Handwriting:

Obstacle Course

 

Today's Snack: Core an apple and cut it into slices, then chunks. Spear a chunk with a straight pretzel, and eat. A glass of milk goes well with this treat.

 

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Supplies:

Enlarge the illustration above to page-size,

and print out one copy for each student,

or make your own and photocopy

Colored pencils

 

 

Many kids don't like to write because they haven't taken much time to practice their handwriting skills. A great way to build a student's confidence about writing is to give fun, easy practice in pencil skills. The thinking that it takes to avoid running into an "obstacle" in this game is the same thinking that it takes to form the alphabet letters correctly in writing, and to space words apart correctly.

 

This obstacle course game is fun and also strengthens a student's fine-motor skills. So though this is aimed at children in kindergarten and first grade, it'll come in handy with all ages, especially at the start of the school year or after a vacation.

 

Make sure the students are holding their pencils correctly: make the OK sign, release the index finger and thumb, lay the pencil over the curve, let the index finger rest where the paint meets the tan part of the sharpened pencil, with the other three fingers behind in support).

 

Now give each student a few colored pencils and one of these obstacle course sheets. The students are to draw a line through the obstacle course from the "Start" to the "Finish."

 

They can choose as many courses as they wish, using a different color of pencil for each "run."

 

They can do this over and over 'til they are ready to negotiate all the curves, angles and turns of alphabet letters with skill and confidence.