15 Ways to Make Letter and Numeral Writing Fun

What if a little learner—a preschooler or Kindergartener—doesn’t want to use a paper and pencil to write?

Bring on the unique and intriguing.

• Writing in sand or mud with a stick

• Forming letters and numerals in the sand with a small car (we call them letter tracks—smooth and “write” another track)

• Writing in shaving cream applied to a tile wall or shower door

• Using a bucket of water and paintbrush to paint water letters on a garage door or outdoor wall

• Writing with sidewalk chalk on the driveway or sidewalk

• Forming letters and numerals with objects (acorns, shells, and rocks for the win!)

• Finger painting

• Making letters or numerals with a dauber bottle inker (Bingo blotter bottle)

• Shaping letters or numerals with yarn

• Forming playdough letters with rolled “snakes”

• Painting tempera or watercolor letters with a cotton swab

• Forming letters and numbers with spaghetti noodles

• Writing on a dry erase board

• Making homemade soft pretzel letters or numerals

• Using people to make letters (laying on a floor)

Keep minds curious and they will ingeniously think of other ideas, ideas you and I would never imagine.

When Learning Doesn't Have a Paper Trail

Learning is often measured in paper. Thirty-problem speed drills. Handwriting practice sheets. Chapter tests. Lab reports. Paragraph summaries. In and of themselves, these items aren't terrible or wrong. They have their place. However, valuable learning also takes place when there are no visible, tangible traces, especially when teaching young children.

Last spring, we had one of those weeks where significant educational progress was made but not all our activities could not be measured in paper. Our experiences were stellar and our children talked about them with joy and amazing recall. They were life-impacting and applicable. Learning took place, but we didn't have sheets and sheets of paper to prove our efforts. Here’s a glimpse into some of the learning fun we had during the course of the week.

• reviewed number recognition, numbers 1-75, while playing BINGO with great-grandma

• sorted, counted, and rolled coins (collected in the family change jar for our anticipated family night out)

• played the Pizza Fraction Fun game several times and then the younger children cared the pieces off to play “restaurant”

• weighed potatoes and onions on a kitchen scale and compared the weights

• made figures with tangrams (geometry)

• played Scrabble with older learners for spelling

• wrote letters (olders wrote their spelling words) on the driveway with sidewalk chalk

• retold a story we heard someone else tell and then discussed how point of view and experiences determine potential bias

• read three picture books: Blueberries for Sal, Caps for Sale, and The Raft

• read a recipe, followed directions, and measured ingredients

• listened to Jim Weiss stories on CD

• spelled three- and four-letter short vowel words on a whiteboard

• listened to The Tale of Two Cities and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (audio books enjoyed by older learners)

• reviewed state abbreviations while driving to grandma's house

• watched bees pollinate flowers

• assembled a floor puzzle of the United States

• listened to me read Meet the Pilgrim Fathers by Elizabeth Payne to the youngest learners

• learned body systems and their functions while listening to Lyrical life Science: Human Body

• discussed the nutritional content of three types of cereal by comparing labels; discussion of fats, sugar, and minerals

• cared for the neighbor's dogs and evenly distributed the money earned with the children who participated

Children were engaged. Learning occurred. There was not a traditional paper trail for these activities. Much of the evidence resided in the minds of my children.

How did we document our learning?

We kept a resource list of books we read, recorded the activities on our log, and took pictures of the whiteboard, tangram creations, games, and completed puzzle.

What I loved most about our week was that we learned together. We were relaxed and enjoyed our conversations. As I read, the children asked questions and we added to our vocabulary. When we needed to be outside, we went. There was joy.

Our learning was

Intentional. Real. and Relational.

And, it mattered.

Kindergarten at Home: What Little Learners Need

The Kindergarten year lays the educational foundation for life and learning.

In fact, it is during the Kindergarten year that little learners get their “first taste” of “school”. What they think about “school” and who they are as a learner is developed from their experiences in this first year. That’s weighty to me, but also freeing—so you are not alone if that hits you hard. Keep reading, there’s help and freedom in this decision.

