Learning Without Tears

Handwriting Without Tears Kick Start Kindergarten Printing Bundle

Recommended Ages

Kindergarten

The Handwriting Without Tears Kick Start Kindergarten Printing Bundle is a pre-writing and early printing program designed to ease young learners into letter formation. Created by occupational therapist Jan Olsen and her team, it uses songs, wooden pieces, chalkboards, and simple workbooks to teach correct grip, posture, and stroke order in a developmentally friendly way. Parents appreciate the short, multisensory activities that fit easily into a busy day and work well for kids who struggle with fine-motor tasks. It may feel slow for children already writing fluently, but for most pre-K and early kindergarten students, the bundle provides a gentle, effective, and reusable foundation.

Great for 4–5‑year‑olds who know letters but need motor and formation support, especially those who benefit from structure and tactile activities; fits well in secular, play-based early years programs that still want a gentle, systematic handwriting component.

Pros

Transitional-K workbook and support materials that gently introduce capital and lowercase letter and number formation with developmentally appropriate strokes and multi-sensory practice; reviewers and OTs often recommend it for bridging preschool to kindergarten in a low-pressure way. 

Cons

As a focused handwriting resource, it doesn’t cover phonics or reading and therefore needs to be paired with other early literacy work; some kids advanced in writing may outgrow it quickly, while children who aren’t developmentally ready for pencil work can become frustrated if it’s introduced too early. 

Many homeschool charters and ESA programs that fund early literacy and OT-related materials will approve Learning Without Tears products, including Kick Start, when ordered through approved vendors; families should confirm with their program.

$30

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Handwriting Without Tears Kick Start Kindergarten Printing Bundle
$30.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn
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Handwriting
Handwriting
ELA
ELA
Writing
Writing

Handwriting Without Tears Kick Start Kindergarten Printing Bundle Mission

The Handwriting Without Tears Kick Start Kindergarten Printing Bundle introduces the earliest stages of handwriting in a way that feels playful and confidence‑building for young children. The goal is to help pre‑K and early kindergarten students internalize basic strokes, shapes, and capital letters through songs, manipulatives, and short practice pages, so that later writing feels natural instead of frustrating. By meeting kids where they are developmentally and engaging all their senses, the program aims to lay a strong foundation for both handwriting and early literacy.

Handwriting Without Tears Kick Start Kindergarten Printing Bundle Story

As Handwriting Without Tears expanded beyond its original school‑age materials, founder Jan Olsen and her team realized that many handwriting struggles could be prevented by starting with gentle, well‑designed pre‑writing experiences. They created Kick Start Kindergarten as a bridge between playful pre‑K readiness activities and more formal handwriting workbooks, using beloved tools like Mat Man, wooden pieces, and chalkboard work to introduce letter shapes. Today the bundle is used by preschool teachers, occupational therapists, and homeschoolers who want to give young children a warm, low‑pressure entry into writing.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Handwriting Without Tears Kick Start Kindergarten Printing Bundle

A Kick Start session might look like a child forming big letters with wooden pieces on the floor, “writing” in a tray of rice or sand, and then trying a few letters or simple words with a chunky pencil in the workbook. You’ll hear playful chants about where to start letters, see big arm movements that become smaller and more precise, and feel the tactile feedback of different writing surfaces.

Kick Start Kindergarten Printing is a short, bridge program from Learning Without Tears designed to introduce or reinforce letter formation and early writing skills for older preschoolers and young kindergarteners. Families use the workbook and multisensory activities to teach correct starting points, strokes, and simple words in very short, developmentally appropriate lessons.

A caring adult is essential; parents lead the activities, model strokes, monitor grip and posture, and keep the tone light and fun so children associate writing with positive experiences. Young children typically need lots of encouragement, breaks, and chances to move while they practice.

Children should be developmentally ready to recognize letters, follow simple directions, and hold a writing tool with emerging control; many families use it for kids who are ready for more than pre-writing strokes but not quite ready for a full K handwriting program. No prior Handwriting Without Tears experience is required.

