The Difference Is Rhythm!

As the company name implies, the Peterson strategy for movement-based training is called a “directed” lesson. The teacher “directs” the writing movements using a grammar of action during lessons. Three alternatives for directing movement are provided in our material: Action Words, Color Rhythm and Count. Students chant the words aloud with the teacher and move with the voice. The voices create a beat when chanted. As a result, the pupil is challenged to move with smooth rhythm by moving with the sound of the voice. There are other programs that have a grammar of action, but that grammar is designed to describe the movement path. The strategy behind the instruction is totally different. The others use a strategy called "Trace & Copy." Trace and copy activity does not include smooth, rhythmic movement as a goal in the learning activities.

During the first ten decades, literally millions of student handwriting samples provided evidence of successful learning. Peterson specialists reviewed samples submitted by all participating teachers at the end of each unit of instruction. Early on, this action research guided development of the curriculum and lesson plans that worked for the teachers in our classrooms and more importantly for the students.

Thanks to modern motor science we now know the reason for the success of the directed lesson strategy. Beginning in 1991, nearly 600,000 digital handwriting samples were collected from people ranging in age from 4 to 84. The automatic ease demonstrated by good writers was measured digitally revealing very consistent rhythmic pulses as letters were written in various words. The unique letter building process we help you teach, includes fluent movement from the beginning to specifically target the motor system and develop processing abilities needed for automatic handwriting.

In 2003 motor science demonstrated that the smooth movement used by good writers was goal-oriented and guided almost entirely by the motor system with minimal visual feedback. Good writers can literally do it with their eyes closed. Our strategy, curriculum and teaching materials make it easy for you to challenge students to move the pen with the voice. That learning enhances internalization of the movements to improve control by that system. We call it the muscle memory.

Peterson color rhythm models exaggerate the goals for movements within letters and in words. The color/rhythm presentation process was introduced in 1972. Color separations make it much easier for a child to learn how to use goal-oriented movement and learn to control those movements for handwriting that is easy to write and easy to read. We provide a specific plan that makes it easy to teach a movement process for writing that leads to automaticity. The goal is fluency, and we show you how easy it is to measure as an indicator of progress. You will be hard pressed to find any mention of tracking fluency in any other program.

Please download The Muscle Memory Story. It is written as it would be told in a grade four classroom. The story is designed to help students understand the reasons for handwriting practice and the outcomes we hope to gain from the practice sessions.

We also want you to know how to measure and track fluency. This link will bring you a simple guide to the procedure.