Learning

The Right Handwriting Tool for the Job!

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writing tools 2

As with learning any new skill the right tool at the right time can make a real difference to the whole learning experience as well as the outcome. Learning to handwrite is no different.

Young children due to their gross and fine motor skills ability require chunky shafted tools so that they can grip them effectively. This means they have a greater control over the tool and can achieve a more satisfactory outcome. If they are using a tool that is too thin they will find gripping it difficult and have to keep changing their grip. They will have less control of the tool making the experience disappointing at best and discouraging at worst.

To help young children to store patterns and letter shapes formation into their motor memory it is important that the tools used provide a resistance rather than one that flows effortlessly over the writing/drawing surface. The greater the resistance the more the body can neurologically acknowledge (feel) the movement and help to send appropriate information to the brain.

Some of the best tools for young children to begin learning to draw patterns, shapes and correctly write letters:

  • Chalk on boards, walls or paths
  • Flip chart pens or large felt tips on course paper such as sugar paper
  • Using appropriately sized paint brushes on course paper or surfaces
  • Finger painting or finger drawing in sand, paint or cornflour mix
  • Finger tracing and then trying to draw the pattern, shape or letter straight afterwards.
  • Try chalking the shape or letter onto a blackboard and have the child use a damp sponge to wipe it off again (make sure the child starts in the correct place and moves correctly around the shape or letter to the correct finish point).
  • Appropriately sized crayons and pencils on course paper or card (non-shiny side of cereal boxes and corrugated card can be good fun and different to use).

As children begin a more formal approach to learning to form their letters correctly then appropriately sized and lead grade pencils are the best tool for the job. Pencil come in all widths, lengths and shapes. The key is to find the style of pencil which best suits the child and their stage of pencil grip development. Remember one size doesn’t fit all!

When a child has learnt to join their letters and has a good and consistent letter size and places all their letters on the writing line correctly in relation to each other, then it maybe they are ready to be moved to pen. It is important before moving t child to pen that they are writing with speed (appropriate for their age) and fluidity (comfortable writing all the letters of the alphabet lower and upper case correctly). A child whose handwriting is slow and laboured may need additional support and time before being moved on to pen.

Week 5 of Our 5 Week Handwriting Lesson Program

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Week 5 Handwriting 2

The fifth week of our handwriting program is ready for you to download. Today it introduces the ‘Hooks, Loops & Lines Letters’.

The free weekly set of worksheets can be downloaded, printed off and used alongside our letter formation animations.

Click on this link and it will take you to the correct page of our website:

https://www.teachhandwriting.co.uk/covid-19-handwriting-lessons.html

5 Week Handwriting Lesson Program

Each week a new letter family will be introduced:

  1. Straight lines (Finished).
  2. Curves to start (Finished).
  3. Top exit (available until Sunday 17th May 2020)
  4. Tunnel
  5. Hooks, loops and lines

There is a separate worksheet for each day:

Monday – Have a go worksheet

Today you can check if your child knows how to write the letters and if they are writing them correctly. If you know your child cannot form the letters in the letter family then show them the letter animations and then let them have a go.

Tuesday & Wednesday – Specific letter practise days

Each day focuses on different sets of letters from the letter family.

Thursday & Friday – Letter practise days

On these days letters from the letter family being taught and some letters from letter families already introduced are practised.

There are also “Rainbow” worksheets where your child can share with others what they have learnt and achieved over the week as well as appropriately sized practise paper for them.

We hope you find these useful. If you have any questions about this 5 week handwriting program please feel free to contact us through the contact us page and we will do our best to help.

Take care Lucy & Chris from Teach Children Ltd

Week 4 of Our 5 Week Handwriting Lesson Program

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Week 4 handwriting 1

The fourth week of our handwriting program is ready for you to download. Today it introduces the ‘Tunnel Letters’.

The free weekly set of worksheets can be downloaded, printed off and used alongside our letter formation animations.

Click on this link and it will take you to the correct page of our website:

https://www.teachhandwriting.co.uk/covid-19-handwriting-lessons.html

5 Week Handwriting Lesson Program

Each week a new letter family will be introduced:

  1. Straight lines (Finished).
  2. Curves to start (available until Sunday 10th May 2020).
  3. Top exit
  4. Tunnel
  5. Hooks, loops and lines

There is a separate worksheet for each day:

Monday – Have a go worksheet

Today you can check if your child knows how to write the letters and if they are writing them correctly. If you know your child cannot form the letters in the letter family then show them the letter animations and then let them have a go.

Tuesday & Wednesday – Specific letter practise days

Each day focuses on different sets of letters from the letter family.

