Lines On Lines - Book 3: Lowercase Letters

ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE BOOKS:

• Lines Only Book 1:  Prewriting
• Building With Lines - Book 2:  Uppercase Letters

Lines on Lines - Book 3:  Lowercase Letters

Instructional design for developmentally delayed children requires the isolation and presentation of one skill at a time.  Component lines and capital letters previously taught in Book 1:  Prewriting and Book 2:  Uppercase Letters have been introduced and practiced on precise 5/8" rule reducing challenges encountered with the transfer of learning (transferring a mastered skill in one setting to a new and different setting) to the most frequently used ruled paper at the primary level.  Instruction for letters on lines requires the inclusion of a secondary skill, spatial relationships.  Spatial relationships, relating a letter to its place in space, is integral to lowercase letter instruction.  Letters are positioned and practiced onlines.

Back And Forth / Round And Round

The small muscles of the hand, wrist and fingers isolated in Book 1:  Prewriting and developed in Book 2:  Uppercase Letters must be refined in Book 3:  Lines on Lines, providing the essential muscle control required for the creation of lowercase letters.  The back and forth, round and round warm-up exercises are practiced within a specific boundary.  Students must increase attention and muscle control for the completion of each therapeutic activity.

Page A

Students experiencing developmental delays have known short- and long-term memory deficits.  Distributed practice (practice dispersed over a long period of time) is an instructional design imperative for the remediation of long-term memory needs.  All uppercase letters are pulled forward into Book 3:  Lines on Lines.

The upper portion of Page A offers three sets of lines with four opportunities to practice the target uppercase letter.  The first capital letter should be used by the educator for stating directions for and modeling of the correct letter formation.  Three additional letters remain for independent student practice.  Each lesson has been carefully formatted to provide exactly three practice opportunities.  Three trials eliminate tired fingers and the sub-mastery of errors.  Diminishing models, presented on the three linesets, increases student attention and independence.

The lower section of Page A specifically targets visual discrimination/visual memory skills as well as short- and long-term memory deficits.  Visual discrimination/visual memory exercises intensify student attention to task and to specific lines, line sizes and line positions required for correct letter formation.

Page B

At the top of Page B, one evolving model of the letter is presented.  This model should be used by the educator for stating and modeling the directions for letter formation.  Close attention to letter size is essential.  Three additional lines with diminishing models are provided to increase student attention and independence.

The lower section of Page B targets essential visual discrimination/visual memory skills with lowercase letters.  The directions state:  "Look at the model.  Circle two lowercase letters that look like the model."  Directing students to focus on what is correct is imperative in any instructional setting.

Page C

The upper portion of Page C affords three additional practice exercises for the identified lowercase letter.

The lower portion of Page C provides versatility practice in a smaller coloring design.  The reduced outline requires an increase in small muscle control refining the student's ability to create lowercase letters.