How a lesson works

Every target in Skhillz Script, whether it is a single letter or a whole paragraph, is taught in the same three-part shape. It is the gradual release model that most teachers already use, built into the screen.

I Do, We Do, You Do

I Do. The child presses ▶ Watch Demo and the letter draws itself. A pen moves along the true stroke path: where to begin, which direction to travel, where the pen lifts, and where it comes back down. This is the part that a printed worksheet cannot do, and it is precisely the information children invent for themselves when nobody shows them. A child who draws a cursive a as a circle with a stick beside it has never been shown the movement.

They can press Replay Model as many times as they want.

We Do. The child traces over the letter. The line fills in behind the stylus but only where they actually went, so there is no scribbling across the shape to get to the end. Clear Row wipes the row and starts again. Check Trace tells them whether the trace was good enough to move on.

You Do. The guide letter goes away and the child writes it themselves on the ruled line. Then they press Submit Attempt and it is scored.

Levels 1 to 4 run all three parts. Levels 5 and 6 run the demonstration and then straight to writing, because by then the tracing stage is doing nothing for them. Level 7 is writing only, with the demonstration available if they want it.

What the score means

The score is not a sticker. Three separate things are measured, and the score you see is those three together.

A child can score badly for three completely different reasons, and the lesson you teach next is different in each case. That is the whole reason the three are kept apart rather than averaged into a single mysterious number. See Reading a student's results.

The five tries

Under the writing area is the 5-Try Mastery Tracker.

• A child gets five attempts at the target.
• The average of those five has to reach 70 to pass.
• Below 70, the target is not passed. They can press Practice 5 More and go again, and are steered back through the demonstration and the trace first.
• At or above 70, the target is passed and Next Target moves them on.

The average is what matters, not the best attempt. One lucky letter does not pass a child, and one shaky letter does not fail them. This is the single most important design decision in the program and it is worth explaining to children in those words: *nobody passes here by getting lucky once.*

The writing tools

Down the side of the writing area:

• Trace pen thickness: thin, medium or thick. Thicker helps a child with an unsteady hand see what they produced.
• Ink color: plain, for a child who finds the effects distracting.
• Demonstration speed: slow, normal or fast. Slow is the right setting for a first encounter with a letter, and most children never need to change it.

Trace Effects

On levels 1 to 4, a child chooses what their writing looks like as it appears: 🌈 Rainbow, 🌼 Flowers, ★ Stars, ✦ Sparkles, or No Effect. A successful attempt sets off a small celebration.

There is also a Reduce celebration effects switch. It turns all of it off in one action: the effects, the celebration, the movement. For a child who finds the animation overwhelming, or a class that has decided it is a distraction, turn it on and the program becomes entirely plain without losing a single teaching feature.

Effects are not available above level 4, because a paragraph covered in flowers is unreadable.

The certificate

When a child finishes level 6, a Certificate of Completion becomes available in the sidebar, in their own name, with a Save as PDF button.

Level 7 is open practice with nothing after it, so it is not part of the certificate.

Running a lesson

A workable shape for a thirty-minute period:

1. Five minutes, whole class. You do one letter on the board, with the demonstration projected. Talk through the stroke aloud.
2. Twenty minutes, independent. Children work through their own targets. You walk the room.
3. Five minutes, wrap up. Children press Finish. You look at the class table afterwards for anyone who did not move.

The class table is at the top of your class in your classroom and shows completion, current level and when each child last practiced. A child who has practiced but not passed anything is a different problem from a child who has not practiced at all, and that table tells them apart at a glance.