laminated sheets (like place mats) that can be written on with a
dry erase marker & wiped off. The one we have has Seseme Street characters
on it, but I've seen plain kinds too. I've seen them for printing & for
cursive.
Gwen
On Mon, May 30, 2011 at 10:29 PM, Ann-Marie <annmariehorsley1@...>wrote:
>
>
> Hi,
>
> In Australia you can buy books which show the cursive letters and then have
> dotted letters which you can write over, then space below to practise them
> again on your own. The books range in levels so the letters are bigger for
> younger childern. Letters are grouped according to how they are made (i.e.
> similar shapes such as a, e, c, d, g and q) and there are patterns to write
> over and practisewhich flow in the same way as the letters to enable the
> writer to get the 'feel' of them.
>
> Maybe you get something like that. Not sure if they are available in the
> states or online.
>
> Ann-Marie
>
>
> --- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
> >
> > I was responding to an e-mail and decided to bring it here for more
> ideas. A four-year-old (recently turned four) wants to learn cursive writing
> as the mom writes.
>
> >
> > Other ideas? Thanks!
> >
> > Sandra
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Rippy Dusseldorp
Someone sent me a link for this resource recently, but I haven't purchased the program myself or done the free trial yet:
www.startwrite.com
My children (6 and 4) love doing writing worksheets sometimes. They have a shelf where they have their colouring books, maze books, writing books, etc. Sometimes they don't play with them for weeks or months, but they are often popular with them on rainy days.
I thought the startwrite program looked interesting because you can create your own texts. I think both my children would love to create their own messages to practice their writing. They love when we are all doing the same thing together and I thought I could practice my cursive writing, while they practice whatever they choose to do.
My daughter (4) loves when I write her name or a simple message in cursive - the more elaborate, swirly and loopy the better. I always try to remember to leave the 'i' without dots and she completes the dot of the 'i' with something more interesting than a dot - a butterfly, flower, ladybug, etc. She loves pretty things and cursive writing can be a beautiful art form.
Rippy
www.startwrite.com
My children (6 and 4) love doing writing worksheets sometimes. They have a shelf where they have their colouring books, maze books, writing books, etc. Sometimes they don't play with them for weeks or months, but they are often popular with them on rainy days.
I thought the startwrite program looked interesting because you can create your own texts. I think both my children would love to create their own messages to practice their writing. They love when we are all doing the same thing together and I thought I could practice my cursive writing, while they practice whatever they choose to do.
My daughter (4) loves when I write her name or a simple message in cursive - the more elaborate, swirly and loopy the better. I always try to remember to leave the 'i' without dots and she completes the dot of the 'i' with something more interesting than a dot - a butterfly, flower, ladybug, etc. She loves pretty things and cursive writing can be a beautiful art form.
Rippy
Robin Bentley
Why buy curriculum when you can just play with words? Are they writing
on the computer, too? They can "create their own texts" without a
program.
Do they want to tell stories? They can dictate the stories to you and
you can write them down, in cursive if you like.
Cursive isn't a requirement for a happy life! If your daughter likes
it, let her play around with it. Get her cool pencils and pens and
stickers and paints and beautiful paper.
-=- I think both my children would love to create their own messages
to practice their writing.-=-
It isn't necessary for them to "practice" their writing. Let them do
it if they want, or not do it.
Some writings <g> about cursive and writing are here:
http://sandradodd.com/cursive
http://sandradodd.com/writing
http://joyfullyrejoycing.com/academics/handwriting.html
Robin B.
on the computer, too? They can "create their own texts" without a
program.
Do they want to tell stories? They can dictate the stories to you and
you can write them down, in cursive if you like.
Cursive isn't a requirement for a happy life! If your daughter likes
it, let her play around with it. Get her cool pencils and pens and
stickers and paints and beautiful paper.
-=- I think both my children would love to create their own messages
to practice their writing.-=-
It isn't necessary for them to "practice" their writing. Let them do
it if they want, or not do it.
Some writings <g> about cursive and writing are here:
http://sandradodd.com/cursive
http://sandradodd.com/writing
http://joyfullyrejoycing.com/academics/handwriting.html
Robin B.
On May 31, 2011, at 10:05 AM, Rippy Dusseldorp wrote:
> Someone sent me a link for this resource recently, but I haven't
> purchased the program myself or done the free trial yet:
>
> www.startwrite.com
>
> My children (6 and 4) love doing writing worksheets sometimes. They
> have a shelf where they have their colouring books, maze books,
> writing books, etc. Sometimes they don't play with them for weeks or
> months, but they are often popular with them on rainy days.
