FELTONFLEET SCHOOL AN OVERVIEW OF OUR HANDWRITING IN LOWER SCHOOL

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1 FELTONFLEET SCHOOL AN OVERVIEW OF OUR HANDWRITING IN LOWER SCHOOL Sarah Shuttleworth DATED: September 2012 Reviewed Sept 2015, annual review

2 Table of contents Mission Rationale Aims Benefits of cursive style from point of entry to school Cursive script rules The Handwriting Process WRITE DANCE program Left handed children Monitoring and Assessment Foundation Stage Key Stage One Junior School Appendix A handwriting sample

3 Handwriting Policy Rationale: At CALVI House and later in the Prep School, we believe that good handwriting is vital and that the teaching of a cursive script from an early age benefits the child, throughout their school-life and into adulthood. The process of writing should become an automatic skill so that the child s attention can be focused on the content of their writing. Legible speedwriting is an essential skill required in examinations and learning the skill of joining from the very beginning will ensure that the flow and speed are a natural progression. The principal aim is that handwriting will become an automatic process, which frees pupils to focus on the content of their writing. In order for this to occur, handwriting is taught in ways that enhance fluency, legibility, purposefulness and the opportunity for creative expression. Aims: To provide the children with a fluent, neat and legible handwriting style of which they can be proud. To teach the children the correct method of forming letters and letter formation families. To develop the children s confidence in themselves as writers. To use handwriting as an aid to spelling and reading. it makes blends easier to recognize. For the children to derive pleasure from developing an aesthetically pleasing writing style. Benefits of cursive style from point of entry into school. Children develop: More intense skills of concentration. Correct formation and do not have to unlearn incorrect formation habits. Cursive writing for their very earliest writing experience means children don t have to adapt their letters later on. More self confidence as they see themselves writing as adults do. Less confusion with b/d reversal. All handwriting activities are undertaken as class activities for the following reasons: 1. To develop effective and efficient pencil grip. 2. To develop concentration which is crucial to good handwriting 3. To place a strong emphasis on importance of good handwriting.

4 4. To provide the class teacher with the opportunity to assess and monitor the handwriting process and reinforce good practice. 5. To be able to offer instant praise and feedback. Cursive Script Handwriting Rules. 1. Letters which finish at the top join horizontally. 2. Letters which finish at the bottom join diagonally. 3. All down strokes are straight and parallel. 4. All rounded letters are closed. 5. The horizontal cross line of the letter t should be the same height as the lower case letters. 6. All similar letters are the same height. 7. Each letter should be written in one flowing movement. 8. Each word should be written in one flowing movement. 9. Letters within a word should be evenly spaced. 10. The body of the letter sits on the line. 11. Capital letters do not join to lower case letters. Capital letters remain in the basic style. 12. All letters start on the line. The rules of cursive style help to prevent initial confusion as every letter starts on the line and leads out with an exit stroke. Letters naturally flow into each other, so it is easier to join. Children develop an awareness of the whole word, which helps with the child s visual memory and aids a grasp of spelling rules and common letter strings. Cursive writing will help with all children s writing skills regardless of academic ability. The Handwriting Process Beginning in the Nursery, children are involved in a variety of activities to develop essential pre-writing skills, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, including the WRITE DANCE program. Children are encouraged to develop the correct pencil grip and good posture. As children progress through the school skills are built upon and a style is developed. Activities follow the same principles but are linked to class spelling and topics. Older children will have more opportunity for sustained handwriting practice as well as short sharp skills tasks to maintain accurate technique. Teachers will model good cursive script on the board and in children s books, when marking. Activities to develop gross motor control A range of activities can be considered in the development of pre-writing skills: e.g. use of bikes, scooters, streamers, rolling hoops and using large pieces of equipment. The WRITE DANCE program uses a mixture of large and fine motor skills incorporating a variety of materials such ribbons, batons, large paint rollers and large chalks. Activities such as

5 potato printing, tracing patterns in the sand, paper tearing, manipulating dough, large painting sessions and rolling balls and other balls skills help define children s motor skills. BEFORE putting pen to paper: Write letter on friends back Write letter in sand trays, rice trays, flour trays Make letters using play dough Write letters on large chalk boards, in paint, in shaving foam Use ribbons and magic finger to draw letters in the air WRITE DANCE program Write Dance in the Early Years: A Progressive Music and Movement Programme for the Development of Pre-writing and Writing Skills in Children (Paperback) by Ragnhild Oussoren Voors (Author), Tony Kerr (Translator) The programme was developed in Sweden after much research and it has proved hugely successful and is used in schools all over the world. Write Dance is a program that involves the child s whole body as well as both halves of their brains in developing the coordination necessary to write fluently. The children are trained in coordination exercises and an understanding is created of the interdependence between body movements and small had/finger movements. Young children love to dance and move freely to music and WRITE DANCE provides them with a feeling of joy about learning to write and writing itself. There is no right or wrong in WRTE DANCE thus the children are freed from the fear of failure leading to an increased confidence in their own abilities, and proving that they are much more confident to have a go when they are ready to incorporate more formal handwriting practice. This program has proved especially successful for boys who often find the whole handwriting experience more difficult than girls. We use the WRITE DANCE program throughout the FOUNDATION STAGE and are hoping to continue in KEY STAGE ONE initially with Year 1. Left Handed Children Each left handed child is identified and monitored by the class teacher to ensure success. The following guide-lines are useful when teaching left-handed children. Ensure that: - the writing surface and the chair are suitable for the child s own height. - the child sits towards the left of any other pupil, leaving plenty of space for writing on the left side of his/her mid-line (this allows maximum space for movement). - the writing paper is to the left of the child s body midline.