There’s freedom in choosing what’s best for your family from the buffet of choices.

Kindergarteners  master foundational skills which serve as a knowledge base for the years and skills to come. Included in that foundation are the attitudes toward learning.  If the days and the education in those days are rushed—pushed—learning becomes burdensome, uninteresting, and often irrelevant. When learning flows naturally from that which is real and relational—interesting and personal—joy and wonder fuel their unending curiosity.

A love of learning is nurtured and begins with the items and people little learners love most.

I reminisce over the years we’ve spent with our Kinders. There’s been eight of them. I also taught K4s prior to coming home with my own. For my first-hand experience, I know these years can be fun, soul-nurturing, and satisfying. Here’s a peek into how we’ve done Kindergarten.

Nurture Curiosity. We purpose to give our children the gifts of investigation, experimentation, and discovery. In our home, Kindergarten science is hands-on. At different points during the year we

• observe caterpillars change to butterflies (you can order them online or plant a small portion of milkweed in a bed outside your home.

• purchase an ant farm (again online)

• dig holes outside and allow use of water, PVC pipe, small rocks, and anything needed to build dams, lakes, and pretend sinkholes

• plant seeds and grow beans

• watch bird behavior—building nests, flight patterns, listen and identify bird calls

• go hang out by the lake to feed ducks and fish, catch and release minnows

• go to the beach and find treasures and critters,collect and identify shells

• find tadpoles and watch them change to frogs

• build forts

• play in puddles

• observe different spider webs

• use magnifying glasses and our Magiscope

We check out books from the library on whatever topics we’re learning about (this doesn’t stop at Kindergarten). We also purchase resources and build our home library. The books fuel the curiosity. In our home, Kindergarten science is relaxed, real, engaging, and open-ended—meaning we dig in as deep as we want into any interest. In the end, science concepts well beyond Kindergarten are learned and retained. This has served all abilities well—learning challenged to gifted—and works well when teaching multiple-age children.

Nurture the Mind. This is closely related to and interweaves with nurturing curiosity. One of the reasons we decided to homeschool centered around how individual I knew learning could be and how that individualization could foster thinking, not matter what the age or ability of the child. Nurturing the mind can happen while playing (PLAY is super important in the early years), while engaged in conversation (littles NEED us to listen to their ideas and feelings), or while pondering open-ended questions (questions which cannot be answered with yes or no). Little learners are natural questioners. They wonder what will happen next, how things happen, and when things will happen. It is in this inquisitiveness that they learn how life and people work, interact, and interrelate. Questioning is one of the most important life skills parents can foster and nurture. Mike and I foster inquisitiveness with commentaries and questions which invite our children to do the same. 

• I wonder how the (insert animal) stays warm.

• What comes next in the sequence?  

• I wonder if (insert item) will work better with this or that.

• What do you think will happen next?

• I wonder where that trail leads.

• Let's watch the (insert animal). I wonder what it will do next. 

• How long do you think it will take to ...?

Nurture Physical Development. The park was our friend. Children need to run, skip, pump swings, climb rock walls. They need to move. Their bodies are still growing and developing essential muscle ability. Because the body develops from the center to the limb, a strong core is vital. I reminded myself when my children wanted to learn to spell their names, that core development influenced their ability to do so.

Part of why we decided to homeschool rested on the knowledge that I could give my children whatever they needed concept wise and not rob them of time to play. We use a solid math curriculum and we keep moving forward, meaning we sometimes need the first grade level. We don’t spend more than 20 mins at the table at at a time and provide interesting "math tools" to investigate, experiment with, and learn to use.

• kitchen scale

• tape measure

• ruler

• yardstick

• outside thermometer

• measuring cups and spoons

• a funnel

• bathroom scale (weights more than people, smile!)

