Kinetic Letters Handwriting Programme 2021

 

Outline 

Kinetic Letters is a Handwriting programme that teaches formation, and also develops children's gross and fine motor skills. The combination of these aspects = automatic, efficient and neat handwriting. There are a series of Strands which make up the online professional development I have undertaken, as well as an excellent Teacher Resource Guide (see below for photos). This is a record of my learning. 

The Strands

Red Strand: Making Bodies Stronger   

It is important to help children build the following strengths: 

1. Pelvic girdle, by using animal positions (e.g. lion, lizard, meercat) & sitting crossed legged, hands on knees

2. Shoulder girdle, using floor push ups, plank, hanging on monkey bars, crawling

3. Forearm and wrist strength e.g. by using alternate sides of hand, such as flipping a coin from one sideto other; cutting, vertical writing (e.g. on paper posted on the wall)

4. Hand and finger strength through finger rhymes and squeezing or rolling playdough or materials, picking up items with pegs or tongs, lego, beads

See Teacher Resource Book p2.13-2.14 for ways to develop different areas of hand strength

Writing Position 

1. Lying on floor, with feet together and forearms under body, upper body upright 

2. Sitting at table, straight with feet on floor and hip distance apart 

CHECK that the wrist bent back position is being used. 

DO NOT let children sit on floor with board on their knees or in front of them as it forces the hand into an incorrect position, and doesn't allow the other arm (helping arm) to support them. 

LEFT HANDERS: board/page is angled downhill

RIGHT HANDERS: board/page is angled uphill

The Pencil Grip Position: Two holding fingers (thumb and index finger) either side of pencil, with a small gap between. Resting finger (third finger) underneath the pencil. Other fingers rest underneath.

Green Strand: Holding the Pencil 

The Steps of Pencil Pick Up 
1. Get holding fingers ready
2. Tip the pencil back and lay it on your hand
3. Put the pillow finger under the pencil

Pencil Pick Up & Checks
1. Holding fingers opposite 2. Space between holding fingers  3. Pillow finger under  4. Pen back.  

5. Wrist bent   6. Hand rests down  

PROMPT FOR CHILDREN TO SELF-CHECK PENCIL GRIP: Is your pillow finger in the right place? Have you got the three friends positioned correctly?

Refined Finger Movements (RFM)

Have the students practise and self-check their pencil grip. The goal of refined finger movements is to strengthen finger muscles and keep only the 3 friends holding the pencil the whole time. Quality movements, not quantity. 

Start by practising simple zig zags on a line (push, pull; push, pull) and then move through the RFM flow patterns below (see image). Use the Bounce & Skip boards or the practise sheet (p. 4.17 of Teacher Resource Book). 

Corrections: if a child is using an incorrect hold, try adding a weight (e.g. if pencil is skewed) or placing a piece a bluetack between the two holding fingers (e.g. if they do not keep their 3 friends on the pencil). Also check the hand (holding the pencil) is resting down on the page. Correcting/remediating the pencil hold issue requires assessing and diagnosing it (see pages 4.18 onwards).

Yellow Strand: Learning the Letters

The Six Letter Moves - 

Down (straight down like a helicopter) (down, on down for q,p,g etc)

Up

Push (push away from the tree toward the right of the body/page) 

Pull (pull back towards the tree, toward the left side of body/page)

Slide 

Flick

The Tree - shows where to start each letter (brave monkey starts at the top; scared monkey jumps from the second branch - using the monkeys and story books for the Kinetic Letters programme). Practise 3 By the Tree - 3 letters, using correct start point and orientation, by the tree (vertical - first 3 lines; horizontal - across lines)

Language - move it, say it, write it

Have the students practise letters using the moves, e.g. h is made by the brave monkey so starts at the top of the tree...e.g. "Let's practise...down, bump (touch ground/line), up, push over, down bump."

Encourage children to say the movements as they make the moves.

Exercises: 

* Children stand, using their writing hand/arm to make the moves, 

* As above, using both hands

* Have the children draw the tree as practise ("start at the Brave Monkey's branch, down bump etc)

* Practise using whiteboards or paper stuck to the wall 

* Practise in sand trays

Teaching sequence 

* Make the letters on the board for children, using a larger than normal board/line/tree

* Have the children move the letters with their arm/hand...standing, kneeling (meercat position) etc

Spacing

Within words: teach this as letters 'snuggling' together

Between words: approx the size of two letters (not using finger spaces) 'invisable pairs'

Across the line: start by the tree '3 by the tree'

 

The Letter Families

Lower Case

Teach each family using the stories (Brave Monkey, Scared Monkey) and movements (down - bump etc) to help children know the correct start point, direction and formation of each letter. 

Jumper Family: hbrmnp

Abracadabra Family: coadgqs

Window Cleaner Family: ltiu

Special Squirter: e

Fisher Family: gyjf

Slider Family: kvwxz

Upper Case

Remind children to take the "pen off" after each letter, as capitals are not joined. 

Straight Letters: IELFHT

Curves Letters: COSGQ

Lines Then Curves Letters: DPBRJU 

Sliding Letters: AMNWVXZKY 

Numbers: these all start at the top (Bounce's branch) but with a pull (0,6,9,8,1,4)  or push (2,3,5,7) movement. 

START

Use the START Teaching Plan 

S=set up 

T=target practise

A=attention focus

R=reinforcement (teacher / peer feedback, self-review; overwrite or freewrite or transfer to paper)

T=target setting

Use an assess, correct, detect approach to help children master formation of each letter.

Blue Strand : Flow, Fluency & Joining

Help students learn to form each letter family in the air, on sand trays, then on the Bounce and Skip boards and then transfer the letters to paper. 

Encourage the children to aim for flow (not jerky, rushy movements...slow and flowing). 

Write the date on the second line of each new page, so children can practise using the line position correctly for tall and short letters. Use the following to help children develop flow:

* Doodle Patterns

* Letter challenges e.g. write all of the jumper family, abracadabra family etc

* Overwrite letters 

* Transfer - write a line on board, then transfer to a practice page.

Check (asses, correct, detect approach)

Check and give feedback on letter:

Formation - orientation, form

Poisitioning - height, grounding and spacing 

Fluency Targets - see p. 5.10 of Teacher Guide

Joining (once children are ready for this) 

Letters are breakers or joiners (flick, ground or top) depending on where they join the next letter

Overwrite, then Free write 

Joining charts - see progressions on p. 5.20 onwards of Teacher Guide.