What is all the excitement about the Catholic Heritage Handwriting series?
First, all levels are spiral bound at the top of the page, much like a stenographer’s notebook, but in standard 8-1/2 x 11 page size so there is plenty of room for penmanship practice. The advantage to the top spiral binding is that the page is equally comfortable for both ‘lefties’ and ‘righties,’ with no center or edge binding to interfere with arm and hand movement, which can impede good penmanship.
Second, most handwriting programs are printed on both sides; Catholic Heritage Handwriting pages are single-sided. This eliminates the problem of pencils and erasers gripped in little fingers, pressing grooves, wrinkles, and holes in the paper. Consequently, with a standard, double-sided presentation, every other penmanship exercise begins with a sad-looking, ‘holey’ page that neither inspires neatness nor improves as the lesson progresses. Yes, our single-sided format does increase the cost of production somewhat, but the results—a fresh page each day—are well worth it. Better penmanship and neater papers mean little faces that beam with pride rather than frustration, and Teacher can remove the page from the book for proud display without losing the use of a page printed on the reverse side, or pulling
the book apart.
And there’s more!
Catholic Heritage Handwriting, Levels K and 1, are designed to dovetail neatly with the phonics and reading instruction in Little Stories for Little Folks. By using Catholic Heritage Handwriting, lessons learned in Little Stories for Little Folks are gently reinforced. In essence, CHH serves a dual purpose: as penmanship practice, and also a phonics and reading workbook, two applications in one workbook!
And there’s still more! CHH, Level 2 manuscript practice is a perfect fit for children making their First Holy Communion, while Level 3 introduces cursive with rollicking riddles guaranteed to appeal to eight to ten year olds, holding their interest in penmanship at an age when interest begins to wane.
Finally, Level 4, suitable for fourth through sixth grade, provides cursive practice with a smidgen of tongue-in-cheek humor, in addition to classical and Church Latin language exposure as well. (This level includes some of the most common prayers and responses of the Church in Latin, in response to Pope Benedict XVI’s request.)
We think you and your students will be as excited about the new Catholic Heritage Handwriting series as we are!
Level K Starting Up, 67 pgs., 15 weeks
Level 1 Moving Onward, 69 pgs., 36 weeks
Level 2 Finding the Way, 74 pgs., 36 weeks
Level 3 Reaching for the Top, 86 pgs., 36 weeks
Level 4 Our Eyes Behold His Handiwork, 77 pgs., 36 weeks
Recommended core text in CHC Lesson Plans for First Grade. Tour this title within the First Grade Interactive Guide!