• shape stencils

• protractors

In addition, the child’s piggy bank provides a great meaningful (children want to know how much money they have) resource to learn coin recognition; counting by ones, fives, and tens; and adding. We add engaging math-based picture books where we are able.

Outside of math, we

Read aloud. Reading aloud has been one of the most rewarding activities we've done in our more than years of teaching and parenting littles—picture books, biographies, non-fiction wonders. Each title opens opportunities for setting a template for the English language, building vocabulary, bolstering listening skills, understanding parts of a story, retelling events, the list goes on. Interestingly, there have been times when our little learners are seemingly off in their own world—playing, stacking blocks, coloring—while I read and yet, hours later, they remember EVERY word. So, as you embark on the read aloud journey, I encourage you to read, even when you think your learners are not engaged or paying attention. They are listening. Your reading matters!

The goal was to read aloud, everyday: one picture book, one science-related book (generally from what they were interested in or what we were observing and studying), and one biography or history-related book.

I made sure I left time for pretend play.

Pretend play. Littles learn by imagining and doing, by role playing and creating dialogue in relaxed and uninterrupted environments. Pretend play utilizes the senses and engages the mind, building language and thinking skills. Beginning in the toddler years, littles can be found feeding baby dolls, talking on pretend telephones, playing store, and mixing marvelous meals in a play kitchen. This continues through Kindergarten. What's needed? Props! Some of our favorite pretend play items have been:

• calculators, adding machines, and toy cash registers

• dress up clothes and hats, backpacks and purses

• fabric pieces, scarves, or old costumes

• aprons, chef hats, pretend food, and dishes

• stuffed animals and dolls

• receipt books, stickers, and play money

• old telephones, computer keyboards, and monitors

• puppets and make-shift card table theaters 

When the afternoon boredom sets in, I allow my children to utilize our art supplies or play games. You can read about how we built and organized our art supplies. Our favorite learning games are listed here. While creating art or playing games, littles practice turn taking with supplies, deferment to another person, waiting for others to make decisions or complete a turn, as well as a multitude of cognitive skills.

We want our Kindergarteners to know they matter—their thoughts, their ideas, their feelings, their development.

One of the best things about homeschooling is we get to do life together.

Do life together. One of the things I love about parenting Kindergarteners is watching their faces light up—indoors and outdoors, around the home, and on vacation.

• Getting the mail might lead to a conversation about stamps, addresses, states, or modes of transportation.

• Setting the table teaches one-to-one correspondence.

• Folding laundry offers opportunities to make fractional parts by folding in half and in half again.

• Matching shoes and sorting toys provides real-life situations for identifying similarities and differences.

• Making together, kitchen experiences: measuring, comparing, weighing (math skills) as well as muscle skills, scrubbing potatoes, stirring, and kneading together. Doing life together allows preschoolers to learn alongside. 

Every moment is a marvel, especially when Kindergarten learners are engaged in doing life with those they love.

Kinders are relational. They want to engage in face-to-face conversation and hand-in-hand exploration. When we talk to our children, listen to their questions, concerns, and ideas, we model interpersonal skills and they learn how to process information, feelings, and emotions. These skills are some of the most valuable nuggets our little learners will internalize in their early years. 

We purpose Kindergarten to be natural, engaging, and personal. We don’t spend extended time sitting at tables or face-to-face with workpages and fill-in the blanks. We want learning to be meaningful and relaxed, an extension of life, not segmented or overly scheduled.

Kindergarten may not look the same for you or your family. It’s part of the freedom you have to do what you feel is best needed for your children. Read and learn what’s out there, but spend most of your time observing, learning about, and enjoying nurturing your child. You will be surprised at the gains—cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically.

Kindergarten is a gift.

Best to you as you unwrap that gift.

How to... Use What You Have

Perhaps the current season launched you into a place you didn’t expect to be.

As this blog post is being edited libraries are closing. Where will we find materials and resources?

You may be scared, overwhelmed, unsure.

You are not alone.

Like you, other parents are trying to figure out how to navigate increasing closures and wonky schedules hoping to find new solutions.

