The Lies Your Mind Tells You to Prevent Life Changes
The mind is a wonderful thing. It’s also a complete liar that constantly tries to convince us not to take actions we know are good for us, and stops many great changes in our lives.
Scumbag mind.
I’ve had to learn to watch these rationalizations and excuses very carefully, in order to make the changes I’ve made in my life: a healthier diet, regular exercise, meditation, minimalism, writing daily, getting out of debt, quitting smoking, and so on.
If I hadn’t learned these excuses, and how to counter them, I would never have stuck to these changes. In fact, I failed many times before 2005 (when I started changing my life), because these excuses had complete power over me.
Let’s expose the cowardly mind’s excuses and rationalizations once and for all.
First, the main principle: the mind wants comfort, and is afraid of discomfort and change. The mind is used to its comfort cocoon, and anytime we try to push beyond that comfort zone very far or for very long, the mind tries desperately to get back into the cocoon. At any cost, including our long-term health and happiness.
OK, with that in mind, let’s go into the excuses:
I can’t do it. It seems too hard, so we think we can’t stick to the change. We don’t believe in ourselves. This can be countered from the fact that many other people no more capable than us have done it. For example, Oprah ran a marathon a little before I started training for my first marathon, and so I told myself, “If Oprah can do it, so can I!” I was right.
He/she can do it, but that doesn’t apply to me. Just because someone else can do it, doesn’t mean we can, right? We look for reasons they can do it but we can’t — maybe he can be a minimalist because he has no kids, or is a freelancer rather than someone with a real job. Maybe she’s way, way fitter than I am, so she can run a marathon. Maybe she doesn’t have all the obligations I have, or has a supportive spouse, or doesn’t have a crippling health condition. OK, fine, it’s easy to find excuses: but look at all the other people who have worse obstacles than you who’ve done it. I have 6 kids and still managed to change a lot of things in my life. Stories abound of people with disabilities or illnesses who overcame their obstacles to achieve amazing things. Your obstacles can be overcome.
I need my ___. Fill in the blank: I need my coffee, my cheese, my soda, my TV shows, my car, my shoe collection … these are things we convince ourselves we can’t live without, so we can’t make a change like becoming vegan or eating healthier or unschooling our kids or simplifying our lives or going car-free. And I’ve made these excuses myself, but they all turned out to be lies. I didn’t need any of that. The only things you really need are basic food, water, clothing, shelter, and other people for social needs. Everything else is not a real need.
Life is meant to be enjoyed. Sure, I agree with this statement (as many of us would) but the problem is this is used to justify all kinds of crappy behavior. Might as well scarf down those Doritos and Twinkies, because hey, life is meant to be enjoyed, right? No. You can do without junk food and still enjoy life. You can exercise and enjoy it. You can give up pretty much anything and still enjoy life, if you learn to see almost any activity as enjoyable.
I need comfort. This might also be true, but we can push ourselves into more discomfort than we let ourselves believe. We can be a bit cold, instead of needing to be at the perfect comfortable temperature. We can do hard exercise, instead of needing to lay around on the couch. We can write that thing we’ve been procrastinating on — it might be hard, but we can push through that. When our minds seek comfort, don’t let them run — push a little bit outside the comfort zone, and begin to be OK with a bit of discomfort.
I don’t know how. This is also true, but you can learn. Start with a little at a time, and learn how to deal with this new change. Do some research online. Watch some videos. Ask people online how they dealt with it. This is easily overcome with a little effort and practice. In fact, if you do it now, and learn a little at a time, then you’ll be able to do away with this pesky excuse.
I can do it later. Sure, you can always do it later … but your later self will also feel the same way. Why should the later self be more disciplined than your current self? In fact, because you’re allowing yourself to slide now, you’re building a habit of procrastination and actually making is less likely that your future self will be more disciplined. Instead, do it now, unless there’s something more important that you need to do … don’t let yourself slide just because you don’t feel like it.
One time won’t hurt. This is so tempting, because it’s kind of true — one time won’t hurt. Assuming, that is, that it’s only one time. One bite of chocolate cake, one missed workout, one time procrastinating instead of writing. Unfortunately, it’s never actually just one time. One time means your brain now knows it can get away with this excuse, and the next “one time” leads to another, until you’re not actually sticking to something. Make a rule: never ever believe the “one time” excuse. I did this with smoking (“Not One Puff Ever”) and it worked. If you’re going to allow yourself a bite or two of chocolate cake, decide beforehand and build it into your plan (“I will allow myself a fist-sized serving of sweets once every weekend”) and stick to that plan, rather than deciding on the fly, when your resistance is weak.
