Teaching Handwriting. Vol. School- based OTs are experiencing an alarming increase in handwriting referrals, yet these referrals are often due to inadequate or absent handwriting instruction in the classroom.
Rather than using their skills to remediate foundational deficits, therapists are merely re- teaching students who have taught themselves wrong letter formations, inefficient stroke patterns and poor writing habits. By addressing handwriting proactively and in the classroom, teachers can prevent poor handwriting habits. An innovative and exciting way of accomplishing this is by using Herbi Writer, a new software program created to teach handwriting through the use of technology. GREEK AND LATIN ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES This is a resource pack that I put together for myself to teach roots, prefixes, and suffixes as part of a separate vocabulary class (short weekly sessions). Massdrop is an online community for enthusiasts. Whether you're an audiophile, quilter, backpacker, or style maven, you can connect with others, discuss your interests and favorite products, and save on those products when you. Guy Barker’s Herbi Writer looks like it has the potential to be very useful in elementary education settings: Herbi Writer is a Tablet PC program for people learning how to handwrite. It shows sample letters being written. View Guy Barker's business profile as Software Developer at Herbi.org and see work history, affiliations and more. Guy Barker, a software programmer with Microsoft, has long aspired to create software for individuals with disabilities. I had dreamed of having software written for the purpose of teaching handwriting. So I contacted Barker on the Internet about the possibility. This software turns the task of learning handwriting into a fun, engaging and interactive process for the student. Because the game is fun, students are highly motivated to participate in handwriting instruction! The responsibility of teaching handwriting is lifted from the therapist and the teacher. Good habits are initiated from the onset and bad habits are prevented. Best of all, there is little required from the teacher or occupational therapist! Herbi Writer transforms the process of learning handwriting from a laborious task to a fun, interactive and motivating . A tablet PC is similar to a laptop but can use handwriting for input rather than a keyboard. With a tablet PC, a person uses a stylus and writes directly on the computer screen using his own handwriting. Because the tablet PC can recognize and interpret handwriting, the Herbi Writer software could be created to teach handwriting in an interactive fashion that other types of computers were unable to facilitate. One type is similar to a laptop and includes a keyboard. The person can either write directly on the screen or use a keyboard. The screen pivots and can be folded flat for ease of handwriting input. These tablet PCs run from $1,2. This type of tablet PC is smaller, portable and more affordable. It does not have a keyboard, so all input is through use of handwriting (although a keyboard can be attached if desired). UMPC pricing begins at $9. Herbi provides an animated example of how the letter is made by drawing through the proper letter stroke and formation. The student sees exactly how a letter is formed, rather than just a static end product of the letter. The speed of the animation can be controlled from slow to fast according to student preferences and needs. The student must try to match the modeled letter stroke. The student earns a point. If the student forms the letter incorrectly, the letter simply moves off the screen and the student does not earn a point (and Herbi doesn't smile), but he continues to display the missed letter (with letter animation) until the student writes the letter correctly. Once the letter is written correctly, Herbi smiles and the game resumes. Herbi then brings up a new letter for the student to try. This is a strength of the Herbi Writer program over a traditional pencil- and- paper exercise. With those, only the end product is graded for accuracy. When using Herbi Writer, the writing process itself is graded. The student will not gain a point and will have to attempt the letter again until he completes it properly, from the top down. As a result, Herbi strongly enforces and positively reinforces proper letter formations. In the beginner level, Herbi is more lenient about letter formations in regard to precision and size. He does, however, continue to insist upon proper letter strokes (top- down, etc.). Finally, in the advanced setting, Herbi is meticulous and demands nearly an exact replication of the sample letter. Because there are three levels of difficulty, Herbi Writer is easily graded up or down for individual student needs and abilities. The student scores one point for each letter accurately formed at the first attempt. If a letter is missed, he continues with that letter until he forms it correctly. Then the game resumes, and Herbi moves to a new letter until all 2. Then the game ends and Herbi gives a final score. Before the game starts, the teacher simply indicates the desired letters by entering them into the Herbi Writer settings. The next Herbi Writer game will be comprised only of those letters. When the student clicks . Selecting designated letters also focuses the game on problem letters for that specific student, thus individualizing the handwriting lesson to the needs of the child. Therefore, students' scores can be recorded over a period of time to provide clear, accurate data for charting progress. In addition, Herbi Writer is an excellent tool for evaluating handwriting because it provides concrete data on letter production accuracy. However, the student must accurately write all the letters in the word to gain a point instead of just a single letter. This comes in handy with cursive writing, where the entire word is graded for stroke accuracy. The line width is currently not adjustable, but this feature is under development as well. There is also the option for making the background of the paper standard white or bright yellow to increase visual contrast and clarity. This format can be reversed, with Herbi on the right side to accommodate left- handed students. Some are overcoming poor handwriting habits, and some are learning handwriting for the first time. The software is equally effective with both types of students. After getting a letter correct with Herbi Writer, one student broke out in a broad smile, yelled . If you have access to a tablet PC, go to www. Herbi Writer for free! Barker and I would like your feedback on the program, so please email us with your thoughts and comments. She offers her workshop, The Write Stuff, all across the country. If you would like more information on her program or on using technology to teach handwriting, please visit her website www. Susan@handylearning. Susan has no financial affiliation with any of the companies or equipment mentioned in this article. If you would like to email Guy Barker, the creator of Herbi Writer, you can visit his Web site at www. Barker@Herbi. org. You can download Herbi Writer for free at www.
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