Handwriting

Intent

Our Handwriting aim is for children to develop legible, fluent, efficient handwriting.

Handwriting is a complex activity requiring the use of many different processes at once. Some children quickly learn to write, but other children may struggle to make writing an automatic process. Developing automaticity in recording means that they concentrate more on what to write and focus much less on how to write.

‘It is important to promote the basic skills of writing—skills that need to become increasingly automatic so that pupils can concentrate on writing composition.’ (Education Endowment Foundation Research).

Implementation

Pencil grips, overlays, coloured line books are used as aids where needed.

The school handwriting style is called Kber and a reference sheet is included. We teach our handwriting style through the ‘Letter-join’ approach to ensure there is clear progression and strong foundations in our children’s letter and digit formations. In Reception, children are taught to form their letters through the ‘Little Wandle’ approach.

Structure

Warm up for handwriting (5 minutes). This involves our ‘Ready to Write’ routines, enabling children to be ready physically and mentally for writing. Our ‘Ready to Write’ routines focus on the mantra of:

Back-to-back.

Fist (tummy for Reception and KS1) to table.

Feet to floor.

We also ensure our children know and apply the ‘4 P’ checks of posture, pencil, paper and pressure.

Children participate in a warm-up activity, which improves their strength, control and endurance at the beginning of each lesson ready to start handwriting. These activities will focus on either gross motor skills or fine motor skills.

Handwriting activity (10 minutes) This is the main focus of the session and will involve a longer activity that will directly focus on handwriting skills. This involves the teacher explicitly modelling the chosen letter/family formation. The children then apply the letter(s) formation(s) independently.

In Key Stage One and Two, handwriting lessons are completed on the left page of English books on lines that the children are confident and comfortable with. This is to encourage them to apply their handwriting skills within their everyday writing.

Curriculum Design

Nursery

Children in Nursery take part in ‘Write Dance’ and they also use ‘Peg to Paper’ to develop their fine motor skills.

Reception

Children in Reception take part in ‘Write Dance’ and they also use ‘Peg to Paper’ and ‘Funky Fingers’ to develop their fine motor skills.

Handwriting is taught daily through phonics lessons and it is embedded within the continuous provision.

Children in Reception use a pencil and are taught to form their letters via the Little Wandle approach.

Year 1

Children in Year 1 use a pencil and add both lead ins and outs to their letters and where appropriate start to join.

Year 2

Children in Year 2 use a pencil and start to join letters where appropriate.

Lower Key Stage Two

Children in LKS2 use a pencil and have joined up handwriting where appropriate.

Upper Key Stage Two

Children in UKS2 use a pencil and have joined up handwriting where appropriate and begin to develop their own style.