Handwriting Information Session for Parents

Outline of the session Why is handwriting important? Progression in handwriting and the National Curriculum School approach Main issues that may arise How you can help!

Why is Handwriting important? More motivation to write Children are relieved of thinking about HOW to write when they want to write. Children who have better handwriting are usually better at spelling Helps children understand the importance of structure and organisation.

Progression in handwriting and the National Curriculum Years 1 Pupils should be taught to: sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place form capital letters form digits 0-9 understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ (ie letters that are formed in similar ways –c a d o g -) and to practise these Year 2 Pupils should be taught to: form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower-case letters use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters

Progression in handwriting and the National Curriculum Years 3 & 4 Pupils should be taught to: use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting, [for example, by ensuring that the down strokes of letters are parallel and equidistant, and that lines of writing are spaced sufficiently so that the ascenders and descenders of letters do not touch] Years 5 & 6 Pupils should be taught to: write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by: choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding whether or not to join specific letters choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task

Pre-writing skills Formation Legibility Fluidity and speed How do we learn to write? Pre-writing skills Formation Legibility Fluidity and speed

Pre-writing skills dance, football, cycling, balancing, Using play dough, clay, plasticine etc Encouraging pincer movements of the fingers such as sprinkling glitter, salt or sand on pictures by using tweezers to sort sequins, pick up rice grains etc. Using scissors to cut paper, card, fabric, felt, fun foam etc. providing sewing and weaving activities, Involving children in chopping and peeling whilst cooking, Providing opportunities to supervise children using pliers, screwdrivers and hammers. Providing a wide range of pens, pencils and brushes is important. dance, football, cycling, balancing, gripping climbing frames, using construction kits.

Letter Formation

Letter Joins There are four different joins taught in this order: Diagonal join to letters without ascenders 2. Horizontal join to letters without ascenders

Letter Joins 3. Diagonal join to letters with ascenders ul it ib if ub th ck ch it 4. Horizontal join to letters with ascenders

Essential Points to help avoid issues that may arise: Pencil grip Correct Equipment Posture when writing

The ideal grip (tripod grip) looks like this: Pencil grip The ideal grip (tripod grip) looks like this: The left hand grip is the same but the pencil should be held higher up the barrel so the writing can be clearly seen. Pencil grips may help young children who are not naturally holding their pencil correctly.

Posture when writing Sit upright with lower back supported by the back of the chair. Feet flat on the floor and thighs parallel to the floor. Table at elbow height. Left handed writers may need a cushion to raise their height so they can more easily see what they have written. Paper position for left handed children so that they can see what they have written and not smudge their work. Paper position for right handed children.

What are the main areas of concern? Legibilty ( all or most of the writing can’t be read especially out of context.) Specifically practise individual letter formation and then the four joins, one at a time. Then regular (daily) practise of writing out passages or dictated sentences. Neatness (handwriting is messy or poorly controlled.) For a short period use handwriting guidelines to practice the relationship between letters. Use alongside normal lines paper so child does not see handwriting as something only done on special paper. Comfort? (The child is experiencing pain, strain or discomfort when writing.) Check the child’s grip on the pencil: gripping too hard is a common cause of discomfort. Build up stamina by encouraging colouring –in activities; tweezer activities as well as practising writing.

Pressure? (S/he is pressing too hard or not hard enough, or pressure within one piece of writing is variable.) Experiment with different writing implements. Speed? (S/he writes very slowly, producing too little writing, or too fast, becoming inaccurate.) Too slowly: build up speed by improving stamina; improve fluency by regular handwriting practice so child is not thinking about forming letters and joins correctly; Write short pieces against the clock to build speed. Too fast: praise for neat work not finishing quickly. Motivation/enjoyment? (S/he is reluctant to write or gives up too easily.) The more automatic the handwriting, the less of an effort it is for the child.

Other issues: bask Sitting on the line Many children go through a phase of mirror writing: although more readily understandable in left handed children, it is not statistically more common for them to write like this nor does it have any connection with intelligence or dyslexia. Children grow out of it. To help them do so more quickly mark starting points on the left hand side of a page to start the direction of writing . Common problems are poor sizing of specific letters –k, s and w are commonly formed bigger than others even in otherwise even writing. bask Very rarely, a child has an eyesight problem so get an eye test to check that glasses wouldn’t help. Otherwise make the line darker, so it is really visible. Practice with ‘soil, grass, sky’ lines for a short while. Sitting on the line

Without spaces, handwriting is very difficult to read Without spaces, handwriting is very difficult to read. Young children can use images of fingers or lolly sticks to put between words.