I don’t feel like it. Well, true. You don’t feel like working hard. Who does? Letting the rule of “I’ll do it when feel like it” dictate your life means you’ll never write that book, never build that business, never create anything great, never have healthy habits. Create a plan that’s doable, and execute it. When the rationalizations like this come up, don’t believe them. Everyone is capable of doing a hard workout even when they’re not in the mood. Everyone can overcome their internal resistance.
I’m tired. Yep, me too. I still did my heavy squat workout today. There is truth to needing rest, and resting when you need it (listen to your body) but this is usually the mind trying to weasel out of something uncomfortable. There’s a difference between being exhausted and needing some rest, and being the little tired we all feel every afternoon. Push through the latter.
I deserve a reward/break. We all deserve that tasty treat, or a day off. I’m not saying you shouldn’t give yourself a reward or break. But if you make this rationalization your rule, you’ll always be on a break. You’ll always be giving yourself rewards, and never sticking to the original plan. Here’s what I do instead: I see sticking to my plan as the reward itself. Going on a run isn’t the thing I have to get through to get a reward — the run is the reward.
Wouldn’t it be nice to stop? This again is our mind wanting to run from discomfort, and of course it’s true — it would be nice to stop if you’re pushing into a discomfort zone for too long. The thing is, the implication is that it would be better to stop, because it would be nice … but that’s a lie. It would be easier to stop, but often it’s better to continue pushing. This excuse almost beat me when I tried to run my
last December, because honestly it would have been much nicer to stop and not finish the race, especially in the last 10 miles or so. I pushed through, and found out I was tougher than I thought.
The result you’re going for isn’t important. If you’re trying to run a marathon, this is phrased like, “It’s not that important that I finish this”. I’ve used this excuse for learning languages (it doesn’t matter if I learn this) or programming or any number of things I wanted to learn. I’ve used it for writing and exercise and eating healthy food. And while the result might not be that important, the truth is that the process is very important. If you stick with a process that will be better for you in the long run, then you will be better off. But if you let yourself go just because you are uncomfortable and at this moment care more for your comfort than the goal you set out for, you’ll have lots of problems. The goal isn’t important, but learning to stick to things when you’re uncomfortable is extremely important.
I’m afraid. Now, this is the most honest excuse there is — most of us don’t want to admit we’re afraid to pursue something difficult. But it’s also a weaselly way out of discomfort — just because you’re afraid doesn’t mean you can’t do something. You can. I’ve done tons of things I’m afraid of — mostly creating things that I was worried I’d fail at. And while the fear sometimes came true — I didn’t do too well sometimes — the act of pushing through the fear was incredibly important and I learned a lot each time.
I’ve used all of these excuses hundreds of times each, so don’t think I’ve overcome them all. And you can use them in the future too. There’s nothing wrong with giving in sometimes.
The key is to learn whether they’re true, and see your pattern. Here’s what I’ve done:
Notice the excuse. It has way more power if it works on you in the background.
Try to have an answer for the excuse beforehand — anticipate it.
If you give in, that’s OK, but recognize that you’re giving in to a lame excuse. Be aware of what you’re doing.
After giving in, see what the results are. Are you happier? Is your life better? Was it worth it giving in to discomfort?
Learn from those results. If you pushed through and are happy about it, remember that. If you gave in to excuses, and didn’t like the result, remember that.
If you consciously practice this process, you’ll get better at recognizing and not believing these lies. And then, bam, you’ve got your mind working for you instead of against you.
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About Mary BowlingPenmanship: The Art of Teaching HandwritingUpdated on March 16, 2015
How to hold a pen!
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Proper GripSource:
Teaching Beginning CursiveAs a child I remember Mrs. Thompson, my first grade teacher, gently puttin guiding me in forming the letters. We wrote on green lined paper with dotted lines down the middle. After we had practiced for a whole week we were allowed to use the white paper to prove how beautiful our handwriting was becoming. We made sticks and balls and from a to z we learned to print.
When I taught in Costa Rica, I learned a method for teaching cursive. We learned not to go from a to z but to start with strokes. We learned letter e with l and letter i with t. Letter c was an ocean wave and as we learned each letter we began to put them together to spell words. It was here in Costa Rica that I fell in love with handwriting and teaching it to children.
Since then I have taught many, many children how to write and have gone from just paper and pencil to activities that involve texture, artistry and physical movement. It's fun to learn to write in cursive...
Teaching Cursive
Fun Handwriting Activities
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Practicing PenmanshipSource:
Writing Tools and SurfacesMaterials for Teaching how to write in Cursive ...
