Abeka Handwriting

Description

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Abeka's approach to handwriting/penmanship is unique in a few major ways. First, is their commitment to cursive handwriting from the earliest levels. A preference for cursive handwriting (an extension of the natural tendency of children to draw in loops) marks their K4 and K5 materials. Although they do offer a manuscript option in terms of books and curriculum plans, still it is cursive that is incorporated into their overall lesson plans. And, cursive is the only handwriting option after 1st grade.

Second, is their coverage of composition practice in the penmanship materials. Combining penmanship instruction/practice with composition practice might seem logical, but it is rarely found in curriculum. Abeka's handwriting program is an exception. Although the earliest years of handwriting instruction/practice are correlated with letter/sound instruction, that begins to change toward the end of the 1st grade materials when paragraph composition is introduced. Paragraph writing and writing prompts are woven throughout the Grade 2 materials. Starting with Grade 3, composition and creative writing become a central focus, although the materials never lose sight of the need for penmanship practice.

Throughout the program, good writing position is emphasized. Coupled with this emphasis is a handy handwriting house icon that has colorful details for youngest students and morphs into an outline form for more experienced writers (i.e. 1st and 2nd grades). The writing house is a set of lines. The upper line is the ceiling of the upstairs; dotted line is the ceiling of downstairs; the pink line is the floor of the downstairs; while the basement line is the floor of the basement. These house locations are referenced in letter formation instruction and used in formal and informal evaluation of handwriting specimens.

For instance, here is one example from the K4 level: "Little s lives in the downstairs. He looks like a little worm. . . . . . Capital S lives in the upstairs and downstairs. He looks like a big snake."

Handwriting/penmanship workbooks (instruction) and practice tablets (additional practice) are included in the Language Arts Student kits. The Curriculum Lesson Plans included with the Parent Kit provide handwriting instruction using the cursive materials integrated with other language arts subjects. All kit components can be purchased as individual products and the handwriting program can be done separately from either the Phonics or Language Arts instruction. Separate manuscript lesson plans are available. Although the lesson plans are helpful (and necessary if you want the correlation with other language arts subjects), you could probably use the handwriting books by themselves as the workbooks each include proper hand and body posture as well as letter formation guides.

Many of the student handwriting components for the early grades come in either a bound or an unbound version. This means you will want to think through how you plan to use the book. For lots of reasons, it is best for young students to work on a single page rather than in a workbook. With the bound version, you can remove one perforated page at a time. The unbound version eliminates that job, but means you need some method of keeping the pages organized (I would use a 1/2" file jacket).

Overall, Abeka® Handwriting is an excellent program with plenty of practice, an emphasis on proper position, and the incorporation of composition. Ongoing evaluation is another emphasis with tests surfacing at the first-grade level. Colorful materials engage the youngest students and edifying copywork choices are another plus. ~ Janice

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.