Thursday & Friday – Letter practise days

On these days letters from the letter family being taught and some letters from letter families already introduced are practised.

There are also “Rainbow” worksheets where your child can share with others what they have learnt and achieved over the week as well as appropriately sized practise paper for them.

We hope you find these useful. If you have any questions about this 5 week handwriting program please feel free to contact us through the contact us page and we will do our best to help.

Take care Lucy & Chris from Teach Children Ltd

Week 3 of Our 5 Week Handwriting Lesson Program

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Week 3 1

The third week of our handwriting program is ready for you to download. Today it introduces the ‘Top Exit Letters’ and revisits letters from the letter families already taught in week 1 – ‘Straight lines family’ and Week 2 – ‘Curves to start family’.

The free weekly set of worksheets can be downloaded, printed off and used alongside our letter formation animations.

Click on this link and it will take you to correct page of our website:

https://www.teachhandwriting.co.uk/covid-19-handwriting-lessons.html

5 Week Handwriting Lesson Program

Each week a new letter family will be introduced:

  1. Straight lines (available until Sunday 3rd May 2020).
  2. Curves to start
  3. Top exit
  4. Tunnel
  5. Hooks, loops and lines

There is a separate worksheet for each day:

Monday – Have a go worksheet

Today you can check if your child knows how to write the letters and if they are writing them correctly. If you know your child cannot form the letters in the letter family then show them the letter animations and then let them have a go.

Tuesday & Wednesday – Specific letter practise days

Each day focuses on different sets of letters from the letter family.

Thursday & Friday – Letter practise days

On these days letters from the letter family being taught and some letters from letter families already introduced are practised.

There are also “Rainbow” worksheets where your child can share with others what they have learnt and achieved over the week as well as appropriately sized practise paper for them.

We hope you find these useful. If you have any questions about this 5 week handwriting program please feel free to contact us through the contact us page and we will do our best to help.

Take care Lucy & Chris from Teach Children Ltd

Week 2 of Handwriting Lesson Program

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Week 2 Handwriting 1

We posted the first week of our 5 Week Handwriting Lesson Program on 19th April 2020 which introduced the ‘straight lines family’. It is free 5 week, easy to use, handwriting program for you.

The second week of this handwriting program will be ready for you to download on Friday 24/04/20 and introduces the ‘curves to start family’.

The free weekly set of worksheets can be downloaded, printed off and used alongside our letter formation animations.

Click on this link and it will take you to correct page of our website:

https://www.teachhandwriting.co.uk/covid-19-handwriting-lessons.html

5 Week Handwriting Lesson Program

Each week a new letter family will be introduced:

  1. Straight lines
  2. Curves to start
  3. Top exit
  4. Tunnel
  5. Hooks, loops and lines

There is a separate worksheet for each day:

Monday – Have a go worksheet

Today you can check if your child knows how to write the letters and if they are writing them correctly. If you know your child cannot form the letters in the letter family then show them the letter animations and then let them have a go.

Tuesday & Wednesday – Specific letter practise days

Each day focuses on different sets of letters from the letter family.

Thursday & Friday – Letter practise days

On these days letters from the letter family being taught and some letters from letter families already introduced are practised.

There are also “Rainbow” worksheets where your child can share with others what they have learnt and achieved over the week as well as appropriately sized practise paper for them.

We hope you find these useful. If you have any questions about this 5 week handwriting program please feel free to contact us through the contact us page and we will do our best to help.

Take care Lucy & Chris from Teach Children Ltd

Spring/Easter Drawing Activity Ideas – Supporting Pre-handwriting Pattern Development

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Easter Banner 2

In these unusual times it can be easy to forget that it is the Easter holiday break.

We have put together some quick step by step Easter drawing ideas for you to try, using basic shapes such as circles, rectangles and triangles. It is amazing how, by using these simple shapes, you and your child can create fantastic Spring/Easter: cards, pictures mobiles or bunting: http://bit.ly/2kyeo3w

People have enjoyed seeing children’s’ rainbow pictures up in windows so adding some Spring/Easter pictures or mobiles can only add to the enjoyment.

Drawing pictures is a great way to help your child develop their pre-handwriting strokes and shape forming skills. As well as supporting shape, colour, pattern and language development.

The Best Pencil Grip for #Handwriting – Tripod Grip

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Drawbridge flip 1

The Drawbridge Flip Method is a simple way of helping your child pick up a pencil and hold it correctly in the tripod grip for handwriting.

