Handwriting

Handwriting is key to enabling children to write fluently and with confidence. As a result, children are taught from Nursery upwards how to form letters in such a way that will allow them to easily progress to a joined script when ready in Year 1 and 2. A consistent, whole-school approach is adopted, to ensure that children progress as they move through the school. Handwriting practice is maintained throughout the school with an increasing emphasis on writing speed and fluency, once the children have mastered their letter formation and joins. In the first half-term of the year, every class has a daily handwriting practice for 10-15 minutes. This is then reduced to twice a week, or as deemed necessary if children need further support.

Below are some of the key elements to our handwriting approach:

•    Children use yellow guidelines on all pieces of work, including work in books and on worksheets and are attached by either a bull-dog clip in the earlier years or by a paperclip.
•    Children are taught how to grip their pencils correctly, to enable them to write easily and comfortably.
•    Children do not join capital letters or after an ‘s’, ‘p’, ‘g’, ‘j’, ‘q’, ‘y’ or ‘b’.
•    Teachers and TAs model the handwriting in all work and marking.
•    Children are taught the words ‘ascenders’ and ‘descenders’.
•    There are high expectations of handwriting in all curriculum areas.

If you would like to download some guidelines for use at home, please click here.

Picture of letter formation