We are in this together. Let’s help one another

• take a deep breath.

• be open to the possibilities which already exist and sit waiting to be discovered.

• find goodness in what is unfolding. It looks different than many of us envisioned. This happens. Different doesn’t mean wrong. Let’s help one another stick with it. We may find the outcomes are better than we imagined.

For the past three evenings, my middle schooler has been devouring a book she found on our shelf—The Young People’s Encyclopedia of the United States. Her excitement had been contagious as she’s proclaimed, “listen to this!” or “I forgot about that!”.

What we have is boosting what she knows!

The book went unnoticed on our shelves for years. This week, someone rediscovered it—considered it a treasure—began reading, and showed excitement. The excitement proved contagious. Currently, two learners are working together to figure out how to share the “high demand” book, and each wants to read aloud to me. Great problems!

The discovery was unplanned yet full of possibilities.

When I acknowledged the discovery and the interest, excitement escalated.

The book—something we already had—instantly became a means for learning.

I suspect there is something in or around your home waiting to be discovered by your child. When it’s found, embrace the educational moments it provides. They may be better than you could have planned or imagined.

How to use what you have

My daughter asked if she could read to me. Children need to read aloud to build fluency. We sat together (she loved that, too!) and she read. WIN all the way around. I wrote “read to mom” on our log of activities (part of what our state statute requires for home education). We learned a great deal and enjoyed the time together.

My daughter asked for clarification. As she read, she stopped to clarify. This is an important part of building reading comprehension. The ten minutes we spent talking about what she was reading proved valuable. Twenty-four hours later, we read related content and she discovered on her own how the information was related. Higher level thinking skills were utilized for the task. Another WIN! And, she was enjoying the process. Reading comprehension and summarization were noted both in our learning activities for the day.

My daughter asked questions. Fostering curiosity is always time well spent. One question leads to another. Again, interest is key. If the learner chooses a book and wants to read more, retention follows. On one particular quest through her new found treasure, she read explanations about sports. Some of the information was review, other tidbits were new. Along the way she reviewed alphabetical order and used study skills. I logged the sports information as well as study skills for our record keeping.

My daughter learned new vocabulary. There were times when my daughter asked me to read to her. As I read, I paused to explain words I presumed to be new. We talked about the definition of the word and I used the word in a sentence. When I logged what we accomplished, I wrote “discussed new vocabulary”. Another WIN.

Additional learning ideas

If a learner finds a resource and is engaged,

• the time may be ripe to use words of interest as spelling words. Children desire to learn to spell words they want to use. For example, a book about baseball may turn on an interest to learn baseball related words—base, player, glove, catcher, outfield. A printable list of frequently misspelled words is included on this post.

• there may be an opportunity for creative writing. Let’s say a child finds a book about dog breeds and suddenly wants to purchase a particular breed. Writing a persuasive piece including the pros and cons of buying that particular breed may be a possibility. For learners who prefer to create a visual, maybe a designing a brochure or flyer would be a better option.

• ask questions and connect. People appreciate when others take notice and interest in what they are doing. Consider open-ended questions which require more than yes, no, or nothing.

  • “It seems like you are really enjoying that book. What was the most interesting thing you learned today?”

  • “Which topics do still hope to investigate?”

  • “That’s a great book! I remember reading it. What’s been your favorite scene or point of action?”

  • “We have other books related to that topic. I’d be glad to help you find some if that would be helpful.”

• ask the child to keep a list of items he or she has studied. For some learners, having a visual of accomplishments is helpful. For others, it allows an opportunity for the child to take personal responsibility for what he or she is learning. I use this list to add details to our activity log.

• use the resource as a springboard for application or experiential learning. For example, if the learner chooses a field guide or identification resource, perhaps he or she could us the guide to identify species in your area—the backyard or on a walk in the neighborhood. Some of my learners have enjoyed making a tally chart of items on a scavenger hunt. For children with a creative gifting, sketching may be a great lead to science.