Kick Start Kindergarten is gentle and play‑based, ideal for preschoolers and kindergarteners with fine‑motor or sensory challenges who need a low‑pressure introduction to letter formation. Short activities, music, and manipulatives support autistic, ADHD, and OT‑referred kids without overwhelming them.

This kindergarten bundle applies the Handwriting Without Tears approach—short, tactile activities with explicit letter-formation cues—which Modulo notes works well for many young autistic children beginning handwriting. Its gentle pacing and sensory-friendly materials can reduce frustration for kids who are easily overwhelmed by pen-and-paper tasks.

Kick Start Kindergarten introduces letters through big-to-small strokes, songs, and manipulatives, which is especially helpful for young children with emerging dyslexia or fine-motor delays. The gentle pacing and emphasis on correct formation from the start can prevent letter reversals and handwriting fatigue from becoming an extra barrier to reading.

The Kick Start Kindergarten bundle uses big movements, music, and tactile materials from Handwriting Without Tears, which can help young children with sensory processing challenges ease into handwriting in a playful way.

This early‑years bundle uses songs, movement, and tactile activities to introduce letter formation, which can support young children with fine‑motor delays, low muscle tone, or other developmental challenges who aren’t ready for traditional pencil‑and‑paper work.

Purpose‑built with many dysgraphia and OT‑informed supports (big lines, multisensory tools, very clear letter formations), so it’s often a strong match for 2e kids whose intelligence outpaces fine‑motor skills. Go slowly, keep sessions short, and move to keyboarding when legibility is “good enough.”

This kindergarten bundle applies the Handwriting Without Tears approach—short, tactile activities with explicit letter-formation cues—which Modulo notes works well for many young autistic children beginning handwriting. Its gentle pacing and sensory-friendly materials can reduce frustration for kids who are easily overwhelmed by pen-and-paper tasks.

Kick Start Kindergarten introduces letters through big-to-small strokes, songs, and manipulatives, which is especially helpful for young children with emerging dyslexia or fine-motor delays. The gentle pacing and emphasis on correct formation from the start can prevent letter reversals and handwriting fatigue from becoming an extra barrier to reading.

Kick Start Kindergarten from Handwriting Without Tears introduces handwriting with very short, multisensory lessons (wood pieces, songs, chalkboards) that are gentle on little hands, which can be especially helpful for young children showing early signs of dysgraphia or motor fatigue. The developmental sequence and large-format letters give kids extra support before they move into more demanding handwriting tasks.

Refunds are governed by the seller’s policies: unused physical bundles may be returnable within a time window, while used or opened consumables and any digital resources are typically non-refundable.

Not a good fit for toddlers or very young preschoolers, kids with zero interest in writing yet, or families who choose to delay handwriting instruction entirely until later primary years.

Montessori-inspired sandpaper letters, simple tracing books, or copywork from favorite picture books can be alternatives or companions for early writers.

Learning Without Tears periodically refreshes its early-writing materials and training resources, incorporating new insights from occupational therapy and early-childhood research. Digital guidance and webinars help families stay current on best practices even if they’re using a printed bundle.

Use plenty of big‑movement and manipulative activities (wood pieces, air‑writing, chalkboards) and treat the workbook as a small part of a broader, playful pre‑K routine rather than the centerpiece.

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Meet Jan

Jan Z. Olsen, an occupational therapist and founder of Handwriting Without Tears, has spent decades helping young children build the motor and visual skills they need for legible handwriting. Her research‑informed program, now incorporated into Learning Without Tears, spans from pre‑K readiness through cursive and is widely used in schools and therapy settings. Kick Start Kindergarten reflects her belief that playful, developmentally appropriate activities are the best way to prevent frustration later on. A fun fact: Jan still delights in hearing from adults who remember learning to write with her songs and simple double‑line paper.