Handwriting
Intent
At Christ Church E Primary School, we recognise that handwriting is a basic skill that influences the quality of work throughout the curriculum. By the end of Key Stage 2, all pupils should have the ability to produce fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy joined-up handwriting, and to understand the different forms of handwriting used for different purposes. We appreciate that for some children this taught skill may develop at different rates. Our intention is to make handwriting an automatic process that does not interfere with creative and mental thinking.
In addition to teaching handwriting during our regular handwriting lessons, we have high expectations that what is taught and practiced in handwriting lessons will be used in all writing activities. All of the teachers in our school put a priority on teaching handwriting and have high
expectations for handwriting across the curriculum.
Aims
- to develop a neat, legible, speedy handwriting style using continuous cursive letters, which leads to producing letters and words automatically in independent writing.
- to establish and maintain high expectations for the presentation of written work
- for pupils to understand, by the end of Y6, the importance of neat presentation and the need for different letter forms (cursive, printed, capitals) to help communicate meaning clearly
- to experience coherence and continuity in the teaching and learning of handwriting across all school years
- to enable pupils to take pride in their handwriting and feel a sense of achievement in the development of their own handwriting
Implementation
Letter-join is our chosen scheme as it covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum and ensures a consistent approach across school. The children are explicitly taught the skill of handwriting as regular part of their weekly timetable.
The specific joins will be seen gradually through the school as the youngest pupils, who have not experienced another approach, progress.
Early Years
In Reception, the most important element is providing opportunities for developing muscle strength. Before a child can put pen to paper, they need to have developed a vast amount of physical skills to make it possible. A range of activities involving gross motor skills with large outdoor play equipment are available in outdoor provision as well as exercises to develop fine motor skills in indoor provision, such as threading, cutting and dough disco.
Handwriting lessons are short and regular including:
- Enhancing gross motor skills such as air writing, pattern making and further physical activities
- Fine motor skills activities such as mark making on a wide range of materials, including paper, whiteboards, sand, iPads etc
- Becoming familiar with letter shapes, formation, sounds and vocabulary
- Correct sitting position and pencil grip
Key Stage 1
Teaching progresses to further lessons that include:
- Continuing with gross and fine motor skills exercises
- Strengthening handwriting, learning and practice
- Numerals, capitals and printed letters; where and when to use, learning and practice
- Grammar and spelling exercises
Key Stage 2
Teaching encourages pupils to develop a cursive style to ensure improvement in legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting through a variety of resources linking handwriting to other areas of the curriculum. In Years 5 & 6, pupils will have opportunities to write at length to develop stamina and produce cursive writing automatically to enable them to focus on the content of their writing rather than the mechanical process.
Correct posture and pencil grip for handwriting
Pupils will be taught how to sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly.
Left-handed children will be supported with seating and paper positioning.
Children will be encouraged to use tripod grip, which allows the pencil to be held securely whilst allowing controlled movement.
Impact
This systematic approach ensures development in the skill of handwriting throughout each year group. Children take pride in their written work and achieve proficiency in their own use of the Letter-join scheme.
Outcomes in children’s wider curriculum work, as well as in their English books and school displays, will evidence the progress that children make in this area, as well as the consistency of the approach across the school.
