Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 5, 2007

REPULSE BAY - Tusarvik school in Repulse Bay is enjoying big success in its second year of delivering the Handwriting Without Tears program to its youngest students.

The program uses a unique curriculum design to make legible and fluent handwriting an easy and automatic skill for young students.

The curriculum uses multisensory techniques and consistent habits for letter formation to teach handwriting to students in pre-kindergarten all the way to Grade 6.

The program also helps improve selfconfidence, pencil grip, body awareness and posture.

The approach moves from imitation, during which a teacher demonstrates letter formation and the child follows suit, to kids being asked to copy a model of a practice word by looking at the word.

Finally, with independent writing, the young students are asked to write a word from memory.

Tusarvik teacher Jennifer Perry said the program came to the school's attention in 2006 when fellow teacher Greg Buie participated in a program workshop.

She said one teacher from each elementary school in the Kivalliq took the workshop.

"The program kit comes with all the materials you need, and Kivalliq School Operations purchased the kits for every kindergarten to Grade 6 school in the region," said Perry.

"There's a workbook for every grade, a CD of songs that go with the book, wood pieces, foam mats and little chalkboards for every student.

"The program helps kids develop their handwriting, as well as print letters, numbers and capital letters."

The wooden pieces come as a little line, big line, little curve and big curve, which students can use to make every capital letter.

Perry said younger students enjoy using the shapes more than learning with a pencil and paper every day.

She said the songs and shapes used in the program are a big attraction to the children.

"The kids enjoy being on the floor with the wooden pieces and the music that goes with the lesson plan.

"They really do have a lot of fun while they learn using this program.

"They've learned the songs off by heart and love to play with the lines and curves.

"They enjoy having something special to hold and use instead of just sitting and writing everyday."