What is Handwriting Without Tears?

In 1977, Jan Olsen set out on a mission to help her son. Responding to John's tears over handwriting in first grade, Jan used her occupational therapy training and background to develop strategies to facilitate his handwriting. John's teacher noticed his progress and asked Jan to help other students in the class. Soon Jan became known in the area as the tutoring solution for handwriting and her ideas became the basis for the first therapists's guide, Handwriting Without Tears.

Thirty years later, the HWT product line has grown to include workbooks and teachers' guides from preschool through fifth grade: hands-on materials, music, assessments, and more than 500 annual workshops to train educators throughout the world in the HWT teaching methods.

The mission of Handwriting Without Tears is to make learning and teaching easy and fun by providing superior educational products, training and promotional materials to educators and parents.