Patent Application
20080003549
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings where:
The inventors propose a new method that teaches students initially to draw simple cartoons. These basic cartoon shapes and strokes are the basis for cursive writing. The method, which is simple to learn, is based primarily on a kinesthetic approach that most cursive programs use, but differs because of the ancillary beneficial effects. Self-esteem and increased artistic skills are just two of the many benefits of this writing approach. The present invention has already been used successfully in schools that specialize in the education of students who have special needs. The fundamental principles of the invention can also be applied to students of any age or developmental level, in one-on-one tutoring, or classes of any size.
The creativity embodied in the present invention is immediately recognizable through
It should also be noted the broadness with which the term “cartoon item” encapsulates. It may be singular or plural, there may exist a number of components that together make up the cartoon item. Some of the components of the cartoon item may contain handwriting elements, but it is not a requirement that all do so.
Teaching cursive writing to students is a significant part of the school curriculum, taught on an individual basis or as whole-class lessons. Teachers, occupational therapists, and other personnel teach these skills to children who may or may not have learning disabilities.
There are many ways to teach cursive writing, some of which are more effective than others. A particular method of writing instruction may benefit one child, but not another. Factors such as the child's interest, skills, and learning styles are extremely important. For example, a child that is a visual learner may benefit more from a teaching style that emphasizes watching the instructor form letters and then copying or imitating his or her actions. Others may learn more easily from verbal instruction and explanation.
Educators are always looking for a “best fit” for a particular student. The term “best fit” considers such factors as those noted above. Consequently, new teaching strategies are continuously being developed. This need to develop new strategies is important in all schools, and especially important in special needs schools.
A particular area of focus, but not of limitation, of the present invention is in the area of schools that specialize in the education of students with behavioral and/or emotional concerns. There are characteristics common to these students that may impede progress with their academic skills. These characteristics may include a need for immediate gratification as well as a need for a completed product or skill that the student feels is important. Many students also have difficulty with self-motivation, and the reason for not completing an assignment may be a simple lack of interest. As a result, teaching techniques for these students require innovative approaches that apply not only to regular academic studies, but to cursive writing as well. Some or all of the challenges associated with special needs students may be present in all students to varying degrees.
Teaching the students first to draw cartoons and then to perform cursive writing has been successful in the special needs forum. The present invention helps students to first learn the basic shapes used in cursive writing; and it seems to alleviate some of the problems impeding the progress of students with special needs. This approach is also consistent with the basic principles of motor learning and of learning theory.
This method may be utilized as a preparatory program for a standard cursive-writing program; the method focuses first on basic shapes but not with the actual letters. After learning this technique, students may then be introduced to a standard cursive-writing program. This method is consistent with the occupational therapy practice framework: domain and process. Students are engaging in occupation (cartoon drawing) to improve a relevant performance skill (cursive writing).
The idea of cartoon drawing to help students learn cursive was first developed after an occupational therapist observed an art teacher teaching his students to draw cartoons. The art teacher's method, which has been used for several years with much success, begins with the students using their index finger to draw shapes in the air. This approach allows the students to refine their visual perceptional skills, which are needed for more advanced drawing. Students would “draw” these shapes using large movements involving the entire arm, an aspect that the art teacher believes improves perception and motor skills.
After mastering this visual perceptional task, the students began to draw shapes on paper. First, they drew circles in the air slightly above the paper. Then, when the students felt the circle was correct, they lightly drew a circle on paper. If the shape was correct, they filled out a standard sheet of paper with circles or other shapes. The students then used these various shapes to draw cartoons, a technique commonly found in cartoon-drawing books.
The occupational therapist recognized the similarities between shapes for cartoons and those for cursive. Through collaboration between the art teacher and the occupational therapist, a new technique was developed for teaching cursive writing. First trialed on a student, D.F., this method subsequently was used with several other students.
