Handwriting without Tears - any experience?

[nuru]

Occupational Therapist has recommended this programme for dd2.

Just wondering if anyone else has used it for their dc and how school initally reacted, given the fact that it starts with upper case letters (and therefore very different to what is done in most schools).

Cheers

Hi, this was recommended by the OT for my DD about a year ago when she was in Y2. I think the OT found the teachers were initially reluctant to follow it & they came to an agreement whereby if DDs writing didn't improve by a certain time, they would implement HWTs. It was implemented half way through Y2 & made a difference. We didn't start with capitals however, as DD was already used to doing lower case. DD has since moved up to juniors and I know the OT is exasperated that juniors has so far refused to follow on with what was done in infants. She is due to go into school in a couple of weeks & I am bracing myself for some sort of fall out.

All reports I've heard of this are good although not sure about using at school as most kids I know who've used it have been on ABA home progs, here or in USA. We used Sensible Pencil with DS with some success but I don't think he is ever going to be able to write as such. I think it helped with recognition of letters and being able to form them, but the limitations are his rather than the system iyswim.

We use it at our school and it works great for the kids who who work with the OT. We use it with all kids though and it works great with all of them. It's a lot of fun for them as well as they get to use their whole bodies to make the letters. I would recommend it.

Thanks for the responses. Good to hear that it is quite well known and established.

Marmum - what school do you work in? Is it mainstream or more specialist?

Have a meeting at school on Monday, so let's see...

Nuru- I work in a special school but with mainstream and children with additional needs. (They all have a specific need to go to our school, but it doesn't necessarily place them in the additional need category). Sorry if that sounds a little cryptic, but it's a well-known school and I don't want to meet any parents from my school on here.