Follow this link for an instructional video for both left and right-handed writers on how to use the Drawbridge Flip method:

https://www.teachhandwriting.co.uk/whole-class-tripod-pencil-grip-teaching-ks1.html

Drawbridge Flip instructions:

  • Place the pencil on the table in front of the writing hand, so it forms a straight line up the table with the writing tip of the pencil pointing towards you.
  • Then using your thumb and index finger pinch the pencil either side of the shaft about 2 cm up from the tip for a right-handed writer and about 3 cm up for a left-handed writer. Dots or sticker may be placed on the pencil to help thumb and finger placement.
  • Pick the pencil up off the table and place the fingernail of the middle finger on to the pencil just above the tip.
  • Keep the ring and little finger gently curled in.
  • Push down with the middle finger so that the pencil moves up and over like a drawbridge, keep pushing until the pencil is supported in the cup (web of skin that joins the thumb, hand and index finger) and the pencil is resting on the inner edge of middle finger.
  • When writing, the end of the pencil will be angled towards the shoulder for right-handed writers and the elbow for left-handed writers.

Teaching Letter Joins – A Systematic Approach

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Joins A & W 2

We would recommend teaching joins in join type groups, whether your child has learnt cursive or continuous cursive single letter fonts.

Teaching the join types in their groups helps a child to understand the directional pushes and pulls required to successfully join the different letter combinations.

There are 4 main groups of letter joins; bottom joins, bottom to “c” shape joins, “e” joins (top and bottom join strokes) and top joins.

Moving from Cursive Single Letters to Joining

There are seven join strokes to be taught. Most children will find the bottom joins the easiest to achieve, as it only requires the extension of the exit stroke they already put on the letters. The bottom to “c” shape joins can be tricky at first but soon mastered. The joins that tend to cause the most confusion and difficulty are the “e” joiners and top exit joiners.

I would recommend teaching the bottom joins first, then the ‘e’ joins and finally the top exit letter joins.

Moving from Continuous Cursive Single Letters to Joining

There are three join strokes to be taught. The easiest is the bottom exit letters (the majority of the letters), all a child has to do is write the letters closer together without lifting their pencil off the paper. Only the top to “e” and top joiners need to be taught for continuous cursive, as the nature of the font style means that the lead-in and exit strokes needed to join the majority of letter combinations have already been taught.

I would recommend teaching the bottom joins first, then the top exit to ‘e’ join and finally the top exit letter joins.

For our free join animations and worksheets: http://bit.ly/2F9P7cI

For tips to support the teaching of joins check out our Teaching Tips section:  http://bit.ly/2AaX8sk

Joining Letters – More Than Just Good Handwriting

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join sentences

Research in recent years by psychologists, educationalists and neuroscientists has found that older children, with better handwriting skills showed greater neural activity in areas associated with working memory (used for planning, ideas generation and composition skills for written work).

Due to the way that our working memory functions the handwriting process can impact on the quality of the work. For instance, those who have poor handwriting ability use a disproportionate amount of their working memory capacity in recalling and forming the letters, effectively blocking the higher level composition process (Gathercole, Pickering, Knight & Stegmann 2004, cited Medwell et al. 2007).

This is because children with fluent handwriting skills have developed an automotive (instant, subconscious) ability to recall and reproduce letter patterns, making handwriting a lower level process within their working memory.

This would suggest that learning to handwrite with accuracy, fluidity, speed and legibility is a vital goal if we want our children to reach their full potential. Learning to join letters is therefore an important step to achieving this. Once handwriting has been mastered a child can focus more effectively on the composition and structure of the piece, which requires planning and logical thought processes, so that the plot or argument can be fully explored and presented.

Bibliography

Medwell. J, Wray. D: Handwriting: what do we know and what do we need to know, Literacy Vol. 41, No 1, April 2007.

Using Letter Families to Teach Letter Formation

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Letter Family 1

Here at Teach Children we recommend teaching letter formation in family groups rather than in alphabetical order.

The letters of the alphabet have been sorted by shape, start points, directional push and pulls of the pencil and finish point to create the different family groups. It makes it easier for children to develop and remember the correct letter formation, this is because they do not have to constantly remember a whole range of start points or directional movement at one time. For instance, the letter c has the same start point and anti-clockwise directional movement shape that is needed to create the letters a, d, g, o and, although a little more complicated, the letters s and e,

Teaching letters in groups or families can also help to limit letter reversals such as b and d.

Also, by teaching letter groups in the order shown on the website children are able to write whole words, which have meaning to them, and this in turn encourages them to write more.

Click here to see our Letter Family animations and supporting worksheets: http://bit.ly/2F9P7cI