handwriting lesson for kids

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
January 9, 2007

On Jan 9, 2007, at 6:14 AM, CWren at doe.k12.ga.us wrote:
> Val, As you know, Donna and I will begin teaching the kids this  
> friday... would you recommend starting them with handwriting  
> symbols, since that is primarily what they will be doing at first,  
> or with the full symbols as done in the computer, since that is  
> what they will be reading primarily...  Does my question make  
> sense?  Should I do up a handwritten version of Hickory Dickory,  
> for example, rather than use the computer printed one, since they  
> will not be using the computer themselves right away?  Which symbol  
> set should they learn first?

My Goodness! You need the materials I developed for teaching children  
in different Levels...

No...do not start with Hickory Dickory Dock, which is beautifully  
written, but is too advanced for beginning writers and especially  
children...it is Level 3 or 4...that can be introduced after they  
have completed a Workbook in Level 1...

I was so hoping that you and Donna would join the Literacy Project  
and ask for the materials and then I would print and send them to  
you...that way you would have the Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 we developed  
for children...

But let me explain...

We developed SignWriting Levels for teaching children...which we used  
in the Albuquerque School system for years...

Goldilocks at SignWriting Level 1 is a workbook and coloring book for  
young children...the children learn specific symbols and write them  
in rows, and color pictures and then write the signs for those   
pictures...then we graduate them to Level 2, 3 and 4...later, after  
they have completed writing the whole Workbook Level 1...they learn  
to read simple writing, and then graduate to more complex writing,  
like your marvelous stories, Cherie, which are at Level 3 and 4...

You can download all four levels of writing and reading Goldilocks on  
the web...

All of your written literature, including Hickory Dickory Dock, can  
be developed in 4 Levels too...but that takes some development time ;-)

So today, Tuesday, I am going to print 10 workbooks for you, and send  
them Express Mail to you...they may not make it by Friday...but we  
can try!

You can also download the PDF of Workbook 1 and print them out for  
your kids yourself...Can you print in color at your school? Here is  
the link for Workbook 1:

Download & Print Workbook 1, at Level 1 for kids:
http://www.signwriting.org/archive/thumbnails/00025.html

On this web page, you will see documents 76, 77 and 78...all three  
are used with young children...but number 76 is the Workbook Level  
1...for Hand-Printing basic symbols...


Val ;-)