Writing and Handwriting

How to start

Identify letters in natural setting- environmental print - food signs, labels, traffic signs. This will help children become more curious about print around them and understand the purpose of writing.

How we teach children to write.

• We always start with a purpose – a poster to find a lost dinosaur toy, a list of food we need to buy for a teddy bear’s picnic, an invitation to a party, a story we are writing for a different year group.

Stages of writing

• Understanding the difference between print and pictures

• Making marks to represent writing• Differentiate between letters and symbols• Begin to write letter shapes in response to letter

sounds – phonics• Understand how letters are formed and use to spell

simple words and begin to write them down• All attempts are praised and we encourage the

children to have a go!

Skills needed to write a sentence

• Compose a sentence - understand what a sentence is• Remember the sentence they want to write• Write it • Capital letter• Spaces in between words – understand what a word is• Phonics for spelling• Key words for spelling• Full stop• How to form the letters• Re-read the sentence - does it make sense

Spelling

• Phonics – we encourage the children to use their knowledge of sounds in their writing and praise them for their attempts

• Spelling - we encourage the children to use key word cards to help them with key words

Handwriting

At Freegrounds Infants School we teach the children to write using cursive script.The key advantages to this system are:• By making each letter in one movement, children’s hands develop a

‘physical memory’ of it, making it easier to produce the correct shape;

• Because letters and words flow from left to right, children are less likely to reverse letters which are typically difficult (like b/d or p/q);

• There is a clearer distinction between capital letters and lower case.• The continuous flow of writing ultimately improves speed and

spelling.

Cursive Script

a ,b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z

Handwriting • In EYFS we are working towards the formation through movement and music, making

patterns, mark making and other practical and fun activities.• In order that children can acquire a legible, fluent and fast handwriting style, they need to

develop various skills.

Gross Motor SkillsGross motor control describes the development of controlled movements of the whole body, or limbs. The development of good posture and balance is crucial in relation to handwriting.• Ideas for developing gross motor control for handwriting• Balls – squeezing soft balls, throwing, catching and bouncing• Hoops – rolling and spinning• Stilts• Frisbees• Streamers• Climbing Frames – including monkey bars• Cycling

HandwritingFine Motor SkillsFine motor control describes the control of smaller movements of the arm, hand and fingers.

• Ideas for developing fine motor control for handwriting• Action rhymes and finger rhymes• Construction toys• Play dough – rolling, squeezing, kneading• Threading – beads, lacing activities• Pegs – peg out the washing• Tweezers – picking up things• Peg boards• Scissors

Holding a pencilDeveloping patterns and basic letter movementsIt is important that children hold their pencil correctly. Children move through developmental stages of holding a pencil. In EYFS our aim is that all children will hold their correctly by the end of the year.

• Stage 1 - Held with fisted hand Arm moves as a unit• Stage 2 - Held with fingers

Forearm moves as a unit

• Stage 3 - Held with crude approximation of thumb, index and middle fingers.

Hand moves as a unit• Stage 4 - Held with precise index and middle fingers

Fine, localized movements of finger joints

Handwriting patterns

• As part of developing confidence in handwriting we experiment with basic patterns, which are excellent preparation for more formal work on letter formation.

• 1. Straight lines

• 2. Circles

• 3. Eights

• 4. Spirals

• 5. Upward loops

• 6. Downwards loops

• 7. Zig-zags

• Enjoy exploring these patterns at home in as many different ways as possible. Make patterns using paint, water, sand, flour etc. – don’t always rush to find a pencil