Suggestions for Using the "I See Sam"
Handwriting Worksheets

The worksheets are designed to:

1. Build strong, mutually supporting links between reading and writing. Spend some time discussing some of the animals to ensure that students can read the names of the animals. Let the students know that you think the different animals are fun characters. Your interest level will be a strong and important model for the students.

2. Use a writing font very similar to fonts commonly used in beginning reading-there will be a few differences, e.g., the letter "a." You should discuss these differences to ensure that students can give the names and sounds of any letters that are very different.

3. Follow initial teaching on forming individual letters. These "I See Sam" worksheets could follow the introductory worksheets teaching individual letters and stroking sequences of letters. Once an individual letter is written reasonably legibly, you need to practice handwriting with words and sentences in meaningful contexts. These worksheets will apply and provide meaningful contexts for previous instruction in individual letters.

Tips to Improve the Effective Instructional Use
of the Worksheets

1. Quality is more important than quantity. A few worksheets done well are far more effective than a large quantity of practice, with modest feedback to the student. In many cases handwriting may actually deteriorate, and student time is spent learning illegible handwriting.

2. Research strongly suggests that practice from memory is an important component of a total handwriting program. The worksheets have an "a" form and a "b" form. The "b" form requires students to write the word from memory. It may help if you copy the "b" form of the worksheet on the reverse side of the paper. This will make it very difficult to copy from the "a" form of the worksheet.

3. Use a powerful teaching procedure to give students feedback. The Progressive Approximation Method, described in Chapter 5 of the Handwriting Resource Book, is highly recommended for all learners.

4. For most students it is unnecessary to use all the practice space on the worksheet for the text in the box. Use the last half of the worksheet to apply the word or text. For example, you might ask the student for a short sentence using the word. The student might say: "I like Sam." The teacher could write this model on the bottom half of the worksheet. Keep a fine felt-tip pen to make strong models. You could place additional models on the worksheets that link to other vocabulary the students are learning, and save these as masters to photocopy, as needed. The font used in these worksheets is described in the Handwriting Resource Book, and is listed in the Appendix. You may photocopy any of the materials for nonprofit distribution within your district or home.

5. If you are at all uncomfortable with your handwriting instruction skills, review the Handwriting Resource Book and the short synthesis of the research on frequently asked question on teaching handwriting. Never hesitate to ask or search for help.

The research is clear. The teacher is very important, and for our most vulnerable students, there will be lifelong consequences if the students do not receive the right handwriting instruction at the right time. The two most vulnerable groups of students are (a) those 20-30% of students who struggle with beginning reading, and (b) left-handed students.