• consider using that interest as a springboard to learn another skill. For example, if a learner chooses a book about space, review syllables and then ask him or her to make a list of three- or four-syllable words—Jupiter, galaxy, telescope, constellation. If the child is younger, one-or two-syllable words would be more appropriate—star, planet, Mars, Saturn, moon.

Time together is priceless. Often the best takeaways aren’t readily measurable and don’t fit neatly on a log of activities. That’s okay. Relationships matter and are worth the time spent to build. In the slower, unique pace of the season, taking time to sit and listen to a familiar voice read or tell a story is soothing to the soul. In addition, in circumstances where handshakes, hugs, and high fives are cautioned due to social distancing, children need our physical touch. Truth is, we all need a few extra hugs—parents and children. I can’t think of a better time to pull closer, snuggle, and learn together!

My mom placed a set of encyclopedias on our family bookshelf. I’d go to the shelf and pull off a few volumes—usually my favorite letters and settle on the couch. I also remember going to my grandmother’s home and finding books of on her shelves. I’d make selections and find myself lost in the “newness” of the content. Likely, it wasn’t new information, but it caught my attention and was presented in mode different from I was doing in school. New was appealing. And, it was in my grandmother’s house! In both cases, at my home and in my grandmother’s house, I had time to linger, time to digest the content.

In this unique season of our history, we all have resources and time. I wonder what “new” is waiting to be discovered.

Make YOUR Own Math Books = Learning

My little learner decided she wanted to make her own books.

Math books! 

We'd been choosing and reading math literature from our home library shelves, borrowing others from the local library. Math was intriguing. Math was fun. She wanted to make her own books and apply her creative bent to master concepts. 

Thankfully, we had blank books on hand. 

My little learner chose a book from our stash, one which would match the fall leaf table toppers I found while grocery shopping. 

Once the leaves were sorted, we made piles of ten. 

On a piece of paper, I wrote numerals 1-10 alongside corresponding number words. From the sample, my little learner copied the numerals and corresponding words, giving each number a page in her book. By the time she was done copying, she felt very confident in her ability to form the numerals and count objects into sets. The more her book took form, the happier and more excited she became.

"I'm writing a book!" 

She wanted to write the number words. I wrote the words on a piece of paper and she copied them into her book. The final step was to count out leaves to correspond with the numbers on each page. 

I showed her how to set her book--open like a fan--on the kitchen table so the glue could dry. This prevented pages from sticking together. 

In the end, my little learner had not only written her first math book--she was quite proud of her accomplishment--she had also learned to match number words with a set of objects and mastered one-to-one correspondence--all foundational math concepts.

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Shopping for Christmas wrapping paper, I discovered stocking table toppers. I immediately thought of my eager book-making learner and added them to the conveyor in the check-out line. 

Arriving home I told her there was a surprise in the  bag for her. 

She was thrilled.

Once again she chose a blank book from our collection and started to work. 

Before long, she added another counting book to her collection. 

She was ready for addition--adding two small sets to make one big set. 

As the weather cooled, I found foam snowflakes online. I knew they could be the makings of her next book, Adding Snowflakes. I pulled one of our favorite reads, Snowflake Bentley, from our home library shelf and sat side-by-side on the couch, engaged in the unfolding plot. 

When we finished reading, she sorted the foam snowflakes by size, shape, and color--three attributes--another foundational math skill. This was a perfect start to making sets!

Once the snowflakes were sorted, I asked her to make sets of two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight. 

I explained the concept of addition--the combining of two sets to make a larger set and wrote some addition facts on the two-page spreads of her blank book. She read the numbers and glued the set required on each page. When gluing was complete, my little learner added the two sets and wrote the sum on the bottom right-hand corner of the two-page spread. 

Book complete--now three in total--my little learner had the makings of a math library!

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The next concept, addition with three addends--three sets. 

With Valentine's just around the corner, I knew what we would do--add three sets of hearts. 

