Our Method
At StartDOT®, we believe the handwriting habits we form when first learning to write stick with us. Our goal is to help kids learn the right way, the first time. That’s why StartDOT Handwriting isn’t just a tracing app. Developed by an OT with 20 years experience, our method helps children learn to write in a way they won’t forget. Each letter & number has a story with cute pictures that help create lasting mental images. Kids learn better this way because they relate to these familiar objects -- like clouds, apples, trees and baskets. We’ve used this method with great results in preschools, mainstream and special education classrooms, and in the homeschool setting . . . and now we’ve adapted it for the iPad.
We know your kids will love learning to write with StartDOT Handwriting!
Write This Way
Each letter and number is part of a larger group. Letters and numbers in each group build on the same initial stroke and have similar starting points (called Kinesthetic Likeness). For example, all the Lowercase Letters in the Joey Group begin with the same initial down stroke as “l.” Grouping letters in this way reinforces proper stroke formation.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Pictures help tell the story for each letter and number. Letters and numbers in the same group share common story and picture elements. For example, Cloud Letters use the word “cloud” as a part of every story, and the cloud icon is a common visual cue. Children learn to recite the stories as they write each letter, and the pictures help kids visualize correct formation in their mind’s eye.
A Very Good Place to Start
Kids learn that every letter and number has a starting point -- either a picture or a Start Dot. Letters and numbers in the same group share the same starting points. Keeping starting points consistent helps kids remember where to put their pencil, even after the pictures disappear.
IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE!
IT’S SAMMY IN THE SKY!
With StartDOT Handwriting, kids first learn to position letters and numbers on Sky, Grass and Dirt. The colors simplify the spatial concepts of top, middle and bottom. When students transition to writing on black & white lined paper, they’re better at remembering where to write their letters.