The basic materials needed to learn to write are simply a writing tool and a surface to write on. Of course you can start with a paper and pencil but I prefer chalk and a chalkboard. Standing up and writing with big motions is exciting for children and it helps them to feel the strokes of the letters with their entire bodies.
I introduce a new letter to the whole group as they stand near the board. I remind then of how to make the strokes that they may be having difficulty with. Then I show them how to connect the new letter with letters we have learned before.
I then ask several children at a time to come to the board and write the letters in large sweeping motions until they get the flow and feel of the letter.
The rest of the children are paired on the rug practicing the letters on each other's backs, an activity they love which keeps them on task as they wait for their turns at the board.
Most children get the idea quickly and are given permission to begin writing on practice paper. Several children need extra help. I choose one of these children for each group and place my hand over theirs until they can feel the motion. Sometimes having them close their eyes can help. These are the kids that I keep a careful eye on to make sure they are not developing bad habits.
I have many other materials available in handwriting centers around the room which can be used as soon as the children have finished their paper and pencil practice.
Journal Writing
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Boy Writing in Notebook Source:
Cursive Alphabet Bulletin Board Set - Display the Cursive AlphabetFew classrooms these days have the alphabet posted over the blackboard. So when I am substituting I find it difficult to help children when they forget how to form individual letters. I would like to propose that we return the cursive alphabet back to its proper position above the chalk board where all can see it.
How to form the letter e in cursive
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Letter eSource: by Evelyn Saenz - All rights Reserved
Cursive Letter eDemonstrating how to form the letter e.First I demonstrate how to form the letter. When teaching cursive, for example, I often start with the letter e. We point to the letters of the alphabet and recite the Alphabet song. We then repeat it until we get to the letter e. We quickly mention the sounds that the letter e makes and then point out that the letter e starts at the bottom line, curves to to the middle line and then curves back to the bottom line.
Practicing Cursive
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Handwriting PracticeSource:
Writing Cursive Letter E - Writing Cursive Letter L
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Writing Letter ESource: by Evelyn Saenz - All Rights Reserved
Pointed letters vs. Flowing letters - Teaching Penmanship
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Letters in CursiveSource:
Which letters should you begin with when teaching cursive? I chose letters u, i and t because they are easy to form and so much fun to dot and cross.
Some people, however, like to begin with the letters e and l.
I also chose the first letters because of the number of words that could be formed with just those three letters.
When you choose the letters you would like to first teach your children, think about the words that could be formed with them.
Words with u, i and t include it (in English) tu (in Spanish) and ti (in French)
Words with e and l include el (in Spanish) or le (in French)
Once your children have mastered all five letters they can write the words tell, till, lull, let, lit, tile, tule, lute, etc.
Girl Writing on the Wall
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Drawing or Writing on the WallSource:
Cursive Letters in the Air
Writing Cursive Letters on your Partner's Back
Next we practice writing the letter in the air while pointing to the letter that I wrote on the board.
Writing in the air helps the children internalize the motions involved in making the letters. Saying the sounds aloud reinforces the letter sound relationship and will help them as they learn to read and spell words.
We write it very large with very large motions and each time we form the letter in the air we say the sound of the letter, in this case a short e sound.
Next, I have all the children find a partner and write the letter on each others backs.
Then they turn around and it's the child's turn.
Writing in Cursive
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Practicing CursiveSource: by WellspringCS
Practicing Cursive Letters on PaperMoving on to Handwriting Learning Centers
Now I give each of the children a chance to write the letter
on the board.
I check each of the children individually to make sure that they have understood how to form the letters and that they start at the bottom line, touch the middle line and then curve back down to the bottom line.
Those who are able to form the letter correctly are allowed to take a paper and pencil to practice at their desks. Those who are having difficulty work longer with me at the board. Any child that finishes writing on their paper can choose one of the handwriting centers set up around the room.
I have 6 to 10 handwriting centers set up around the room. I allow 2 - 4 children at a center and they are allowed to clean up and then change centers at will.
The Palmer Method - Watch the Cursive Letters being FormedThere are several different styles of handwriting that have traditionally been taught. Many use the D'Nealian or Zaner Bloser methods but one of the most elegant methods is the Palmer Method. People who learned with the Palmer Method have beautiful handwriting. Come try the Palmer Method...
Cursive Letter Order - In which order do you teach letters in cursive?
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Teaching Letters in CursiveI don't teach the letters in order from A to Z; instead, I teach them according to the type of strokes that are used to form each letter.
