Secrets of Writing Names

My daughter, who just finished kindergarten and is now going into first grade, has difficulty spelling her name -- a difficult one to spell. Can you tell me some ways that I can work with her right away so that she will be able to write her name when she returns to school? -- Parent Teacher
Answer: Your daughter's first-grade teacher will definitely expect her to know how to write her first name and most of her last name. You should be able to help your child accomplish this goal rather quickly. Incidentally, she should be able to write all of the letters of the alphabet, too.
You can work with your daughter using the steps below to help her learn to write her name. She needs to master each step before going to the next one.
--Get a copy of the alphabet letters the school is using. They should show the direction that each letter is formed.
--Teach her how to print the letters in her name, starting with her first name. The letters can be taught in any order. She also needs to know the names of the letters.
--Teach her the capital letter for only the first letter in her name.
--Print her first name. Have her trace these letters many times. She may find it easier to write using a marking pen.
--Write her name using only dots. Then she should connect the dots.
--Print her name, and have her copy it under the letters you have written. She should say each letter as she writes it.
--Have your child write her name without looking at the model.
--Teach your child her last name in the same way.
To make life easier for your child at school, give her a 3x5 card with her name printed on it to use until she can write her name automatically.