6 - the paper tilted approx 32 degrees in a clockwise direction. - a writing tool which moves smoothly across the paper is used. - the paper is supported by the right hand. - the writing tool is held sufficiently far from its point to ensure that the child can see what he/she is writing. Children with difficulties Sometimes one or two children may exhibit difficulties with handwriting. This is often a coordination problem or the process of adapting a left handed style. Activities to develop gross motor skills can be promoted as these will help fine motor skills, as will plenty of pre-writing activities to loosen up the wrist and upper arm. Monitoring and Assessment Teachers are constantly monitoring writing. Whole class input is given in direct lessons, but children will receive individual feedback as and when is appropriate. In Reception assessment of handwriting contributes towards the child s individual profile. Handwriting is commented upon in twice yearly reports and parent consultations. FOUNDATION STAGE Each child progresses individually with handwriting using the approach taken from the Foundation Stage Framework. Children will be encouraged to engage in activities requiring hand-eye coordination and to use tools and equipment that require one handed operation. Through planned activities children will develop lines and circles using gross motor movements. WRITE DANCE will be used throughout the Foundation Stage to develop pre-writing skills and movements. All key items and labels within the classroom will be in cursive script. Children s name cards and self registration cards will be in cursive script. Teachers will use a range of script for displays but will also handwrite in cursive for classroom display. In Reception high frequency words will be displayed in cursive script. When learning letter sounds we use the JOLLY PHONICS program. Children need to know that there are different types of font as books, computers etc all produce a wide range of writing styles. For the purposes of learning letter sounds recognition of the letters - children will be shown regular print but when the formal writing takes place this will be in cursive. Sounds are closely linked to handwriting patterns. Practice of high frequency/keywords helps to develop good visual and writing habits. Usually by the end of the Reception year all children have been introduced to all the letters of the alphabet through patterns. It is at this stage that children are more prepared for independent writing. Children practice their names in cursive script by tracing over and then underneath and then using motor memory. KEY STAGE ONE (Years 1 and 2) As with the Foundation Stage children s names and labels, keywords within the classroom will be in cursive script. Homework sheets and activities may not always be in cursive script but handwriting activities in handwriting books will be. The children will learn to write individual letter sounds, blends and diagraphs and spelling patterns in cursive. In their

7 independent writing they will be encouraged to write cursive. Skills acquired in the Foundation Stage will be continued and consolidated. Children will be encouraged to write in cursive style at all times including Science, Humanities and other subjects. We will focus on: This will be achieved by: KEY STAGE TWO JUNIORS 1. Correct pencil grip and control 2. Good posture and paper alignment 3. Fluency when writing 1. Weekly handwriting sessions joining letters 2. Pattern activities in class and for homework 3. Ongoing teacher modeling, reminders and support 4. Computer patterns on paint program 5. JOLLY PHONICS activities Children in Year 3 either move up from Calvi House or enter as new students to the school. Those children transferring from Calvi should be already writing in cursive text. New children will be taught the new cursive style in formal handwriting sessions. Children s names will be displayed in cursive and children encouraged to write their names in cursive script. Some children may require support for handwriting and the Learning Enrichment Department will also use the same cursive script.

8 PLAN OF ACTION FOR IN: Term 1:1 All children s name labels (pegs) are in cursive (N-Y2) EYFS operate a self-registration system using names in cursive Nursery and Reception incorporate WRITEDANCE into their lessons Children are taught to write their names in cursive during handwriting sessions. (N-Y2) Formal handwriting sessions begin with children learning individual letters sounds or blends in cursive (N-Y2) Books labeled in cursive Classroom furniture labeled in cursive in all classrooms. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS All computers have HANDWRITING FOR WINDOWS installed with default font in place. NURSERY: Self-registration with names in cursive Children s names on pegs in cursive WRITEDANCE program to develop pre handwriting skills When ready children have names to trace in cursive (dot format available on HANDWRITING FOR WINDOW program.) Children can use sand trays, rice trays, flour trays to practice handwriting Letter sounds taught through JOLLY PHONICS with letters to recognize in print. When it comes to writing (only if and when children are ready) these sounds children are taught the cursive letter. RECEPTION: Self-registration with names in cursive Children s names on pegs in cursive

9 Children learn to write their names in cursive (dot format available on HANDWRITING FOR WINDOW program.) Phonics taught through JOLLY PHONICS in print. When children learn to write the sounds they do it in cursive. With ascenders and descenders. Handwriting lessons look at the phonic letters being learnt letters are learnt in cursive script. Use of sand tray, rice trays, shaving foam, flour boards to develop letters. Letters taught individually then joined together ªc ªc ªc ªc ªc ªc]c]c]c]c]c]c]c]c]c]ªc]c]c]c]c]c]c]c] cat Blends are taught in cursive Teachers to model cursive writing YEAR 1 and 2: Continue with formal handwriting lessons and phonics lessons as above. Children are encouraged to write in cursive in all areas of the curriculum. Teachers to model cursive writing. DISPLAYS: These must contain a mix of fonts including computer generated and handwritten. It is not necessary to have every display in cursive. Any time a child s name is used this should be in cursive.

10 APPENDIX A ªa b ªc ªd â û ªü h i ý l m n ª p ªq r t u v w ˆ þ z