We received the Alphabet Beats lowercase dvd ($35.95) from The TV Teacher as a part of the TOS Review Crew a while back. I popped the dvd in right away and my 5 year old watched with great interest for quite a while. Actually, all the kiddos found it very entertaining.
The dvd’s purpose is to teach children how to quickly and easily write their lowercase alphabet. Each letter is given a 5 minute segment with word instruction and demonstration in forming the letter along with a hokey comical bit about words that begins with that particular letter.
Along with the dvd you can also purchase workbooks and lined dry-erase boards and laminated workbooks for your child to use with the dvd.
Handwriting and letter formation is one of those things that I believe if you spend a great deal of time on getting right in the beginning, you will need to spend very little time on down the road. For us, Alphabet Beats is not a good choice. It relies on sing-song type instruction (think “around, up and down”) and sight for mastery which in my opinion leaves a whole lotta room for error.
If you have a very simple approach to handwriting and you want a fast way for your child to learn to write then you’ll probably like Alphabet Beats. If you’re looking for a more in-depth, instructional program, don’t waste the $35. : (
– Sara O’