Again, she chose the blank book--red stripes this time--sorted hearts by size and color, counted sets, and started adding. For this book she wrote the equations vertically. I explained that equations could be written horizontally or vertically without changing the answer. She was intrigued by the tidbit of knowledge. I wrote an equation both horizontally and vertically on a piece of paper and proved the concept by adding foam hearts. Indeed, the answer was the same.

In the end, she completed the book and added it to her collection! 

Perhaps we will tackle subtraction next season?

I love that we were able to work side-by-side on these projects and that she was engaged and eager. She enjoyed math and wanted to learn more.  

Time well spent.

Indeed, intentional, real, and relational. 

Most Popular Posts of 2016

2016 is marked as significant.

Why? Because every moment of our days mattered--the triumphs and the trials. We lived and learned together being intentional about using what was real and relational--from cradle to shingle--toddler to adult. Thank you for walking that journey alongside us! We are grateful for you, our readers! 

As a recap of our year together, I compiled our top 15 posts of 2016. ENJOY! 

The Many Possibilities of High School Success

Just as there are many potential pathways to successfully completing high school--the end result of helping a young adult develop his or her divinely-created strengths and giftings--there are also many different avenues to the young adult's future; the years beyond the turning of the tassel.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also be encouraged by Real-Life for High School Credit: Care and Concerns for the Elderly.

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Preschooling, Naturally

Preschool is foundational for life and learning. In fact, it is during the preschool years that little learners master foundational skills which serve as a base for later learning. More importantly, attitudes and temperaments toward learning are set during the preschool and early elementary years.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also be encouraged by "Let Me Do It!" Helping Little Learners Become Independent

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5 Comments I Don't Regret

Words are remembered, taken with us through our days. This is true for us and it is true for our children and young adults.

If you found this post helpful, you might also enjoy Legacy: Learning Alongside

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The Possibilities of Elective Credits - Part II

When I wrote the first edition (who remembers that first spiral-bound resource?) Celebrate High School I included a sample list of potential course titles--both core and elective. When I published my extensive revision in 2015, I expanded my list based on our experience and the experience of those with whom we work.

If the information in this post was helpful, you might want to continue on and read Part III.

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32 Ways to Learn from Real and Relational 

Some of my children love making lapbooks, others prefer unit studies. Still others learn best when we incorporate field trips into our days. And, our middle and high school young adults? They have learned at co-ops, through online courses, and with personal independent study. 

If you are being intentional about keeping learning real and relational, you might also be encouraged by the practical life lessons (and history!) in this post-- Living History: 30 Questions that Bring History to Life

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8 Skills Children Practice in Puddles

There was much to learn in the puddles. Each learner carried a small fish net, sand bucket or shovel. They were off on an adventure.

Rainy days are natural wonders which intrique little learners. If rain is falling at your house and you are waiting for a safe pause in weather, try this indoor art activity--Torn Paper Rainbows

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Grades...In High School

"How do I give grades in high school?"

If designing a transcript is your next step, this post may be helpful--Transcript Matters

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Using 4-H for High School Course Content

"Our high school learner is very active in 4-H. Can we use any of what the student is doing toward high school credit?" 

If you have middle school learners and are wondering how you can help them manage time, organize belongings, and pursue interests, this post--Magnificent, Make-A-Difference Middle School--might be helpful. 

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Preschooling, Intentionally

Learning is the natural outcome of everyday living, especially for little learners. With a few intentional questions here and a purposeful explanation there, preschoolers can learn naturally from walking alongside older siblings and significant adults. Through everyday experiences, preschoolers gain a jump start to mastering foundational cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual life skills.  By the time the young learner blows out six candles on the birthday cake, significant progress toward mastery of foundational skills has likely been made.

If you are seeking ways to help your little learners do what they can, 3 Things They Can DO on Their Own, might be helpful. 

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Living Books and Independent Studies

An interest evolved into an independent study, a year-long learning adventure. 

