Question for those who have used early levels of HWT

[MiriamRose]

I'm ready to order Handwriting Without Tears for Z who is 4 years old. I was planning to get the preschool level workbook, but he's recently started spontaneously printing several letters on his own- he knows the letters in his name and can write them, plus a few more. He can recognize/name almost all of the alphabet. I'm wondering now if the preschool book will be too easy/boring for him and I should just start with K, or if there would still be a lot of value in the preschool book. I'm also going to get the slate chalk board, the wooden letter blocks, and the roll-a-dough tray to get in a multi-sensory approach to letter formation, if that influences anyone's opinion. :yes

[HuggaBuggaMommy]

I think you'd be okay starting with K, if you wanted. IIRC, there wasn't a preschool workbook when I used HWT with ds1 (or if there was, I didn't have it) and we just started with the K book when he was 4, as well.

I also think there's value in the preschool book, simply because of the practice with circles, shapes, colors, and lines. But, IMO, if you wanted to do those sorts of exercises, you could find plenty of printables online.

[tazmom]

My 4 yo is currently doing the pre-k book. She's been printing on her own for years, but I wanted a gentle approach to allow her to be super confident.

I started my oldest on the K book at 4 yo. It went horribly and she still hates writing. Some of that is personality ;) but some is that I pushed her too fast.

The pre-k book has them trace 4 letters per page. The K book has them write 8 letters per page, occasional words pages mixed in, and poems and short paragraphs at the end of the book. If you did on page each school day, you could complete both within a school year.

[Aerynne]

I would start the preschool book just because it's more fun. But that's just me.

[MiriamRose]

Ooh, this is really helpful you guys! Michelle, thank you for that detail on what the books include. Yes, I want him to start out seeing it as fun and also get in some of the pre-writing practice to support the writing skills. And I don't think his attention span will support him getting through 8 repetitions of the same letter right now- 4 would be about right. :yes We've been working on MUS and the 4 problems per worksheet is just about right for him, he often wants to do more but if I let him his focus quickly degrades and he is jellyfishing all over the chair. :no If I start him on preschool now and take a relaxed approach, that would put us starting K in early to mid fall and by then I think he will be ready for a little bit more focus. :yes

[Barefoot Bookworm]

Definitely start with preschool. You could go for K but I really enjoyed the preschool book and all of my kids so far have too. I use it at 3/4 depending on the kid. My current 4 year old is using the K book but she did the preschool one at 3 and was ready for it. With Lamb, I did the preschool book twice because he wasn't yet ready to move onto the K until he was 5.

[MiriamRose]

Our HWT box arrived a few days ago, and I've pulled it out once to look over everything and I think the Pre-K (preschool) is definitely the right level for him. :yes He was excited to check out the roll-a-dough kit and the chalkboard. I haven't gone any further than checking it all out since DH just returned from deployment on Thursday, so our household has obviously been turned completely upside down. :giggle :happytears I do want to sit down with him a few times this week though and start working on it!