Connect Experience Write (CEW)®
Handwriting the CTC way…
Connect Experience Write (CEW)® is a handwriting program created by occupational therapists Michele Parkins and Carrie Davis while at CTC. In CEW, students write letters using visual templates while listening to music that simulates the movements needed to form the letters. This combination of visual templates and auditory guides strengthens the visual spatial foundations related to writing.
Keeping relationships and emotional connection at the forefront, CEW classes begin as a group. Students participate in whole body movements to the beat of music to help them identify the top, middle, bottom, left, and right parts of their bodies – all important foundational concepts to writing. They then move their shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers to a song that helps them isolate the body parts used when writing. Lastly, gross motor movements are performed with a partner (called “Mirror Movements”) that correlate with foundational writing strokes – vertical line, horizontal line, curves, and diagonals. The music is comprised of the same tones as the music that is used for each letter.
As a developmental program, CEW letter groups progress according to development of writing strokes -- vertical and horizontal lines first followed by curves and diagonals. Students that are already writing still start foundationally with the vertical and horizontal capital letters (E, L, F, I, T, H) and progress from there to curves (D, B, P) and then diagonals (K), etc. They will then work on the lower case letters. The reason for this is that if students are having challenges with handwriting, chances are there are gaps in the developmental foundations needed for automatic fluid writing.
Connect Experience Write (CEW)® is an interpersonal handwriting program that uses sensory-motor integration and visual spatial concepts to facilitate the development of handwriting skills in students with alternative learning styles.
If you would like to learn more, please contact Michele Parkins at mparkins@celebratethechildren.org or visit their website, connectexperiencewrite.com.
Connect Experience Write (CEW)® is a handwriting program created by occupational therapists Michele Parkins and Carrie Davis while at CTC. In CEW, students write letters using visual templates while listening to music that simulates the movements needed to form the letters. This combination of visual templates and auditory guides strengthens the visual spatial foundations related to writing.
Keeping relationships and emotional connection at the forefront, CEW classes begin as a group. Students participate in whole body movements to the beat of music to help them identify the top, middle, bottom, left, and right parts of their bodies – all important foundational concepts to writing. They then move their shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers to a song that helps them isolate the body parts used when writing. Lastly, gross motor movements are performed with a partner (called “Mirror Movements”) that correlate with foundational writing strokes – vertical line, horizontal line, curves, and diagonals. The music is comprised of the same tones as the music that is used for each letter.
As a developmental program, CEW letter groups progress according to development of writing strokes -- vertical and horizontal lines first followed by curves and diagonals. Students that are already writing still start foundationally with the vertical and horizontal capital letters (E, L, F, I, T, H) and progress from there to curves (D, B, P) and then diagonals (K), etc. They will then work on the lower case letters. The reason for this is that if students are having challenges with handwriting, chances are there are gaps in the developmental foundations needed for automatic fluid writing.
Connect Experience Write (CEW)® is an interpersonal handwriting program that uses sensory-motor integration and visual spatial concepts to facilitate the development of handwriting skills in students with alternative learning styles.
If you would like to learn more, please contact Michele Parkins at mparkins@celebratethechildren.org or visit their website, connectexperiencewrite.com.