Science--especially animal science--is particularly interesting to little learners. If you have little learners with a zest for all things living, check out the book list in Vintage Science Readers for the WIN! 

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Nature Adventures Made EASY- A Glimpse into Part of Our Day

Ten minutes later, peering out the bedroom window to check on the adventure, my heart smiled--three little learners discovering, wondering together. Co-laboring in learning. 

Looking for a way to learn math outdoors, in nature, where children crave? Check out Math Adventures!

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Using Living Books in High School for Credit

We have used several approaches to formulating classes based on strengths, interests and the future plans of the young adult.

Interested in earning credit for writing college essays? This post--High School Made Simple: College Essays for Credit--might offer some insight. 

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SIMPLE Prepositions for Little Learners

Keeping early learning active and fun!

Picture books can encourage learning. Read Aloud to Foster Counting Skills lists some of our favorite math picture books. 

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Intentional Cursive Handwriting

Oh yes, there is good reason to teach cursive, teaching correct strokes and rotations. Proper letter formation does make composition easier. However, once initial instruction is complete and letters are formed properly, practice begins. Practice.

Interested in hands-on, real-life, spelling activities? This post--What About Spelling?--has lots of practical ideas. 

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Helping Learners Foster Strengths and Interests

A trip to the electronics store. I was hoping to go alone. You know, time to enjoy quiet; time to think without questions. After all, it is ONLY the electronics store. 

If this post made you curious about interest-based learning, The Benefits of Interests: Motivating Learners, may answer a few more questions. 

Want to know more about how your days can be intentional, real, and relational? Click below to sign up for the Celebrate Simple Newsletter. 

Boxes, Creativity, and A Bunch of Imagination

Kids love boxes. 

I know I did. 

Small ones, but especially LARGE ones. 

The other day I returned home from Aldi with groceries and BOXES!

I put away the groceries and sat down to help a high schooler edit some writing. It was mid-afternoon, a perfect time for our children to enjoy exploration, adventure, and independent studies.

From the kitchen, I hear...

"Mom, can we use those boxes to build a phone booth?"

My mind was with my high school learner. I didn't have time to think about mess and such. So, I said yes and kept an ear out for the communications and happenings in the kitchen, you know, like moms do when "creativity" is happening. 

An hour later I walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water, and check on "progress".

My kitchen was littered with cardboard pieces, shreds of paper, plastic inserts from a cookie package, more paper scraps, staples. And the kitchen table? YIKES!

Where would we eat dinner? 

Mike came in the door not ten minutes later. 

"Dad! Look at our phone!"

The phone had the makings of a coin slot, a receiver, and a timer to time calls!

What an afternoon these sisters had!

The kitchen was abuzz with excitement. I decided to allow dinner to take place elsewhere. 

The next morning, math was done and I was working independently with an older learner. The enthusiastic builders were now hard at work in the living room. 

Imagine my surprise when after the lesson with the older I walked into the living room and saw

A PHONE BOOTH!

They continued their learning adventure, making a price list with plastic coins so their sister who couldn't yet add coins could play, too. For the users who could add there were hand-written instructions. 

Now, I will be honest. I did make a few trips to the living room after the initial booth was up and "bargaining" was taking place about who would use the booth and when it would be used. When negotiations needed navigating, I stepped in to help with problem solving and conflict resolution. 

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Two days ago, when my learners asked to make a phone booth, I could never imagined all they would learn and practice in the process: geometry and physics in the construction, math and spelling in the user details, collaboration, problem solving, interpersonal communication skills.

And it all began with some boxes, a question, and a bunch of imagination. 

Are there boxes in your house today?

Wonder what they may be?

Intentional Cursive Handwriting

Eight weeks of summer home education evaluations leave me pondering.

Methods and means.

Current trends.

Proven practices.

Preparing our children for the future. What skills will they need? Thoughts today revolve around penmanship and cursive.

All those practice books.

Oh yes, there is good reason to teach penmanship and cursive, teaching correct strokes and rotations. Proper letter formation does make composition easier. However, once initial instruction is complete and letters are formed properly, practice begins. Practice.

