Handwriting Without Tears

HandwritingELA
Written By Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) was developed by Jan Olsen, an occupational therapist, in response to her own son's struggles with handwriting. Witnessing her son's tears over handwriting difficulties in 1977 spurred Olsen to devise a program that would simplify handwriting for all children. Her professional background as an occupational therapist significantly influenced the program’s design, focusing on developmental appropriateness and effectiveness. HWT has earned recognition on platforms like CBS Evening News and National Public Radio, and from publications such as Newsweek and the Washington Post​.

Differentiation: What Makes Handwriting Without Tears Special

What sets HWT apart is its straightforward, vertical style approach to handwriting, which aligns with the way many children naturally learn to print. This design choice simplifies the transition from printing to cursive. The program also incorporates a variety of sensory materials and techniques, ensuring it caters to different learning needs, which is particularly beneficial for children on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing issues​ (The Curriculum Choice)​​ (Modulo)​.

How to Get Started

To begin using HWT, parents can purchase materials directly from their website, where they offer various workbooks and guided resources tailored for different grade levels. The curriculum is designed to be low-prep and easy to implement into daily homeschool routines​ (The Curriculum Choice)​.

How It Works

Handwriting Without Tears recommends daily practice but is structured to be flexible with short sessions—typically 15 minutes or less—making it an ideal fit for busy homeschool schedules. The program uses unique tools like a two-line writing paper system, which reduces confusion over line usage. It also employs hands-on materials like wood pieces and magnetic boards to facilitate letter formation learning​ (The Curriculum Choice)​.

What Educational Content It Includes

  • Introduction to capital and lowercase letters

  • Integration of cursive writing

  • Connections to broader academic skills, like grammar and composition

  • Multisensory learning tools for tactile and visual learning

What’s Good About It

Users frequently praise HWT for its simplicity and effectiveness. The curriculum’s unique writing tools and straightforward instructions are highly valued for reducing the frustration associated with learning to write. The tactile learning tools, such as the Roll-A-Dough letters and the Wood Pieces for capital letters, are particularly popular among young learners​ (The Curriculum Choice)​.

What Could Be Improved

While HWT is highly acclaimed, some parents suggest that the focus on capital letters in Pre-K could be expanded to include more early exposure to lowercase letters. Additionally, while the program supports diverse learners, it could further tailor its resources to meet a broader range of specific educational needs​ (Modulo)​.

Advice from Parents on How to Get the Most Out of It

Parents recommend taking full advantage of the multisensory tools provided by HWT. Engaging children with the physical tools for forming letters can enhance learning and make the process more enjoyable. Consistency in daily practice, even if for short periods, is key to progress​ (The Curriculum Choice)​.

Who It’s an Ideal Fit For

This program is ideal for young learners from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade who are beginning their handwriting journey. It is especially suited for students who benefit from a structured, multisensory approach and those who may need a gentler introduction to handwriting due to learning challenges​ (Modulo)​.

Who It’s Probably Not a Fit For

Handwriting Without Tears might not be the best fit for older students who are beyond the basics of handwriting or for those who prefer a less structured or more creative approach to handwriting education.

Grades

The program is designed for students in grades PK-5+.

Cost

The cost of Handwriting Without Tears materials ranges from individual items starting around $10 to bundled packages that can cost up to $20 or more​ (Modulo)​.

Ways to Get It

Materials for Handwriting Without Tears can be purchased directly from the Learning Without Tears website, which offers a variety of student and teacher materials to suit different educational needs and grade levels​ (The Curriculum Choice)​.

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Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

For the last 20 years, I’ve taught over 2000 children in 3 countries (of all socio-economic backgrounds). I pioneered an English language program in a conflict region in the Middle East. I’ve worked as a bilingual public school teacher at some of the highest and lowest performing public schools and in all five boroughs of NYC. I’ve tutored 18 subjects in three languages to some of the wealthiest families in NYC, San Francisco and Paris to make up for shortcomings in private schools they were paying up to $60,000 a year to attend.

Since 2015, I’ve helped hundreds of parents start microschools (way before this was a household buzzword). I founded CottageClass, the first marketplace for microschools and learning pods that was part of the Techstars 2018 class. In 2019, I created a virtual learning program to help families through the pandemic, a free online math tutoring program (masteryhour.org), and schoolclosures.org, a hotline developed in collaboration with Twilio and 80 other partners including Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and the Crisis Text Line, that served 100,000 families impacted by school closures.

I’ve climbed trees with children in forest schools in San Francisco, and tested new digital apps with kids in seven countries.

I’ve also coached dozens of families at different stages in their homeschooling journey. Most recently, I founded Modulo with homeschooling dad, best-selling author and tech entrepreneur Eric Ries, to help families curate their children’s education, social and childcare experiences drawing from a diverse array of in-person and online resources.


During the last three years, I’ve devoted much of my time to reviewing and testing secular homeschooling curriculum and other resource. I’ve spent the last three years talking to thousands of secular homeschooling families, and poring over tens of thousands of secular curriculum reviews and testing physical curriculum and digital apps for with hundreds of students to find the highest quality, most engaging, personalized learning materials for every type of learner.

I’ve spoken about homeschooling and modular learning at multiple venues including SXSW EDU, NY Tech Meetup, and on the LiberatedEd podcast.

In 2022, Modulo was one of 8 organizations who were awarded the Bridge Grant from the Vela Education Fund to expand access to homeschooling and modular learning to under-resourced communities.

My experience in education and homeschooling has led me to believe that there is no perfect education for every child, but families have an extraordinary amount of wisdom they can apply to building the perfect education for their individual child.

My goal with Modulo is to make it possible for any family to easily build a customized education that their child will love, and that will empower the whole family to thrive, taking into account, social, emotional and academic needs.

I love to answer questions from parents and receive feedback on how we can improve Modulo, so feel free to reach out anytime! I personally answer all the questions and comments readers leave on my blogs.

In my free time, I like hiking, traveling the world, tasting ceremonial grade matcha, enjoying dark chocolate.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with highest honors, with a double degree in French Literature and American Studies and minors in Environmental Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies.

And I love to learn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manisha-snoyer-5042298/
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