Allenby Primary School Handwriting Workshop for Parents February 2017

School expectation By the end of Year 2 the children working at age expected level should use diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters in some of their writing. They should be using a fluent, joined style.

How to achieve this expectation The children in Reception will be taught the pre cursive handwriting and they will be encouraged to use it in their writing. These letter formations should be clearly shaped and correctly orientated. In Nursery the children should begin to print some recognisable letter shapes.

From the moment the children arrive in the Nursery they are encouraged to mark make and to manipulate materials, to paint, draw, squiggle, all of which will strengthen their muscles before they learn to write.

Progression in handwriting Nursery: Pre-writing skills Some examples of early handwriting skills activities: threading and sewing cutting with scissors, especially along lines or following a pattern using tweezers or chopsticks to pick up small objects jigsaw puzzles tracing line drawings following mazes with pencils or felt tips using a variety of tools and media to draw dot-to-dot pictures colouring or decorating pictures with crayons, pencils or felt-tips

Why pre cursive style? Automatic style releases the brain to concentrate in other areas e.g. grammar, sentence structure without being distracted on how to form a letter.

Other benefits of the pre cursive style -Children need to be able to produce letters without thinking how to form them. -When making each letter with one movement, children’s hands develop a ‘physical memory of it. -It is easier to produce the correct shape. -Letters and words flow from left to right. -Children are less likely to reverse letters when writing -Proven to be beneficial for dyslexic children.

The children are taught how to form the letters with the statement “ The children are taught how to form the letters with the statement “..off we go…”, followed by forming the letter using the usual handwriting method. The Read Write Inc rhymes will be taught in Reception, together with phonics.

How you can help your child Correct posture Correct pencil grip Correct positioning of the paper Correct formation of the letters using the “off we go…” stroke

Let’s have a go writing some letters now!