Handwriting I. Danaher 8th February 2017

Purpose of meeting: introduction to Penpals a consistent approach to handwriting and letter formation is necessary training video resources Ofsted’s view any questions?

Training video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7BpAomCdeo&index=2&list=PLawYlwo41ZkArBIGo0ao0EWiQ8UEhcYAl

Resources: interactive CD-ROM with warm up clips and posture clips teachers’ books with detailed lesson plans practice books handwriting patterns - laminated pen licence

Ofsted ‘…school is not Outstanding because pupils do not take enough care with the presentation and handwriting in their written work. Teachers accept untidy work and poor handwriting. The quality of some written work is then not of a high enough standard.’ Ofsted, June 2014 ‘Ofsted told of key weaknesses… failing to teach the basics of spelling and handwriting.’ The Telegraph 05.01.17

Ros Wilson ‘Schools should expect all children to develop neat, joined writing by the time they leave KS1.’ ‘The most important factor is the consistency with which all adults teach, model and promote the school style, using it in every aspect of their work in the school.’ Wilson, R. (2012) Big Writing – Writing Voice and Basic Skills. The class teacher’s guide to Big Writing

Writing is a complex skill ‘Many sub-processes are involved in writing: generating and developing ideas, planning how to express thoughts and structuring sentences, as well as thinking about spelling and punctuation – all make conflicting demands on a limited central cognitive resource, memory.’ (Torrance and Galbraith, 2006) ‘If handwriting cannot be sustained when other writing factors are involved, the new skill has not become fully automated.’ (National Handwriting Association)