I first teach u, i, and t.
These are the simplest letters and when the children practice them they can write the words it and the Spanish word for you: tu. Point out to the children that they do not pick up their pencils until the have finished the whole word and then go back to dot the i's and cross the t's and that you use a backward stroke to cross the t's.
Children love to write long lines of i's and t's and then go back to dot and cross their t's.
Letter e in Cursive
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Letter eSource: by Evelyn Saenz - All rights reserved
Teaching Letters c, a, and dThen I teach the letters c, a, and d.
I tell the children that the letter c looks like an ocean wave and as we form the letter we chant ocean wave. Notice that the letter c starts at the bottom line, curves up to the middle line and then tips halfway over before tracing it's way back exactly along the first line and then continues the curve down touching the bottom line and reaches out for the next letter.
The letter a is just like the c except that it ends with the same stroke as the letter c.
The letter d is just like the a but continues up above the middle line.
Note that the letters d and t both stop half way between the middle line and the top line and are the only letters to do that.
Finally we go on to letters n and m. These are confusing to children because they each have one more hump than they do in print.
Now we go back and pick up the letters that combine shapes.
h and k Be sure they go all the way to the top line.
Then f is the first letter to go below the line. Be sure it has a straight back all the way from the top to the bottom. With q which has the same kind of tail as the f.
x,y and z all start with humps like an n'
r and s start like an i.
Up to this point all the letters reach their hands out at the bottom to hold hands with the next letter in the word but now we go on to the ones who hold their hands at the top.
b and w . o and v.
These last four take lots of practice as the children learn how to connect them to letters that follow.
Now you're ready for the Capitals!
Which textbooks to use for teaching cursive? - Which are the best workbooks for teaching cursive?
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Writing in KindergartenSource:
Books for Teaching CursiveThere are books that offer page by page instructions in how to teach cursive. It can be very helpful to use a textbook as a guide. It will help you to teach each letter in a uniform way.
For the children, however, this is the most boring way, and often leads to certain children never mastering the art of cursive writing. I suggest using these books only as a guide for the teacher.
Rather than following along page after page in a book, write words and sentences of interest to your child. Try to use only the letters that you have introduced so far. In the beginning you will only be able to write words. Once you have taught the letter a in cursive it is simple to teach the capital letter A which is just twice as high as the small letter a. Suddenly you are able to write whole sentences beginning with the word A.
You could write A cat can nap. or make it even more exciting. A cat is not an apple pie.
How to make the Letter f in Cursive - Teaching the Letter fOne of the most difficult letters to form is the letter f. The key is to make sure that it has a long straight back. There are so many curves in cursive that people tend to curve the back and then wonder why their cursive looks odd or babyish. Notice how the letter f is formed on the chart by Jan Brett.
Learning Letter F f in Cursive
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Jan Brett's Cursive Letter F fSource:
Letter F in Cursive Worksheet
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Practicing Letter F in CursiveSource: by Jan Brett - Used by Permission
Penmanship Learning CenterI love Jan Brett's beautiful illustrations and the children love the animal themes.
Turn these beautiful pieces of art into a Penmanship Learning Center:
Copy each letter of the alphabet onto cardstock
Laminate them
The children can practice tracing the letters using dry erase markers or grease pens.
Jan Brett's Alphabet Line Bulletin Board Set
Use letters together as an alphabet line or separately as flash cards
Cursive Practice Cards
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Cards for Practicing CursiveSource:
Cursive Card Learning CenterLaminate these cursive cards and you will be able to practice your cursive by tracing the letters over and over. Once your child has learned to form these letters you can begin to combine them to form words. This will probably go pretty well until you get to the letters that reach their hands over on the top.
If your child is having trouble with letters o, b, w and v, consider making your own laminated cards with words such as look, book, love, wool, broom, vroom, woven, wrote.
Writing the Letter G - Learning to write Letter G
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Tracing the Letter GSource:
Zaner Bloser Cursive - Handwriting Practice Booklet
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Cursive WorkbookSource:
Copperplate Script or English Round Hand - Old Fashioned HandwritingThis is the style of handwriting taught during the 19th Century. Australia adopted a more modern style in 1960. People in the United States will notice that the Decoration of Independence was written in Copperplate Script.This video demonstrates how to write the capital letters including variations in English Round Hand.
Handwriting Without Tears
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Handwriting Without Tears BlocksSource:
Handwriting Without TearsI have to say that I have mixed feelings about including Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum since it seems to be a dumbed down version of the beautiful cursive that I grew up with, but many of you have mentioned it, liked it and swear by it. Handwriting Without Tears is also being used in the school where I teach so I hope to be able to give you a well thought out review of the program. So far I do like the activities, materials and approach to teaching letters to kinderg?¤rtners.