>
> I thought the startwrite program looked interesting because you can
> create your own texts. I think both my children would love to create
> their own messages to practice their writing. They love when we are
> all doing the same thing together and I thought I could practice my
> cursive writing, while they practice whatever they choose to do.
>
> My daughter (4) loves when I write her name or a simple message in
> cursive - the more elaborate, swirly and loopy the better. I always
> try to remember to leave the 'i' without dots and she completes the
> dot of the 'i' with something more interesting than a dot - a
> butterfly, flower, ladybug, etc. She loves pretty things and cursive
> writing can be a beautiful art form.
>
> Rippy
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
Robin Bentley
Whoops, missed Sandra's first post about a 4 year old wanting to learn
cursive. Never happened in my house <g>, but I do have a book that we
both liked when Senna got older. She still prefers to print, even now,
but is the fastest typist I've seen. And with two fingers!
http://www.amazon.com/Italics-Beautiful-Handwriting-Penny-Gardner/dp/1576361500
Robin B.
cursive. Never happened in my house <g>, but I do have a book that we
both liked when Senna got older. She still prefers to print, even now,
but is the fastest typist I've seen. And with two fingers!
http://www.amazon.com/Italics-Beautiful-Handwriting-Penny-Gardner/dp/1576361500
Robin B.
On May 31, 2011, at 10:05 AM, Rippy Dusseldorp wrote:
> Someone sent me a link for this resource recently, but I haven't
> purchased the program myself or done the free trial yet:
>
> www.startwrite.com
>
> My children (6 and 4) love doing writing worksheets sometimes. They
> have a shelf where they have their colouring books, maze books,
> writing books, etc. Sometimes they don't play with them for weeks or
> months, but they are often popular with them on rainy days.
>
> I thought the startwrite program looked interesting because you can
> create your own texts. I think both my children would love to create
> their own messages to practice their writing. They love when we are
> all doing the same thing together and I thought I could practice my
> cursive writing, while they practice whatever they choose to do.
>
> My daughter (4) loves when I write her name or a simple message in
> cursive - the more elaborate, swirly and loopy the better. I always
> try to remember to leave the 'i' without dots and she completes the
> dot of the 'i' with something more interesting than a dot - a
> butterfly, flower, ladybug, etc. She loves pretty things and cursive
> writing can be a beautiful art form.
>
> Rippy
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
Camille
Just barely skimmed this thread, but, did anybody recommend sumi-e?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_and_wash_painting
Sumi-e embodies concepts that can lead to all sorts of interesting things --
negative vs positive tones and spaces, perspective, fine motor skills,
learning about the Asian cultures that are represented by sumi-e, and more.
You could go on to such things as paper making, using other materials to
create sumi-e art (we used the bark from birch and sycamore trees, with some
lovely results).
Kids' artwork naturally employs some of the characteristics of abstract art.
It might be fun to experiment. And meanwhile, she'd be learning great fine
motor skills which would lead rather naturally to handwriting.
Just a thought ...
--
In Peace,
Camille
^///^\\\///^\\\///^\\\///^\\\^
* Action engenders hope. *
~ Studs Terkel
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_and_wash_painting
Sumi-e embodies concepts that can lead to all sorts of interesting things --
negative vs positive tones and spaces, perspective, fine motor skills,
learning about the Asian cultures that are represented by sumi-e, and more.
You could go on to such things as paper making, using other materials to
create sumi-e art (we used the bark from birch and sycamore trees, with some
lovely results).
Kids' artwork naturally employs some of the characteristics of abstract art.
It might be fun to experiment. And meanwhile, she'd be learning great fine
motor skills which would lead rather naturally to handwriting.
Just a thought ...
--
In Peace,
Camille
^///^\\\///^\\\///^\\\///^\\\^
* Action engenders hope. *
~ Studs Terkel
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
plaidpanties666
>>And meanwhile, she'd be learning great fineIt doesn't have to "lead" anywhere, though. We're talking about a young child wanting to play with the pretty, loopy shapes of mommy's best handwriting - just that is enough. Maybe the same child would like to paint or draw, play with stencils or color in all the letter Os on a page... and maybe she's just fascinated by mommy's pretty loops. There's no need to turn this into a series of "teachable moments" or create a "learning experience".
> motor skills which would lead rather naturally to handwriting.