Purposeful cursive allow for greater retention, practically and naturally.

All those practice pages? Maybe, since progress can be seen if a person thumbs through pages, first practice page to the last. But could there  be another way? Another means? 

Seeing books full of practice pages was helpful to us and to the learners. There was completion and progress. However, there was a missing element to learning.

Quite honestly most of the children who completed the work were less than excited about their accomplishments. Sadly, some learners didn't even care about their work. It was pushed aside or tossed back in the crate with other books. Further, most learners hadn't even considered their ability to write with purpose, compose. Handwriting was just another thing to do, complete. 

Handwriting can be valued;

something of purpose, useful. 

Then there were other learners. These learners pulled out papers that were important to them: a creative writing piece, a business plan, a data report from a science project (which included very delicate drawings), a list of important goals.

These papers mattered, and they were completed in cursive! 

The purpose of this post is not to argue whether or not cursive (the mechanics of it) is important or if it has proper place in a school day. Of course learners need proper instruction in strokes and formation. They will be more efficient writers if they choose to keep working in cursive. 

However, once strokes and formation are known, practice and purpose may look different. In fact, productivity--not to mention attitude--will be effected.

Looking for fun, productive means to practice cursive? 

• Paper checks. Have any old ones resting in a box collecting dust? Pull them out. Hand them to a learner and watch fascination drive learning. First, there will be a discussion of what they are, what they are used for, where the money comes from, and how they are becoming obsolete. Then, there will be instant need to use them! Play store, restaurant, shop and more, while practicing handwriting. To encourage their play, I write related vocabulary on the white board: check, date, total, receipt, cashier, pay, cash. I add number words as well as dollars, hundred, thousand. Then, my children have the words needed to play and to write their checks (spelling!). They play, practice, and enjoy using their best handwriting because it mattered to them. Checks were something of value. The written checks from play time became part of a portfolio of work samples. 

• Grocery lists. Children love to dream about what they would like to buy at the grocery store. Let them dream in lists! Using a sale ad from a local store, I allow my children make a grocery list, either in manuscript or cursive, their choice. The next day I make the project more applicable to life. Children worked together to combine their lists and create a nutritionally sound family meal plan on a budget. Not only do we practice handwriting, but we discuss lessons in health and math. There is intentional purpose. The list and meal plan are added to the portfolio of work samples. 
• Plan an in-state vacation. Use a state map. With the help of the map, I ask my child to plan a vacation to visit 6 cities, 1 lake, and 1 river in our state. The names of the places (capitalized proper nouns) are written in the spelling notebook or on a white board. Handwriting (and capitalization) is practiced while considering state geography. To add math, the learner can use the scale of mile to add and find an estimate of the total mileage to be traveled.
• Plan a European (or other location) vacation. As above, the learner plans a vacation to include visits to 1 mountain, 2 rivers, 2 lakes, 5 cities, and 2 countries. 
• Create a menu. The menu should be complete with prices (writing decimal numbers). Using play coins, an adding machine or pretend cash register, learners can play restaurant. I remind the learners that handwriting should be the best it can be so customers can read and order. 
• Copy a recipe. This is a great practical handwriting for a budding chef. The best handwriting will help the recipe be read by others, if necessary.
• Write a poem. Poetry writers will appreciate this intentional, practical suggestion. Some families we know use poetry or verse for handwriting and copy work. 
• Create purposeful lists. Learners have interests. One of my elementary learners is creating handcrafted jewelry. Making a wish list of supplies, chains, and beads allows her to check off items as she makes purchases. Learners may choose to make a lists of colors, car parts, robotic supplies, hair accessories, and more.   
• Foster creativity. Creatives will welcome using fancy charcoal pencils, felt pens, or quill pens to practice manuscript and cursive. 

In the comments, share ways you have made cursive personal, natural.

We are in this together, helping one another to be intentional, real, and relational.