There are four magnetic pieces that can be used to make each of the capital letters in print and most of the small letters. The children like to manipulate the long and short lines as well as the small and big curves.
The Importance of Teaching Good Handwriting - Is handwriting still important?The other day I went to the doctor's office and she handed me a list of things she wanted me to do to improve my health. I looked at the list and it was completely illegible. I even asked her secretary to translate it for me and the secretary had to go to the doctor to find out what it said.Don't you think that your doctor should have good handwriting?
Is it still important to teach good handwriting?
Cursive Centers
Hands-on Cursive - Cursive can be fun, artistic and hands-on!
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Writing a LetterSource:
How to Make Learning Cursive a Fun, Delightful ExperienceAs in all teaching, I take a hands-on approach. Children easily get bored just copying letters, words and sentences from a handwriting workbook. Instead we make up our own words and sentences using the letters we have learned so far. Each day we can add more words until we write full sentences in cursive. We try to make these words and sentences meaningful to the children. Sometimes the sentences are silly, sometimes they talk about something important to the child that day.
Another way to make learning fun and exciting is to practice using unexpected materials. Chocolate Pudding, for example, is just the right consistency for practicing handwriting. It's also fun to lick your cursive off when done. Hands-on projects for decorating birthday cards, posting vocabulary words or decorating a cake are other hands-on ways to practice your penmanship.
Chocolate Pudding Cursive Writing Center - Learning Cursive while writing in Pudding
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Chocolate Pudding Cursive Writing CenterSource:
Chocolate Pudding Writing CenterPracticing your cursive letters in chocolate pudding spread out on a cookie sheet may seem messy but that can be just the thing to get some kids motivated to practice their handwriting. Fingers slip through the pudding and reveal the cookie sheet below forming the letter he or she is writing. The texture of the puddling encourages writing in the fluid motion needed to write in cursive.
Make a mistake? Letters don't seem to be formed correctly? Just wipe it smooth again with a spatula and practice your cursive letters again.
Note:I usually allow the kids to make their own pudding so that they get a chance to practice measuring and fractions thus covering math as well as handwriting.
Writing in Chocolate PuddingSticky and sweet, chocolate pudding is thick enough for resistance and smooth enough to allow for the curving lines of cursive. Once you are finished writing a letter, don't forget to lick your fingers. What a fun way to practice your penmanship!
Have you ever practiced your cursive by writing in Chocolate Pudding? Yes, It was delightful and really helped get the flow of the cursive letters. Yum! Not yet, but I can hardly wait to try. Chocolate Penmanship practice! Great idea! No, Distusting idea! I hate Chocolate Pudding on my fingers.
Zen Cursive Center - Japanese Garden Cursive Center
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Zen Rock Garden, Ryoanji Temple, Kyoto, Japan Source: by Linc Cornell - Available on Allposters - APCTitleAnchor href=/link/redirect.asp?item=&AID=&PSTID=
Japanese Zen Garden Handwriting CenterSet up a Japanese Zen Garden Handwriting Center where children can write their letters in the sand.
Pour a thin layer of sand on a cookie sheet or tray. Shake the tray so that the sand lies evenly across the tray.
Japanese Gardens have sand that is raked into beautiful patterns. Hang a poster of a Japanese Garden over the Handwriting Center. Offer children the choice of writing with their fingers, a stick or a small rake.
Have you practiced your handwriting with Zen sand? - Zen PenmanshipSand is used to create a quiet meditative place.
Sand is raked into precise geometric forms surrounding rocks and plants to resemble flowing water.
Children can get a feel for a Zen Garden while practicing their handwriting while forming cursive letters in the sand with a rake.
Would you like to practice your handwriting in Zen sand? Yes, and here's why... I am setting up a Zen Penmanship Practice Center right now! No, I will stick with pen and paper
Scribble Cursive Art Center - Penmanship Art
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Scribble linesSource:
Scribble to Cursive
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ScribblesSource: by Graphics_By_Metarla - Black and white squiggle pattern
Scribble Learning CenterWhen transitioning from print to cursive children need to learn to write the whole word without picking up the pencil. At this center, children are given the opportunity to pick the marker of their choice and draw a picture without picking up the marker.
Provide lots of paper and a variety of markers in different shapes and sizes.
Create flowing patterns of cursive movements to create artwork. Children love to practice these motions over and over as they create unique works of art. The control needed to scribble like this is the same as for penmanship. Without even realizing it, your children will be improving their handwriting.
