Handwriting

[Guest]

 

Hello everyone!

 

Just wondering what everyone does about handwriting practice? Last year each child had their own handwriting book. We would show them how to form the letters and they would copy in parrot fashion. We never liked this format as it was very mundane and time consuming. We stopped doing that this year and solely relied upon the children remembering ad practising through our daily phonic time. Having said this it doesn't always work as it is hard to ensure everyone is doing it right. As a result the children's letter formation is much worse this year! I can hear the Year One teachers tutting already and wondered whether anyone had any inspirational ways of delivering handwrting sessions? Thinking about changing our practice this term. Any suggestions would be very welcome!

 

Please help!

 

Vicki

[emz321]

I am alao interested to see how others do handwriting. In my school we teach cursive writing from Reception so the children don't have to re-learn letter formation later on. I current pratice letter formation in phonics and from Christmas we spent 15 minutes 3 times a week doing handwriting on whitboards. i would show children letter formation on board and they would pratice on whitboards. now only the struggling children do the pratice. but i wonder if this is the best way to do it! The ones who do lots of writing in their child initiated are begining to write cursively but te ones who never put pen to paper unless made to are the ones struggling with letter formation!

 

On the abc blog alistair suggests jedi writing (see link) but this is letter formation in the air and nearly all my children are past this stage so intend to try it in september.

 

Jedi writing

[Guest LornaW]

I love the jedi writing and would add to this ribbons and as many opportunities outside to develop the gross motor control with large chalks etc etc.

 

I would teach the formation of the graphemes as I teach the phoneme and get the children to write it in the air, on their leg, on their hand, on the back of the person in front, on boards with sandpaper, on boards with velvet as they need as many sensory expreiences as possible to get the pattern fiixed in their brain.

 

Then I would have a handwriting book and each week they have handwriting practice with an adult modelling and then the children copy in their handwriting books - a new page each week and NOT the back of the last page so they get that lovely smooth surface. Then as the weeks go by they will see how they have improved.

 

Handwriting is a skill that needs practice practice practice and then more practice!

 

This book is expensive but excellent

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handwriting-Way-Te...n/dp/0761943110

 

Lorna

[Rufus]

In my school we spend the first term focussing on gross motor work and movements that occur in letter formation, getting those letter formation movements to become really embedded in the way that they move. Then we move onto write dance for a term, the last term we focus on forming the letters with different media, painting, chalking, drawing in sand, water painting, thick pens.

We also do letter formation in phonics work each week and also when we sit and write with the chidlren we have a letter formation focus.

As for handwriting books, I just can't bring myself to do this, it just seems too formal for me. They do this in year one, so let it be fresh for the children when they start it in year one.

It doesn't matter how much you teach handwriting, even those children who have almost perfect writing, when you back is turned they will always do it the quick way now and again.

I know many adults that form letters incorrectly and it doesn't hinder them at all. I also know that i have taught lots of children who have only got the hang of letter formation later up the school.

Handwriting.....it's always one of those things that sets the cat amongst the pigeon!

[Guest]

Rufus, At last let the children learn their letters through action - year one is the time when they are ready to form letters and have the right tools of ability to form and preform.

 

It is refreshing to know that this.

[Guest]

A little while ago, I found this wonderful weblink that we use with our whiteboards. The chn really enjoy it as they can keep looking up to check how their handwriting is going and I am free to walk around and help those who are still struggling. best link I have found in a while. Their handwriting has really come on and we have many more achieving W5 due to this weblink - i think!

 

 

<http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/kentict/content/games/writingRepeater_v6_withloop.html>