Handsome Handwriting - PowerPoint Presentation

Handsome Handwriting Parent and carer workshop Monday 28 th and Tuesday 29 th May 2016 Rachel Malone

Aims of this session: To recognise the importance of handwriting N. C and handwriting – assessment descriptors To understand how handwriting is taught across our school To identify ways to support your child’s handwriting at home

Why is handwriting important? Discuss… It is a method of communication. Sometimes there isn’t the option to type. It can provide a more personal touch. Unfair as it is, people make judgements based on people’s handwriting.

Jotting down a shopping list, writing a birthday card, taking down a phone message, completing a form at the bank ….handwriting is part of our daily lives. It is on show to others and may be used to make judgments about us. In recent years, modern technology has dramatically changed the way we communicate through writing. However, despite the increased use of computers for writing, the skill of handwriting remains important in education, employment and in everyday life. Time devoted to the teaching and learning of letter formation in the early years will pay off. Legible writing that can be produced comfortably, at speed and with little conscious effort allows a child to attend to the higher-level aspects of writing composition and content. This is important when assessments are based on written work, particularly in time-limited written examinations, which remain as a major form of assessment for many formal qualifications. Without fast and legible handwriting, students may miss out on learning opportunities and under-achieve academically. Beyond formal education, most employment situations will involve at least some handwriting and any require the communication of critical information (e.g. medical notes, prescriptions).

Foundation Stage It is important for children to develop gross motor skills in order to master fine motor skills and handwriting. How to develop fine motor skills Using playdough Cutting and sticking Painting Threading beads

Year 1 Handwriting Goals: Statutory Requirements - Handwriting Pupils should be taught to: sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place form capital letters form digits 0-9 understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ (i.e. letters that are formed in similar ways) and to practise these. Notes and guidance (non-statutory) Handwriting requires frequent and discrete, direct teaching. Pupils should be able to form letters correctly and confidently. The size of the writing implement (pencil, pen) should not be too large for a young pupil’s hand. Whatever is being used should allow the pupil to hold it easily and correctly so that bad habits are avoided. Left-handed pupils should receive specific teaching to meet their needs.

Year 2 Handwriting Goals: Statutory Requirements - Handwriting Pupils should be taught to: form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower case letters use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters. Notes and guidance (non-statutory) Pupils should revise and practise correct letter formation frequently. They should be taught to write with a joined style as soon as they can form letters securely with the correct orientation.

Years 3 & 4 Handwriting Goals: Statutory Requirements - Handwriting Pupils should be taught to: Use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined Increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting [for example, by ensuring that the down strokes of letters are parallel and equidistant; that lines of writing are spaced sufficiently so that ascenders and descenders of letters do not touch]. Notes and guidance (non-statutory) Pupils should be joining handwriting throughout their independent writing. Handwriting should continue to be taught, with the aim of increasing the fluency with which pupils are able to write what they want to say. This, in turn, will support their composition and spelling.

Years 5 & 6 Handwriting Goals: Statutory Requirements - Handwriting Pupils should be taught to: Write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by: Choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding whether or not to join specific letters Choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task. Notes and guidance (non-statutory) Pupils should continue to practise handwriting and be encouraged to increase the speed of it, so that problems with forming letters do not get in the way of their writing down what they want to say. They should be clear about what standard of handwriting is appropriate for a particular task, for example, quick notes or a final handwritten version. They should also be taught to use an unjoined style, for example, for labelling a diagram or data, writing an email address, or for algebra and capital letters, for example, for filling in a form.

Handwriting sessions: Handwriting is timetabled for 2-3 times per week (or one longer session). Foundation and year 1 use the Nelson Handwriting Workbooks, with year 1 ideally moving on to ‘developing skills – red’ which can be found in the teacher’s handbook.

Teacher’s handbook Year 2 onwards use the Nelson Handwriting teacher’s guide. Year 2 ‘Developing skills – red/yellow’ Year 3 ‘Book 1’ Year 4 ‘Book 2’ Year 5 ‘Book 3’ Year 6 ‘Book 4’ The teacher models the specific handwriting join or letter formation to the children.

The 3 Ps Posture Position Pencil grip A good posture and pencil hold are vital for good handwriting.

Sitting correctly The most important part of handwriting is that children are sitting correctly, with correct posture and that they are holding their pen or pencil correctly. This is encouraged in all lessons, not just handwriting sessions.

Pencil grip Children should be encouraged to hold the pencil between the thumb and forefinger with the pencil resting on the third finger “tripod grasp ” – we’ll watch a clip The pencil should be held about one to three centimetres from the writing tip, so that there is control over its movement. The grip should be relaxed, without pressing too hard on the pencil or on the page.

Pencil grip https://youtu.be/WjzNyHgPZac The tripod grip is the most traditional handwriting grip taught .

Left-handers As the video demonstrated, left handed writers are given specific input by the teacher. Mr. Bridle has provided pens and grips for all children who have been identified as struggling with pen grip.

Nelson and handwriting joins C curve letters a c d g o q Down, up and over letters b h m n p r Letters that descend below the line g j q p y   Tall letters b d f h k l t 3 methods of joining Basic joins- diagonal- cu, il Horizontal- ou , wh Joins to ‘curly’ letters- uc , nd

Joining Cursive bottom letter Joins Cursive bottom to “c” shaped letter Joins Cursive bottom “e” letter joins Cursive top “e” letter joins Cursive top letter joins

Handwriting joins Four handwriting joins First join to letters without ascenders- un um ig id ed eg an or ing ung Second join to letters with ascenders- ch th tl ll ill ck ack ink unk Third join- horizontal joins odre veoon oom Fourth join horizontal joins to letters with ascenders - wlvl offf flflo

Demonstrating good handwriting Teachers model cursive handwriting whenever possible. This is especially important when modelling on a flipchart for display. Pointing out specific joins or letter formations during this time will be just as beneficial as the time taken during handwriting sessions.

Incentives WOW walls Reminders about presentation in all lessons. Presentation stars of the week in class Bronze, silver, gold certificates for KS1 and KS2

How to help your child at home The best way to support your child is to practise, practise, practise! WATCH THEM! Writing in salt, sand or shaving foam . Motivate your child by providing him/her with a variety of tools such as felt-tips, chalk, paint. H andwriting requires a lot of practice – please take the handout with you.

Aims of this session To recognise the importance of handwriting N. C and handwriting – assessment descriptors To understand how handwriting is taught across our school To identify ways to support your child’s handwriting at home Any questions?