Is a Scribble Handwriting Center an effective way to help improve penmanship? Yes No
Playdough Cursive Letters
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Rolling Playdough to form Cursive LettersSource:
Bread Dough Writing CenterMany children love to use play dough. This center helps children form the letters and reinforces the idea that the letters are made with one continuous line, that the letters are connected within a word and that cursive is a beautiful art.
Roll long snakes out of play dough, bread dough, Clay and use those snakes to form the cursive letters and words.
Once the children have been introduced to most of the letters, this center can be used to practice spelling or vocabulary words.
Some children like to write words in cursive clay, take pictures of them and use them on the covers of their books as titles to the stories they write.
Cursive Clay QuestionRoll the clay or play dough into long snakes and then use these snakes to form letters in cursive. The long snakes remind the children that the letters keep flowing in cursive without picking up their pencils. If you use self-hardening clay you might be able to have the children write their names and use these names to decorate your room.
Have you tried creating cursive letters with clay or play dough? Yes No
Learning Cursive with Wooden Trains - Cursive Train TracksDoes your child love to play with trains? Here is a delightful way to learn cursive. Put train tracks together to form letters. Then your child can repeat the sound of the letter as he or she drives a train along the letter tracks.Here is the letter a:1. Put together Wooden Train Tracks in the form of the letters2. Drive the Red Engine along the tracks saying the sound of the letters as you go.
Train Track Writing Center
Brio TrainSource:
Train Track LettersHere is the letter "O". How many other letters can you make with wooden railroad tracks?
Have you created cursive letters with wooden train tracks? Yes No
Glitter Glue Words - Practicing Cursive with Glitter and Glue
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Curisve in Glitter and GlueSource:
Santa's Christmas Sparkly Writing Center
Writing Words with Glue and Glitter
I realize that you can now get glitter and glue already mixed but there is just something satisfying about the way the glue flows on so smoothly, the feel of the glitter sprinkling through your fingers and the roughness of the letters once the glue has dried that makes writing cursive in glue and glitter so satisfying.
Christmas always feels like a time of glitter and sparkle. We love to write greeting cards in glitter and glue words.
Glitter Glue WritingSwirl the glue in delightful curves. Create perfect letters that flow across the page. Writing with glitter and glue is a fun, artistic way to practice cursive and the control needed to write in glue and glitter will help improve handwriting.
Do you enjoy writing in cursive with glue and glitter? Yes No
Close your eyes and feel the Cursive!Sandpaper Cursive Learning CenterUsing heavy Cardstock, trace the letters of the alphabet on sandpaper and cut them out with an old pair of scissors and glue them onto the card stock.Once they are dry, children can close their eyes, run their fingers over the letters and guess which letter they are feeling. I have found that children love doing this activity. This center works best when children work in pairs.
Writing in the Snow - Large Motor Cursive Practice
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Writing in the SnowSource:
Cursive in the Snow When the snow is a few inches deep and it's easy to pack down you can make cursive letter Fox and Geese games. Stomp down the path of the letter you are working on and then start chasing the geese while following along the path. Each time a goose is caught, shout out "This goose was caught in the letter___."
What a fun way to practice cursive while running around in the new fallen snow!
Do you practice your cursive in the snow? Yes No
Have you practiced your cursive on cupcakes? - Cursive Cupcakes
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Cake WritingSource:
Cursive Cupcake CenterTraditionally words are written on cakes and cupcakes in fancy, swirly, cursive.
You can encourage your children to practice their cursive with Melissa and Doug wooden cupcakes.
The tops or frosting on the cupcakes can be written on with dry erase markers.
What a fun place to practice their handwriting!
Wouldn't it be fun to practice penmanship on cupcakes? Yes No
Writing on Eggs - Practice Cursive on Eggs
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Writing on EggsSource:
Wikki Sticks Handwriting Center - Wikki Sticks CursiveWikki Sticks can be shaped to form letters and they easily stick to without glue.The children enjoy constructing cursive letters using Wikki Sticks. This activity helps the children to focus on the shape of each letter in detail. Often this concrete, tactile activity helps children internalize the actual shape of letters.Program index cards with the letter or word your children are learning. They stick the Wikki Sticks right on the cards as if tracing. Because the Wikki Sticks actually stick to the cards, it is easier for the children to work with instead of pipecleaners.
