Zooming In on Foundational Writing Skills with Holly Britton

Nov 14

Melissa Milner introduces herself as the host of the Teacher As… Podcast, a show aimed at educators.
She mentions that this is the seventh season of the podcast, which is released every other week.
Melissa thanks the Career Mentorship Program, Major Choice, for sponsoring the podcast.
She encourages listeners to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to help it reach more educators.

Holly Britton introduces herself as a handwriting instruction specialist with a diverse teaching background.
She shares her unconventional start as a homeschooler and mother of four, which led to her teaching career.
Holly discusses her teaching experience in various grades and her transition from homeschooling to public school teaching.
She highlights her concerns about the lack of transcription skills in students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Holly explains the importance of transcription skills, which involve getting thoughts from the head onto paper.
She describes the challenges she faced in teaching transcription skills to students who lacked fundamental writing skills.
Holly decided to address this gap by founding Squiggle Squad, a company focused on early transcription skills.
She emphasizes the need for explicit instruction in handwriting to help students develop automaticity and mastery in writing.

Holly discusses the common misunderstanding among teachers about the importance of handwriting.
She explains that handwriting should be explicitly taught and practiced, not just left to students to figure out on their own.
Holly highlights the need for teachers to model handwriting and provide guided practice for students.
She shares her experience of rethinking her approach to teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and founding Squiggle Squad.

Holly shares her initial career path as an equine veterinarian at UC Davis before pivoting to education.
She explains how her personal experiences and observations led her to focus on handwriting instruction.
Holly describes the development of Squiggle Squad, which includes a methodology, materials, and a team of five.
She emphasizes the importance of teaching handwriting correctly from a young age to build foundational skills.

Holly outlines the steps for teaching handwriting, starting with proper letter formation in kindergarten.
She explains the importance of teaching capital and lowercase letters simultaneously and practicing them consistently.
Holly discusses the need for explicit instruction and guided practice to help students develop motor skills.
She highlights the role of teachers in providing feedback and support to students as they learn to write.

Holly discusses the impact of technology and increased academic demands on handwriting instruction.
She explains how these factors have led to a decline in handwriting skills among students.
Holly emphasizes the need for a return to explicit instruction and proper handwriting techniques.
She shares her frustration with the current state of handwriting education and her efforts to improve it.

Holly describes the resources available through Squiggle Squad, including printable materials and online support.
She explains the importance of using pencil and paper for handwriting practice to build fine motor skills.
Holly highlights the role of the Squiggle Squad animals in engaging and motivating students to practice handwriting.
She shares her vision for improving handwriting instruction across all grades and levels.

Holly expresses her hope to change the narrative around handwriting instruction to prioritize proper teaching methods.
Melissa Milner thanks Holly for the discussion and provides information on how listeners can reach out to her.
Holly provides her email and social media handles for further contact and support.
Melissa concludes the podcast by encouraging listeners to visit her website for transcripts and resources.

Melissa Milner

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