Case Study
D.F. is a nine-year-old student who has been receiving occupational therapy to improve his writing skills. Over several years he has developed average skills with printing but has had difficulties learning cursive writing. One of the inventors of the present method had used standard writing programs in treating the student. After completing these, D.F. was able to form lower case letters in cursive; however, he had difficulty connecting the letters. His connections were sharp and pointy, with letters cramped together, contributing to words that were barely legible. Numerous methods standard to occupational therapy practice were used to help him properly form these connections. Yet despite many therapy sessions over an entire academic year, D.F. still was unable to connect letters properly in cursive.
D.F. also had difficulty forming capital letters in cursive, especially the letters D, L, I, S and G that are comprised solely of curves. When he tried to form these letters, he simply could not form any of the curves, and he would either draw a stroke in a different direction, or would substitute a curve with two lines forming a sharp point.
D.F. was then taught to make cartoon characters using basic shapes, and his cursive writing improved within a month. His connections consisted of proper concave and convex curves, making his word writing considerably neater. He was also able to form all capital cursive letters correctly. With continued practice in cartoon drawing, D.F.'s cursive writing became more consistent.
Successful cursive-writing programs are kinesthetically-based, which emphasize basic movement patterns of letters (Benbow, 1995). One such method, Loops and other Groups by Mary Benbow, groups letters according to their shape and stresses that students learn basic patterns of one letter and apply them to similarly shaped letters.
The inventors' approach to teaching cursive through cartoons uses a similar kinesthetic approach. Students first learn to draw basic shapes and then use these shapes to draw cartoon characters. There is a similarity between the basic strokes of cartoon drawing and those of cursive writing: circles, ovals, loops, and convex and concave curves are present in both. Students who acquire basic skills learned through cartoon drawing can apply them effectively to cursive writing. In addition, learning to draw curves helps students to connect letters as well as form them: The connections are primarily composed of convex and concave curves. This is an important attribute of the method of the present invention because many students have difficulty connecting cursive letters. Often students will crowd letters together and produce sharp pointed connections instead of smooth curves.
This method also relates to the kinesthetic approach because of its use of repetition, which is instrumental in kinesthetically-based writing programs (Benbow, 1995). Repetition is important in learning new skills (Lee, 1991). It causes basic skills to become automatic, allowing for more complex tasks to be learned (Ignico, 1994). This process is especially important in writing when the students should be focused on the content of what they are writing rather than the formation of letters which should be automatic. Mastering a skill such as cursive writing will enable a student to concentrate on grammar and style required for writing, instead of the formation of the cursive letters.
The present invention has further benefits, for it addresses common difficulties that children experience when learning cursive. The inventors have observed students who “draw” the letters rather than write them. They use short sketchy lines to draw a single character, often retracing each segment of the letter. The inventors have also noted that children who produce automatic cursive strokes tend to learn cursive more easily. Accordingly, the inventors have developed the theory, and resultant method that encapsulates the theory, that cartoon drawing allows skills to become automatic, partly because it requires the student to draw the same shape repeatedly.
This model of drawing cartoons to teach cursive to students also helps satisfy the need for a product or skill relevant to them, and the need for immediate gratification that often accompanies students with special needs. After a few short sessions of drawing shapes, students not only are able to produce a product, but they create something that they find enjoyable.
What most distinguishes this method from other cursive teaching methods may be the meaning that it provides for the students. Students are not simply drawing lines or shapes that may or may not be relevant to them, but rather drawing pictures that capture the students' interest. Research indicates that providing meaning to activities increases the effort and desired outcome (Ferguson & Trombly, 1997). Therefore, the inventors believe that the students will show greater improvement because they are likely to enjoy drawing cartoon characters. Cartoon drawing may be viewed as a fun activity and may stimulate the student to more eagerly accomplish the handwriting task.
Finally, the drawing of cartoons may have the additional beneficial aspect of improving self-esteem. Other studies have demonstrated that teaching art to inner-city students has increased their self-esteem (Unsworth, 1980).
The method of the present invention finds additional strength in the fact that is flexible enough to allow individual instructors to tailor it to their needs. The instructor can be a trained teaching professional, or even an untrained individual. The student may comprise children in a classroom setting, or any individual desirable of learning handwriting, or in improving their currents skills.