Do you think that creating cursive letters with Wiki Sticks would be a fun way to learn the shapes of cursive letters? Yes No
Underwater Writing Center - Practice Your Cursive in the RainNo matter where you go or how wet it is, you can write on the AquaNotes Waterproof Notepad. The idea was invented by a young girl who saw the need and worked very hard to get her idea patented and then mass produced.In a classroom setting this waterproof notebook could be used outside on a rainy day, when taking trips to the frog pond or to record observations at the sensory table.As homeschoolers you could turn your bathtub or swimming pool into a learning center where your children could practice their cursive underwater.
Motivation for Practicing Cursive - Practice your Cursive Daily
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Writing in CursiveSource: by Evelyn Saenz - All Rights Reserved
Teaching Cursive to 3rd - 5th GradesRecently I have been substituting in third through fifth grade classes in Vermont. Most of the children are not regularly being taught cursive but the kids are fascinated by it. Whenever I get a chance we take a few moments to learn more strokes and letters. We start with the e and l , the i, u and t and soon move on to the ocean wave c. The kids love it.
After teaching first grade for many years, I am amazed at how much quicker a fourth grader can pick up the strokes and letters. This week the class I am teaching needed to write two thank you cards and a get well card. All of the children were delighted to show off their budding skills by writing the cards in cursive.
Because teachers no longer teach cursive on a regular basis, there was no cursive alphabet over the chalk board. We found an alphabet online to put up on the smart board and I wrote and demonstrated how to write letters and words on the dry erase board.
What a wonderful job these children did and I am sure that the recipients of these cards will be delighted to see that the children were thoughtful enough to write in cursive.
Cursive on the Chalkboard - Writing in Cursive on the Blackboard
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Max's first cursive wordSource:
Chalkboard Cursive on any surface - The Artistic Cursive Spaces Learning CenterDid you know that you can use Chalkboard paint to turn any surface into a blackboard? Rough up the surface with sandpaper and then brush or spray with chalkboard paint. At first you might try rectangular pieces of wood which resemble a blackboard. But then, let your imagination go wild. How about covering a teapot with blackboard paint. You could write the kind of tea being served in cursive. Cover jars with blackboard paint for storing spices. Your cursive handwriting will look amazing on these jars.Children love having a wall in the kitchen coated in blackboard paint. They spend hours writing all over the surfaces while their penmanship improves. Where would you paint in chalkboard paint?
Blackboard Paint - Chalkboard PaintDid you know that there is a paint for turning any surface into a chalkboard? I have seen the walls of an entire kitchen painted in black chalkboard paint. Children could practice their handwriting all over the kitchen. Imagine practicing penmanship on the kitchen walls.
Is chalkboard paint a good idea for penmanship practice? Yes No
Sand Tray Writing - Salt Tray Writing
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Writing in the SandSource:
Writing in the SandMy kids always loved writing in the damp sand at the beach. But if you can't go to the beach today...
Another fun way to practice your letters is to write them with your fingers in a tray of sand or salt.
Choose any shallow tray and cover the bottom with a liberal sprinkling of sand or salt.
Then use the pointer finger of your dominant hand to write the letters you are practicing.
Sand Trays or Salt Trays are a fun way to practice your spelling words as well.
Have you ever used a Sand Tray or a Salt Tray?
Penmanship Paper - Paper for Practicing and Showing off your HandwritingMrs. Thompson always had us practice each new letter over and over on green lined paper. Only when we were confident in writing each letter were we allowed to use white paper.This method encourages a lot of practice with mastery as the reward. This same paper is available to you as you teach your children how to write in cursive or print.
Are we losing our ability to write? - Who has the best handwriting?Is good penmanship becoming extinct? Are we losing our abilities generation by generation?
Think about the people in your family. Think of the diaries and letters written by those people.
Even after Aunt Mary's (Born in 1867) hands became shaky she still had beautiful handwriting.
Ira, my step-father, had the beautiful swirls and impeccable handwriting learned by the Palmer Method. (Born 1900).
Mom and Dad's cursive is legible but nothing to brag about. (Born in the 1930s)
My handwriting was adequate until I began to teach handwriting. (Born 1950s) It has improved tremendously but not the work of art of 100 years ago.
My children have all been taught to write both in print and in cursive but generally choose not to. (Born around 1990).
Which generation has the best handwriting? Great grandparents Grandparents Parents I do Children Grandchildren
Reading in Cursive - Messages in Cursive
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Reading Good Morning in CursiveSource: by Evelyn Saenz - All Rights Reserved
Reading in CursiveNot only do children need to learn to write in cursive, they need to learn to read it as well.
Writing at least part of the morning message in cursive will help children become familiar with the way words look when written in cursive.
