Handwriting Without Tears Mat Man Presented by: Rosa Parks Community

Handwriting Without Tears Mat Man Presented by: Rosa Parks Community School Pre- K Team Ms. Barros, Ms. Belfort, Ms. Edwards Ms. Morales & Ms. Raheem

Mat Man - who is he and how do you use him? Mat Man is a Pre-K classroom character that embodies Learning Without Tears by using unique approach to drawing with multisensory activities and strategies that help young learners develop strong drawing and cognitive skills. Mat Man teaches important readiness skills: Body awareness Drawing & pre-writing Counting Building Socializing & sharing

How to make Mat Man with the wood pieces set Mat Man ( page 46) (CD, track 23) Participants Activity Drawing (before and after Mat Man) Activity: Use drawing paper and writing materials on the table to draw a before/ after self portrait

Ways to utilize effective Hand Writing Without Tears strategies throughout the day

Samples of Arrival Time Activity with students

Effective steps by steps model to enhance Self Portrait during small group Time (before & after ) Ms. Barros

Small group

Cooking Friday Small Group Activity

Small Group Lesson Plans Instructional Objective: identify body parts Materials: Mat Man materials Activity*: Tell the children that today they will be learning a new song called Mat Man. Explain to them that Mat Man is going to help us make a person. Have the children gather on the carpet and spread out Provide the children with wood pieces and mats on a tray. As you sing the song model for the children how to assemble Mat Man Have the children make their Mat Man (B) Learners observe to see how they are putting the body parts. Provide hand over hand support for them. Provide a full body picture of them to refer to. (L) Learners encourage them to help the younger children. Assessment Plan: By the end of the lesson SW: use 4 or more body parts by making a replica of a person using Mat Man

How to use Wood Pieces Set during work time (Ms. Morales)

Work time

Using Mat Man for Music and Movement Tap Big line (Ms. Belfort)

Using Mat Man for children who are struggling (Ms. Raheem) (a) Sing child’s name instead of saying Mat Man. (b)Teaching body awareness with Mat Man (c) Explaining what the blue represent (organs, outside clothing (d) Comparing Mat Man to a real person (child lay on floor and child makes replica)

Teaching body awareness with Mat Man

Building and singing Additional Pieces ( Page 50)

How to Make Letters with the Wood Pieces a. Where Do you Start your Letters? (page 20) CD, track 2) b. Basic Strokes C. Alphabet Sign-In ( Preparation, direction, skills Developed ( page 20)

Making letters with the Wood pieces set

Making letters with the Wood Pieces Set

Order for Teaching Letters Straight line L,F, E H, T, I Big line, Turn, big line: U Big curve: C,O, Q G Little curve: S Big line, Turn, Little line: J Big Line, Big curve D Big line, little curve: P, B Diagonals: R, KI, A, V, M, N, W, X Y Z

Sample Lessons: Build, Sing, and Draw Mat Man Children sit in a circle as the teacher builds Mat Man on the floor using the Handwriting Without Tears Mat and Wood Pieces, singing the Mat Man song. Teacher gives Mat Man body parts to the children, who then build Mat Man piece by piece, singing the Mat Man song together. Accessories such as bottle caps for eyes and nose, yarn for hair, and fabric for belly button, clothing, etc. make Mat Man more interesting and personalized. Children sit facing teacher as teacher draws a large Mat Man on a board or easel. Teacher draws each part in order, singing the Mat Man song. Children take turns drawing Mat Man and adding other details to their drawings.

Resources: Olsen, Jan Z., and Emily F. Knapton. Handwriting without Tears: Pre-K Teacher's Guide . Handwriting Without Tears, 2008.

Resources NJ Preschool Standards WRITING W.P.K.1 Use a combination of drawings, dictation, scribble writing, letter-strings, or invented spelling to share a preference or opinion during play or other activities. W.PK.2 Use a combination of drawings, dictation, scribble writing, letter-strings, or invented spelling to share information during play or other activities. High Scope KDIs Language / Literacy /Communication 21. Alphabetic knowledge: Children identify letter names and their sounds. 22. Reading: Children read for pleasure and information. 23. Concepts about print: Children demonstrate knowledge about environmental print. 25.Writing: Children write for many different purposes. English language learning: (If applicable) NJ Preschool Standards Math Standard 4.4: Shapes: Children develop spatial and geometric sense. High Scope KDI Math 31. Children identify, name, and describe shapes .