Fine-Motor Skills and Pre-handwriting Shapes:

Before being developmentally ready to learn to write letters, children are exposed to a range of Fine-Motor skill activities, particularly in our Early Years. As well as Fine-Motor, we practise a range of Gross-Motor and Bilateral exercises. Following this, children are encouraged to practise and accurately execute the pre-handwriting shapes. The pre-handwriting shapes form the basis for all letter formation and regular practice of these, even when children have already begun to learn to write letters, is beneficial.

Letter Formation:

Children begin learning letter formation, in Reception and Year 1 as printed letters. Before children start joining, the initial focus is to ensure letters are formed accurately, at the correct relative size to one another and in the right direction. It is important that children are beginning and ending their letters in the correct place to enable them to begin joining, when they are ready in Year 2. The letter formation will be linked with a rhyme following the phonics scheme of Little Wandle. Example below:

Letter Families:

Formal handwriting sessions are introduced and practised in their 'Letter Families'. Letter families have a similar motion when forming each of their letters which helps support children to form their letters in the correct direction.

Handwriting:

Key Stage 2 will be teaching formal stand-alone handwriting lessons using pre-made videos to ensure continuity across the school. Letter formation will continue to be taught as well as the different types of joins: drop-on joins (from the end of the letter onto a curly letter), horizontal joins (o r v w with a straight across join) and diagonal joins from the end of a letter diagonally up to the next. 

All typed work will be using XXCW Joined 6a - using the JoinIt font and ensuring it is joined. Please note f will be written sitting on the line and the descender under.