The steps of the present invention do not need to be performed in any particular order to be most effective. It is preferable, however, to introduce the cartoon item early on in the process in order to retain the idea that the instruction is going to be more of an amusing exercise rather than work for the student. In that vein, the instructor may first introduce the cartoon item. This instructor may ask the students to observe the proper way to draw the cartoon item, or may simply provide the student access to the cartoon item and ask that it be reproduced. The most effective method is to have the student observe the proper formation of the cartoon item by the instructor.
The student would then be instructed to reproduce the cartoon item. In a preferred embodiment, the cartoon item would be repeated a certain number of times. However, unlike simply repeating a letter alone, the student will enjoy the repetition of the cartoon item, not fully realizing that an array of handwriting skills is being taught.
Upon mastery of the cartoon item, or upon satisfaction of the instructor, the students' attention may be drawn toward the handwriting element portion of the cartoon item. The instructor may employ an embodiment of the present invention by subtly emphasizing the handwriting element of the cartoon item initially. This may be accomplished by slowing down the demonstration during the handwriting element portion, using different colors for different portions of the cartoon item, bolding certain elements of the cartoon item, or simply calling the students' attention to a particular element. At this point, the handwriting element may be drawn alone, apart from the cartoon item. If the handwriting element comprises a complete letter, the student may be alerted to this fact. If the handwriting element comprises a portion of a letter, the instructor may continue to demonstrate the remaining portions of the letter, indicating how the complete letter is formed.
As the student now reproduces the handwriting elements apart from the cartoon items, the student will recall the cartoon items from which the handwriting elements came. This slight shift of focus is enough to transform the exercise from one that is dull and boring, to a more fun-filled endeavor.
Another variation within the scope of the invention is the integration of classical teaching methods. Less advanced students may benefit from first tracing the cartoon items as they are introduced by the instructor. The instructor may still demonstrate the proper form for creating the cartoon item, but the student may benefit from having the added guide of the traceable item. When the handwriting elements are presented apart from the cartoon items, they also may utilize tracing methods to ensure the desired level of competency has been achieved by the student. The desired level of competency or proficiency will vary depending upon the student and the instructor. Where tracing is not desired, broken lines may also be used, as is well known in the art.
Examples of cartoon items have been given, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the versatility of the present invention allows for almost any cartoon item that the instructor, or student, wishes to use. The cartoon item may be realistic looking pictures, or completely fanciful figures and characters. The term “cartoon” is used merely to refer to a drawing of some kind, that is, something other than only the letters themselves, and is not meant to be restrictive in any sense.
The inventors' method was used with students ranging in age from 8-14 who have had difficulty learning cursive through traditional cursive writing programs. These students had various difficulties such as connecting letters, sketching letters, or writing letters with sharp edges and points instead of smooth curves. This technique was also used with students who were simply resistant to learning cursive.
After performing cartoon drawing, students show a greater willingness to learn the basic shapes of cursive than those taught with a traditional cursive method. They also more readily participated in the activity, and with a greater effort. Also, the students appeared to learn basic shapes at a faster rate and produced more accurate shapes. When the students transferred these skills to cursive writing, they produced considerably neater words and letters than in the past. The entire task was much easier and more enjoyable.
This model had been shown to be effective with students who sketch their letters, have difficulty with connecting letters, or have difficulty making smooth strokes. It has also been effective with students with behavioral problems. Some students who had lacked initiative previously would engage in cartoon drawing because they thought it was fun and interesting. This technique can be applied to schools with more mainstreamed student populations, because the technique is based on basic principles of kinesthetics and motor learning. The effectiveness of this new technique for teaching cursive writing demonstrates that alternative methods may prove to be a significant development for therapists, teachers, and parents who are closely involved with the child's academic growth.
Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the method of the present invention may be practiced via all forms of media. This includes print media, such as books, posters, cards and the like, all forms of electronic media, including computers, video, audio, and other electronics. The method does not require that the instructor be actually present with the student or students, and also does not require that the instructor be present during the instruction. For example, the method may be utilized via a computer program where the student interacts with a computer only at their own pace, or the instruction could be given via a book, teleconference, webcast, recorded material, or any other form of communication.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be substituted therefore without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention.
