D'Nealian Manuscript Handwriting
We teach the students the D'Nealian style of letter and number formation. The many curved lines (tails) in this style provide an easy transition to Cursive writing. We teach letters out of order to better facilitate understanding and proper form when writing. Example- [a, d, & g] and [r, h, & n] are the same basic letter. When helping your student to write, we encourage you to use the D'Nealian alphabet. When teaching your student to write his or her name, please teach him/her to use the proper form with a capital for the first letter and all the rest small letters.
See "Handwriting Tips" for D'Nealian letters and numbers showing where to start forming the letter or number.
********************************************************************************************************************************* Alphabet Art
Here are a few fun mediums you can use to help your students form letters of the alphabet.
Pretzel Dough
Break off a small piece of refrigerated French bread dough and roll it into a long snake. Then shape it into letters and place on a greased tray. In a bowl stir egg white from one egg with a tablespoon of water. Brush each letter with the mixture, then sprinkle coarse salt on top. Bake the letters in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for fifteen to twenty minutes. Cool then eat.
Peanut Butter
Mix 18 oz. of peanut butter, 6 tablespoons of honey, and enough non-fat dry milk until you get a workable dough. Add a bit of cocoa for flavor and this dough is ready to shape into letters and eat.
Popcorn
Pop up a big bowl of popcorn. Ask students to write out the letters on a piece of paper, and then glue the popcorn on the paper, following the shape of the letter.
Yarn
Give students a long piece of yarn and cut and shape it into letters on a piece of paper. When they are satisfied with their end products, ask them to glue them on a piece of paper.
Shaving Cream
Spray a small ball of shaving cream on each student's work area. Ask them to use their fingers to make letters out of it. Make sure that you remind them not to put it in their mouths!
Plastecine Letters
Roll out plastecine into a long snake, then form letters.
Glitter
Ask students to write out a letter on a piece of paper and trace it with glue. Then throw glitter on it and shake the excess glitter off.
Leaves
Collect a variety of leaves. Ask students to write out a letter on a piece of paper and trace it with glue, then glue leaves overlapping each other in the formation of the letter.
Icing
Ask students to form letters, using an icing bag, on top of cupcakes.
Cereal
Glue cereal pieces into the shape of letters.
Pasta
Glue pasta pieces into the shape of letters.
Buttons
Blue buttons into the shape of letters.
Water
Dip paint brushes in water and "paint" letters onto a blackboard or a piece of construction paper.