Can I purchase items separately?

You sure can! We want to make our tools work within your budget. You may purchase as many of our products as you would like to make your job easier. The only exception are some of the components of our Living Letters® Handwriting Teacher Starter Kits. We do not sell our teacher's manual, teacher evaluation checklists, kids and ride cards separately. They are included in the Living Letters® Handwriting Program teacher started kits.

Do you take Purchase Orders?

Yes we do! Please click on Purchase Orders in the blue bar above to find out how.

What ages are appropriate for the CLIME® methods?

The best use is for K-3 However, many of the strategies and ideas can be applied to Pre-K and T-K. For the early childhood population, we have the CLIME® Pre-K & K CD mini-kit with printable center activities and tools to help you get started. The CLIME® methods can also be applied to any grade level for students with special needs in the areas of learning, attention and motor skills.

What ages are appropriate for Living Letters® handwriting?

Our handwriting programs are designed for kindergarten through 3rd grade for students who are learning handwriting in print and cursive. It is also appropriate for students who are past 3rd grade and are still struggling with handwriting. Suggestions for use for struggling students:

What if I have an older student with poor handwriting?

It is also appropriate for students who are past 3rd grade and are still struggling with handwriting.

Are the products appropriate for homeschool and/or home intervention?

Of course! Our strategies can all be used in a one to one setting, for homework practice, or with a small group for homeschoolers.

Can this be used for 504 planning?

Yes, it is a welcome relief to have actual sound ideas to incorporate into a child's 504 Plan. The beauty of the ideas is that many of the exercises can be incorporated into a whole class activity (particularly for transitions between activities/lessons) which benefits the whole class and helps the child with the 504 plan not feel singled out. In the appendix of the CLIME® manual is a chart which shows the scope of the use of the interventions. It also indicates the pages in the CLIME® Manual which can be used as accommodations in 504 Plans.

Why teach handwriting?

Research shows the through the process of forming letters children (more easily/higher rate) learn to spell, read and connect/express their thoughts to, anchors thought The act of writing helps organize and store thoughts/memories; when one is distracted by having to think about how to write a letter or the flow is interrupted due to drawing letters, the interest in or ability to write more extensive/complete thoughts is hindered. Grades suffer because students write in the shortest way possible to avoid writing. Writing by hand aides memory. Writing and synthesizing information helps one make sense of the information (Jensen, 2000). Living Letters® Handwriting makes learning handwriting come alive. Brain-Engaging™ color and a memorable story to which children can connect do wonders for learning!

How often should I teach handwriting?

Daily is ideal but may not be practical in our busy classroom world. Students can have good benefit from practicing handwriting at least 3 times per week. Practice of handwriting skills solidifies the motor memory for each letter or word. Once the writing form becomes automatic, the student can focus more on his thoughts than concentrate on letter form. That being said even short practices, as often as possible, will boost the speed of learning to write.

How long do the lessons last?

The introductory lessons can last from 20-30 minutes depending on how long you want the students to engage in our Living Letters® suggested centers/activities.

How long should children practice handwriting?

Once the initial instruction has been done, a quick 5-10 minute practice is sufficient. It is a great activity to do when coming in from recess or as a calming, quiet transition to or from lunch or as a start of the day activity. Children use the Living Letters® worksheets to learn and review the strokes in each letter and practice letter form. Set up with extensive guided practice, color-coded worksheets and practice paper, they are able to easily transition to standard paper.