ez Write – The Easy, Effective and Affordable Handwriting Curriculum Solution
Studies Show Competent Handwriting has Far-Reaching Effects on Academic Success
Elk River, MN– May 4, 2011 – ez Write is pleased to announce the release of their complete handwriting competency program for pre-school to 5th grade students.
ez Write is a research-based, developmentally appropriate handwriting program that engages all learning styles. Easy to use and easy to implement, the program encourages “automaticity” or the ability of students to retrieve and produce letters automatically. It is based on research showing that handwriting competency can have dramatic effects on academic achievement and self esteem.
Phonics, word families, rhyming, alliteration, sentence structure and high frequency words are all used in the ez Write curriculum to create a strong language arts connection. Multi-sensory and multi-disciplinary activities as well as a strong school/home connection are also key ingredients to ez Write.
The ez Write program was developed by Mary Beckman, an early childhood special education teacher, and Tami Thoreson, an occupational therapist who saw students suffering as the result of a lack of a consistent, easy-to-use cost-effective handwriting program. “We experienced first-hand the frustration teachers were experiencing trying to teach handwriting as well as the difficulty students were having with handwriting curriculums,” said Ms. Beckman. “As a result the teaching of handwriting was becoming very limited or being abandoned altogether.”
“Research has shown that the more children (and adults) have to focus on the process of handwriting the less capacity they have for higher-level processes such as idea generation, vocabulary and creativity,” added Ms. Thoreson. “ez Write seeks to make handwriting as automatic as possible to allow the child to reach their potential in written language as well as higher levels in other areas.”
Pilot program adopters of ez Write have seen dramatic and lasting results. After just 3 months of using ez Write one 1st grade class experienced an 80% increase in letters per minute (LPM) and 2nd graders using ez Write were tested at a higher LPM than 5th graders who had not been part of the program. Legibility also improved dramatically with ez Write.
ez Write results have not gone unnoticed at home. 91% of parents feel that ez Write is a more effective handwriting curriculum than others their children have received. They report dramatic improvements in their children’s interest in writing as well as their creativity, speed, and legibility. Plus, ez Write makes it easy for parents to get involved.
Grade-level specific packages come complete with everything a teacher will need to implement a great handwriting curriculum in their classroom in a very short time. There is even a training DVD for teachers as well as teacher worksheets and training guides and worksheets for helpers. In addition, budget conscious schools will appreciate how affordable ez Write is to acquire and maintain.