There are a gazillion ways in which children play which "improve fine motor skills" - they do those things naturally, as they are ready, given the time and lots of little things to manipulate. It's good to bring lots of exciting, rich things into the house and its good to keep the needs of young children in mind. It's not necessary to start breaking everything a child does down into skills and subject-matter, though. Playing with loops can be fun for its own sake, nevermind pre-this and building good that and practicing the other thing.
---Meredith
Sandra Dodd
-=-They have a shelf where they have their colouring books, maze books, writing books, etc. Sometimes they don't play with them for weeks or months, but they are often popular with them on rainy days. -=-
We had a box, with coloring books, stained-glass-window coloring sets, workbooks, mazes, connect-the-dots...
There was an Animaniacs workbook on math that both Marty and Holly really liked. They would pick it up and do a page or two. They finished most of it, but not all, after a few years. :-)
That program looked interesting, but $40 is a lot to pay. Still it's an interesting idea to have something that can create cursive "worksheets" from one's own texts. Not the greatest thing for deschooling purposes, but cool from a "how did they program that" point of view.
Reading fancy cursive writing might be the art that will be lost next after producing fancy cursive. :-)
Many people can't read cursive already, and that's not a huge loss to the world. Smaller loss.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
We had a box, with coloring books, stained-glass-window coloring sets, workbooks, mazes, connect-the-dots...
There was an Animaniacs workbook on math that both Marty and Holly really liked. They would pick it up and do a page or two. They finished most of it, but not all, after a few years. :-)
That program looked interesting, but $40 is a lot to pay. Still it's an interesting idea to have something that can create cursive "worksheets" from one's own texts. Not the greatest thing for deschooling purposes, but cool from a "how did they program that" point of view.
Reading fancy cursive writing might be the art that will be lost next after producing fancy cursive. :-)
Many people can't read cursive already, and that's not a huge loss to the world. Smaller loss.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-Why buy curriculum when you can just play with words? Are they writing
on the computer, too? They can "create their own texts" without a
program.-=-
I think what that program does (and I'm not saying anyone should buy it) is makes a trace-the-cursive "lesson" from whatever text a person enters. So no doubt ten-year-old boys would have a field day figuring out whether there were blocks on "bad words." I thought it was an interesting idea, so I let the post through even though it was slightly toward the curriculum end of the world. :-)
But sure, a mom could write something in cursive with a light-colored pen and the child could trace over that and it would be similar. But very young children (barely four) probably can't trace cursive. So it was more a brainstorming "oh cool" response on my part, and I would hate for the original poster to feel obligated to defend it.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
on the computer, too? They can "create their own texts" without a
program.-=-
I think what that program does (and I'm not saying anyone should buy it) is makes a trace-the-cursive "lesson" from whatever text a person enters. So no doubt ten-year-old boys would have a field day figuring out whether there were blocks on "bad words." I thought it was an interesting idea, so I let the post through even though it was slightly toward the curriculum end of the world. :-)
But sure, a mom could write something in cursive with a light-colored pen and the child could trace over that and it would be similar. But very young children (barely four) probably can't trace cursive. So it was more a brainstorming "oh cool" response on my part, and I would hate for the original poster to feel obligated to defend it.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
kiabrice
** I thought the startwrite program looked interesting because you can create your own texts. I think both my children would love to create their own messages to practice their writing. They love when we are all doing the same thing together and I thought I could practice my cursive writing, while they practice whatever they choose to do.
**
Along those lines, you can create your own practice sheets for free using your own choice of text: http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/flash/cursive/index.htm
Getting a bit OT of the original question, but just thought I'd point that out, for anyone who is interested in that sort of thing, save the $40. You can find similiar sites that offer the same for print writing instead of cursive.
Maybe the program offers something extra that makes it worth the cost...not that I saw in a quick glance though.
**
Along those lines, you can create your own practice sheets for free using your own choice of text: http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/flash/cursive/index.htm
Getting a bit OT of the original question, but just thought I'd point that out, for anyone who is interested in that sort of thing, save the $40. You can find similiar sites that offer the same for print writing instead of cursive.
Maybe the program offers something extra that makes it worth the cost...not that I saw in a quick glance though.
Robin Bentley
> I think what that program does (and I'm not saying anyone should buyI was probably responding more to the language that popped out at me:
> it) is makes a trace-the-cursive "lesson" from whatever text a
> person enters. So no doubt ten-year-old boys would have a field day
> figuring out whether there were blocks on "bad words." I thought
> it was an interesting idea, so I let the post through even though it
> was slightly toward the curriculum end of the world. :-)
>
> But sure, a mom could write something in cursive with a light-
> colored pen and the child could trace over that and it would be
> similar. But very young children (barely four) probably can't
> trace cursive. So it was more a brainstorming "oh cool" response on
> my part, and I would hate for the original poster to feel obligated
> to defend it.