As we begin learning cursive I slowly begin to write more and more of the words in cursive. I begin with the words "Good Morning".
These are words that the children have come to expect at the beginning of the morning message each day so they can quickly read those words.
During independent centers, I place laminated word cards in the cursive center for the children to trace with dry erase markers.
Tracing the letters helps kinesthetic learners to begin reading the words in cursive.
Do you write your morning message in cursive? Yes, Children need to learn to read in cursive! No, Chidren no longer need to learn to read in cursive.
Learn to read in Cursive! - Print to Cursive Matching Game
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Learn to read in CursiveSource: by Evelyn Saenz - All Rights Reserved
Teach your children how to read in cursive. Make a set of color matching eggs.
Write the color words in print on one set of cards and in print on the other.
Laminate the cards and then play games such as Concentration or Go Fish in order to practice reading the words in cursive.
Later your child might like to color the eggs, reinforcing the skill of reading in both print and in cursive.
Movable Cursive - Multisensory Cursive Cards and BlocksLearning which letters hold hands at the top as opposed to those that hold hands at the bottom can be difficult for children. These sandpaper double letters are fun to trace with fingers adding the sense of touch to the lesson.For a fun activity, close your eyes and pick up the tiles randomly. Carefully feel the shape and see if you can recognize the letters without looking.This is a fun partner or center activity.
Cursive Handwriting Worksheets - Make your own Cursive Handswriting Worksheets has a worksheet creator for helping children learn to write in cursive.Choose your child's favorite animal, write a sentence about it and let your children trace the cursive letters.
Cursive writing provides fonts and handwriting worksheets to help children learn to write in a flowing, joined-up style.Penmanship on Pinterest
Halloween Handwriting - Practice Cursive with Finger PuppetsSlip a Bat Finger Puppet on your finger and practice your penmanship while the bat swoops through the air. This is a fun way to practice your cursive as Halloween approaches. Practicing the motions in the air helps children to develop a smooth motion when writing. As they write each letter they should say the motions out loud making each letter in big swooping motions. When they go back to their seats to practice with a pencil or pen then can imagine that the tip of the pencil is a swooping little brown bat.
Where do you like to write? - What is your favorite surface for practicing your cursive?Traditionally penmanship was practiced at a desk or on the kitchen table, but that may not be your favorite place for writing. Think of the possibilities. Would you like to write on the wall, the floor or in the bathtub. Do you like to write on cupcakes? Come vote on your favorite place to practice handwriting...
Where do you perfer to write? Cursive at the Kitchen Table Writing on a Desk Penmanship In the Chocolate Pudding Bowl Cursive On Greeting Cards Handwriting On the Sidewalk Cursive On the Cupcake Frosting Letters formed in a Japanese Zen Sand Garden Writing with Henna on my Arms
Slants, Swirls and Curls? - Dumbed Down Cursive?Now that cursive is deemed to be less important, a new method has emerged for those who wish to teach their children cursive. It is a dumbed down version with straight letters, no slants, swirls or curls. It may seem easier to teach or to transition from print to cursive but what your children will be missing will be the opportunity to learn the embellishments that make cursive so beautiful. I would argue strongly against purchasing Handwriting Without Tears. It is a transition cursive that makes learning to slant and swirl more difficult than necessary. Stick to the beautiful cursive of generations past. Include the curls in the capital letters and be sure to slant your letters.
Should children be taught to slant their cursive letters? Yes. Slants and curls are what makes cursive so beautiful. No. It is easier for children to learn a transition cursive. They can learn slanted cursive when they get older. No, There is no longer any reason to teach cursive.
&The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.
Vote for your favorite Writing Utensils! - What will you write with?
Fist full of pensSource:
Pen in HandWhat kind of utensil do you most like to write with?
Vote for as many as you like. Do you prefer pencils or pens?
How about writing in Chocolate Pudding with your finger?
Be sure to add other options if you can think of another fun way to practice your cursive...
Young Boy Writing
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Three Year Old WritingSource: Available on Allposters - APCTitleAnchor href=/link/redirect.asp?item=3598244&AID=&PSTID=1&LTID=2&lang=1
How did you learn cursive?Tell us about your experiences learning cursive or teaching others. Did you use a certain method? Which of the learning center activities would you like to try?
Babar is written in Cursive
The Barbar Stories are written in cursiveChildren love to read them. These stories are wonderful to help children practice reading in cursive. As your children head back to school, be sure that they can both read and write in cursive. It may be a dieing art for some but it will put your children at a great advantage when they are the ones who can read and write when the power goes out!
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