Welcome to my "private stories!" These are actual Instagram stories I created just for newsletter subscribers-  they can only be viewed here, not on Instagram. The theme of these stories is transcription, otherwise known as handwriting and spelling:

My latest obsession for isolated spelling practice (ie. without handwriting demands) is this $11 embossing label maker from Amazon. I feel like the novelty of an embossing label-maker is similar to that of a typewriter...  It's so old-fashioned that students  are immediately intrigued and eager to use it, even if that means they'll have to spell words! Then they inevitably fall in love with the satisfying, oh-so-analogue CLICK the machine makes as each letter is punched and the exciting ZZZZ sound of the label being printed.  

The machine is also useful beyond securing student engagement. I've noticed that students sometimes remember the individual twisting motions required to spell certain words. For example, they may remember that going from "g" to "a" requires a longer twist than going from "g" to "i," and this helps them recall which vowel is in a red word. Interesting, huh!? I'll have photos of students using this tool in my next newsletter. In the meanwhile, if you end up buying your own, send me photos of how you use it- I'd love to see!

I took two Handwriting Without Tears trainings a couple years ago and found that although some elements of HWT worked well for my students with dyslexia, they were not able to internalize the many verbal directions for start sequences ("frog-jump" etc.) and found it difficult to generalize from the double line HWT paper to the dotted line paper provided in the classroom.  I started Googling other handwriting approaches and came across a program called Size Matters. Several elements of that program made a lot of sense to me, such as presenting letters by height. I started blending HWT with Size Matters and also brought in Lively Letters and dyslexia-specific strategies for addressing reversals. And thus, my diagnostic handwriting approach was born! I've used this approach successfully with children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, eye tracking issues, hypotonia, and various combinations of these, from K through 5th grade.  

Key Elements of My Approach:
* Based on illuminating a couple key rules vs. having kids memorize a bunch of verbal formation sequences 
* You need few materials, and the ones you do need are cheap and on Amazon 
* Gets results faster than using a program due to low working memory demands  
* Kids see their progress right away and enjoy the process

Email me at natalielptherapy@gmail.com to book a 1:1 coaching call ($150) to learn about my flexible & intuitive sequence for teaching handwriting. I address sizing, start sequences, line placement, directionality, orientation, and grasp; ways to practice; ways to troubleshoot student errors; and how to help students generalize from dotted line paper to wide ruled paper. You'll be able to start using my approach right away without buying materials or even needing to refer back to any notes you take during the call. It's very intuitive... You'll see!  

Before/Afters