-=- I think both my children would love to create their own messages to
practice their writing. They love when we are all doing the same thing
together
and I thought I could practice my cursive writing, while they practice
whatever
they choose to do.-=-
The word "practice" stood out and made me wonder why 4- and 6-year-
olds were "practicing" writing? Whatever they're doing, they're
actually *doing* it!
"Practice" makes me think of enforcing something for an end result
envisioned by an adult <g>. However, it could be want the kids want to
do it of their own volition (like one might "practice" piano or guitar
to get better at it), so in that case, never mind!
Robin B.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-The word "practice" stood out and made me wonder why 4- and 6-year-
olds were "practicing" writing? Whatever they're doing, they're
actually *doing* it!-=-
Good point, but tracing handwriting isn't writing, either.
Maybe "play with it" would solve both problems.
-=- I think both my children would love to create their own messages to
practice their writing. They love when we are all doing the same thing
together and I thought I could practice my cursive writing, while they practice
whatever they choose to do.-=-
If I sit and write the same letters or words over and over, I'm practicing.
I'm thinking of handwriting or calligraphy. Really *doing* it should produce something someone else could read.
Similarly with music, if I'm trying to get a certain interval or alternate fingering or phrase smooth and right, or I'm trying to figure out chords or fingerpicking on a guitar song, and am diddling around for a comfortable, fast way to change from one chord to another, with a few good strings to hit in the passage from one chord to another, that's not "playing guitar" or "playing recorder" just for that time I'm figuring something out or repeating it to gain confidence.
But I don't think someone should call ALL of what they do with an instrument at home "practice," because sometimes they're all the way to playing music, even if it's not full-length performance style, or full volume.
Sandra
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olds were "practicing" writing? Whatever they're doing, they're
actually *doing* it!-=-
Good point, but tracing handwriting isn't writing, either.
Maybe "play with it" would solve both problems.
-=- I think both my children would love to create their own messages to
practice their writing. They love when we are all doing the same thing
together and I thought I could practice my cursive writing, while they practice
whatever they choose to do.-=-
If I sit and write the same letters or words over and over, I'm practicing.
I'm thinking of handwriting or calligraphy. Really *doing* it should produce something someone else could read.
Similarly with music, if I'm trying to get a certain interval or alternate fingering or phrase smooth and right, or I'm trying to figure out chords or fingerpicking on a guitar song, and am diddling around for a comfortable, fast way to change from one chord to another, with a few good strings to hit in the passage from one chord to another, that's not "playing guitar" or "playing recorder" just for that time I'm figuring something out or repeating it to gain confidence.
But I don't think someone should call ALL of what they do with an instrument at home "practice," because sometimes they're all the way to playing music, even if it's not full-length performance style, or full volume.
Sandra
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Robin Bentley
> -=-The word "practice" stood out and made me wonder why 4- and 6-year-For sure. I wasn't clear. I meant they were "doing something". If they
> olds were "practicing" writing? Whatever they're doing, they're
> actually *doing* it!-=-
>
> Good point, but tracing handwriting isn't writing, either.
were tracing, they were *doing* tracing, not practicing writing.
>Yes.
> Maybe "play with it" would solve both problems.
>
> If I sit and write the same letters or words over and over, I'm
> practicing.
> I'm thinking of handwriting or calligraphy. Really *doing* it
> should produce something someone else could read.
>It's diddling <g>. Not playing. I didn't mean to suggest that messing
> Similarly with music, if I'm trying to get a certain interval or
> alternate fingering or phrase smooth and right, or I'm trying to
> figure out chords or fingerpicking on a guitar song, and am diddling
> around for a comfortable, fast way to change from one chord to
> another, with a few good strings to hit in the passage from one
> chord to another, that's not "playing guitar" or "playing recorder"
> just for that time I'm figuring something out or repeating it to
> gain confidence.
around with writing by tracing was "doing writing." At the same time,
it's not exactly practicing.
I think I'm going around in circles. I'll stop now.
>When I sing, I'm sometimes rehearsing a particular song for
>
> But I don't think someone should call ALL of what they do with an
> instrument at home "practice," because sometimes they're all the way
> to playing music, even if it's not full-length performance style, or
> full volume.
>
performance. Just as often, I'm singing because it makes me happy to
do it. I don't think of either of them as "practicing" for some reason.
Robin B.
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