Print So It's Easy To Read
Practicing Letter Formation (Virtual Tour)
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 1: Beginning LiteracyAges:
4-7
Grade Range:
K 1stFood Groups:
Primary: Writing Conventions
Transcript
One of the things I noticed about my students' printing was that it wasn't really helping them to convey their message as they were writing. There were a lot of difficulties with letter formation, a lot of reversals, and a lot of just not knowing how to correctly form the letters. And I wanted to help students to see that if writing is a form of communication the way we write matters, in certain contexts, maybe not when we're writing in a writing journal just for us, but if we're hoping to communicate what we write to an audience legibility counts for something. And I thought it was safe way to teach students about the reason why we need to be careful when we print, and so I called it Print So It's Easy to Read. And I did not come up with this, I consulted with the school's occupational therapist who helped me to see how letters could be organized into just three or four basic categories. Some letters, A, C and so on fit within two lines, some go above those lines like B and D, some go below like G and J, and then upper case letters always go above the line. And this was just simple enough for first and second graders to understand the way letters can be organized on a page without placing too much of an emphasis on letter formations so that it starts to take away from the purpose and the reason for writing. And I found that this was an effective way to help students see and be systematic about their writing so that they could organize it so that their audience could really appreciate it.
Related References
Activity Objective
The goal of Print So It's Easy To Read: Practicing Letter Formation (Virtual Tour) is to provide students with a visual strategy to help them to express their ideas in writing.
Quick Tips
Additional Comments:
- Discuss the importance of legibility when communicating through written expression. - Model the strategy so that students have a clear understanding of the expectations. - Provide many opportunities for students to practice using this strategy. Give oral feedback to them on a regular basis, including their strengths and next steps. - You may wish to have the students practice this printing strategy at home. Provide parents with a letter explaining the strategy and how they can encourage their child to practice at home.
Other Recipes by this Teacher
A Visual Portfolio: Using a Writing Wall to Track Development (Virtual Tour)
1st - 5th
What's the Big Idea?: Understanding the Author's Message (Virtual Tour)
1st - 3rd
Community Features: Developing Research and Writing Skills (Virtual Tour)
1st - 2nd
Classroom Library: Promoting Independent Reading in First and Second Grade (Virtual Tour)
1st - 2nd
Guided and Independent Reading: Running Records (Virtual Tour)
1st - 6th
