Did you know about the code? (Handwriting without Tears)

Did you know that there is a code on the front of your Handwriting without Tears teacher's guide? I wouldn't have known it if it weren't for the fabulous seminar I attended a few weeks ago given by Handwriting without Tears. Handwriting without Tears was birthed by the passion and expertise of one mother, Jan Olsen, who wanted to help her first grade son who was struggling with handwriting. Jan, an occupational therapist by profession, used her knowledge and love to devise a program that worked to solve her son's handwriting issues. Naturally, when the teachers saw the improvement in Jan's son, she was asked to help other children in the classroom. Now, fast forward to today, and we have the wonderful curriculum known as Handwriting without Tears.

I learned so much in their seminar, but one of the main things I took away with me, was to use the multi-sensory tools that they've provided. I hate to admit it, but I thought some of these tools were a waste of time or money. Who needs songs about handwriting....right? Well, my children need them. These multi-sensory materials are so beneficial for the early elementary years, and more importantly, any child that has a learning difference. I sat in the seminar for 8 hours learning why all these materials work, and I was not bored for even a minute. It was fabulous. If you use these multi-sensory tools from the beginning, remediation won't be necessary. The multi-sensory materials help to embed the information deeper in the brain, and if you have a child with dyslexia, you know that learning the "usual way", just doesn't cut it. So, if you are looking at Handwriting without Tears and wondering what to get, I encourage you to not forget the multi-sensory materials.

Now, back to the code. This code found on the inside front cover, enables you to log onto their website and print your own worksheets. I did skim through the teachers guide, but never noticed their blurb on the inside front cover titled A Click Away. Along with the worksheet maker, there are several other resources listed. Soon, I plan to use the Screener of Handwriting Proficiency. A clever little tool to help asses your child's handwriting proficiency and to determine if any remediation is necessary. Now go grab your teacher's guide and find your code.

Time4Learning

Before the Holidays, I was excited to hear about an opportunity to try an online interactive curriculum. I had been looking for something that my children could do independently while I was working with another child. Teaching children with dyslexia can be very labor intensive, and I needed a way to keep the distractions from my other two children at a minimum. The generous people at Time4Learning allowed me to use their curriculum for free for one month, and in return, I agreed to write a review of our experience with their curriculum.

Time4Learning uses animated lessons to teach language arts, math, social studies and science. Kids are able to learn at their own pace, and parents are able to take advantage of their automated grading, lesson plans and detailed reporting.

What worked for us

Time for learning was easy to use
It kept my children engaged
The material was interesting
It kept distractions to a minimum while I was working one on one with another child.

What didn't work for us

My children are dyslexic, so I couldn't take advantage of the Language Arts portion.
The only portion we were able to use was the Science portion, and we would be able to go through it within a month or two.

Although I love Time4Learning's interactive format, it could never take the place of a loving parent teaching their child. However, I do think Time4Learning is an awesome supplement for Homeschoolers or for parents who want to keep their children engaged during the weekends, Holidays or summer months. If you are a new homeschooling parent, Time4Learning would be a great place to start while you research all your homeschooling options. For your free trial visit Time4Learning

Praises for Singapore Math

Perhaps you've heard the buzz about children in Singapore producing some of the highest math scores in the world. Where did this originate? In 1995, eighth-graders in the tiny nation of Singapore finished first in the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). In 1999 they repeated the feat. In contrast, the U.S. finished in the middle of the pack both times. What is their secret? Why are children in Singapore performing so well on math tests. I believe there are several factors involved, such as age appropriate material, their effective and thorough training of teachers, and mainly, their method of teaching math.


The Singaporean method follows a sequential approach of concrete, pictorial and finally abstract. For example, today we were talking about which two numbers together equal 8. I drew a green tree on one side of the paper and then a brown tree on the other side of the paper. I gave my son 8 raisins and asked him to place them on the trees. Then I asked, "how many raisins are on the green tree? How many raisins are on the brown tree?" We kept doing this until we exhausted all the possible number combinations. I wrote each number combination on a white board. After that, we looked at his math text book, and it had a picture of eight bunnies. We told each other number stories about the bunnies. For example, three bunnies where above the ground and five bunnies were under ground. After that he did the exercise in his workbook. The exercise went as follows: Mr. Eight knocked down two pins in each set. The numbers on the two pins should make 8. Color them. He's presented with a set of pins that have the numbers 6,3,5,1 and 8. He had to figure out which two made eight. Now remember, he's already seen it with the raisins on the trees and the pictures of the bunnies. Even if he gets it wrong, he quickly corrects himself.

Now, if you have a child with dyslexia, maybe you've been told it is very difficult to teach them by rote memorization. Rote memorization just doesn't stick with them, so a lot of these children struggle to learn their math facts. I was told to teach Big Brother using "Touch Math" which places dots on the numbers to reduce the need for memorization, but I haven't had to resort to that yet, because he is remembering his math facts through this type of teaching. Also, he is enjoying math.

Maybe you're a homeschooling mom and starting to feel some anxiety, because you aren't using Singapore math, or maybe you tried and it didn't work for you. My advice is to stick with what works for your child. But, if you have a struggling child, which is also very visual, you might want to look into Singapore math. It's working for us, and I can't be more pleased.