Squiggle Whilst You Wiggle 

Squiggle Whilst You Wiggle is an early writing program created by a Shonette Bason-Wood, who also created the program Dough Disco. Squiggle Whilst You Wiggle incorporates dance, music and large movements to help children develop the fine muscle control they need for writing.  They will learn a new gross motor movement to a piece of music while holding 'flappers' (bits of fabric) while dancing along to the music. The children then transfer these movements to floor level and swap their flappers for writing tools (crayons/pens etc) to make marks, this could be in foam, on paper, in sand etc.  They will then use this action to think of letters they can form that use this shape.  These sessions are great fun but most importantly help your child to be confident mark makers.

Shonette Bason-Wood is incredibly fun, motivating and excites the children to engage in this program. Its all about mark making and Shonette will show you how to develop children's writing in a fun and exciting and extremely active way.  

Aims and objectives of Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle

• To begin to show control in their use of tools and equipment.
• To look at the marks they are making and explore making a wider variety of marks.
• To experiment with tools and resources, mark making in many different resources with a variety of tools.
• To understand they can create simple pictures by putting different marks together.
• To create movements on a large scale.
• To understand that some marks have a meaning.
• To talk about the marks the children have made, describe and discuss them.
• To use anti-clockwise movements.
• To begin to form recognisable letters and shapes.
• To develop gross motor muscles and thereby increase control over writing tools.

The kinds of movements children learn during the session (these can be done to any music that suits the movement, feel free to experiment) are;

• Up and down (l, t, f, k, i, j);
• Side to side (t, f);
• Circles (p, d, b, e, o, a, c, g, q);
• Arches and scoops (like a rainbow) (n, m, h, u, y, r);
• Diagonals crossing the body (v, w, x, z);
• The number eight. (s, 8).

How to Squiggle Whilst You Wiggle at home? 

Grab some flappers (could be tissues or bits of material), find some mark making tools and turn the music up!  Once you have completed the movements and the mark making see which letters you can see on your paper. If you search 'Squiggle Whilst You Wiggle Music' on Youtube you will find a range of songs to enjoy while you are Squiggling. 

For Parents - Motor Skills - Squiggle Whilst You Wiggle Part 1

Shonette and the Spread the Happiness Crew demonstrate the first three moves in the Squiggle Whilst You Wiggle teaching method for writing.

Forming circles 

Follow the video below to learn the movements for forming circles. In preparation for writing numbers - 0, 6 and 9 and letters - c, o, a, d, g and p. Please see the second video for 'Fun with Foam!' We love multisensory activities in class so this is a way you can Squiggle and enjoy multisensory fun. 

Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle - Circles

A fantastic insight into Shonette Bason's seminar - Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle and how using circles can help with early years development.

Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle - Fun with foam

Improve manual dexterity in children, working with circles to improve writing letter shapes. Shonette takes us through this fun to do activity.

Hump Letters

Please see the video below for movements to help writing hump letters - m, n, h and r this actually links to the number 3 as well! 

For Parents - Squiggle While you Wiggle - The hump

A section from Shonette Bason's seminar - Squiggle While you Wiggle demonstrating how to mark make in early years. Visit www.shonettebason.com for more info...

Why use two flipper flappers and two writing tools? 

In the video below Shonette explains why we use two flipper flappers and two writing tools in each hand while engaging in the program. She also explains how we perform movements which will help with line letters - i, l, j and line numbers 1, 4 and 7. 

Getting a wiggle on

An insight into Shonette Bason's fantastic seminar Squiggle While you Wiggle. Visit www.shonettebason.com for more information