Guest Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 We are changing our handwriting policy at school and have been told we will be starting cursive handwriting from September. I have never done it before and at the moment am not that keen. If anybody out there does introduce cursive in Reception I would be interested to hear your views (convince me otherwise ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Yes we did but dont worry too much, your job in reception will be to make sure that letter formation is correct, just as you always have done. All those pre writing activities remain essential too. Children need to know what the letters look like in isolation too and to be able to write them. Depending on which cursive font you use there are suitable fonts available. Start by showing the children their own names in cursive and work from there, you can also join your doulbe letter phonemes which helps children to see them as one unit rather that individual letters. We used the Cripps Hand for Spelling and the advice there is that writing for writing is joined, writing for reading is print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Hi, We started this last september in the school. We have introduced 'write dance' into nursery . and reception to develop motor control, co ordination etc Children learn patterns and once can make cursive ccc joined are ready to move to cursive. Alot of print in room is cursive and we model it too during shared writing. Children's names are cursive so learn to recognise the script early on. We heop to have children writing their name in cursive by end of term. But will start formal handwriting practice in year 1. Hop this helps. It has certainly improved the handwriting in the school, particulalry in yr 2 for sats. It also helps spelling as it feels right! It is easier to teach one way from the start rather than teach joined at end of year 1 / 2. Is this convincing? Don't suppose you have any ideas for teaching Rec year one mixed do you? or know anyone who does? Nightmare mix i know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Do you teach cursive writing with lead in strokes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 I have done this term with mixed yr1/2! If you are doing cursive starting on the line, you will still need to establish the single cursive letter forms with exit flicks and then add the leaders. Start with childrens names! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 16, 2006 Share Posted June 16, 2006 Hi, yes we do lead in and exit which helps the children as they always start and finish on the line rather than in the air/ space. We have got handwring file which includes cursive letters which we have laminated and show when doing phonic work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Hi We introduced cursive handwriting last September and it has been very successful. The majority of the children can write both of their names joined up now, and they find it easy to write digraphs as they see the one unit of sound. I have added our font as an attachment. It is a font that was designed by a local school. Cursive_alphabet.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Becky I'm not getting a cursive font when I download not sure if its a problem this end. We always taught the sasson style cursive writing until children were in Y2. This year we have begun using the schools own cursive style (personally Im not keen but it makes sense for everyone to do the same as I have previously argued with Literacy co ordinator and old Head) Most of the reception children and even some of the nursery children can make a good attempt at writing their names joined up. We are looking at having our style made into a font for the PC as no commercially available ones quite match the style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Hi Marion, I am stupid!! The font has to be installed on the computer!! Anyway it is similar to Sassoon Primary Infant but each letter starts on the line, and tails off into the next letter. The f, x and w are different to Sassoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 This is the style I have been using since Easter. Some of the children who have poor fine motor control find the flow helps them with writing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 That is almost the same as our except the top of the f is looped and the s is different. I'm sneaking a peek on the forum in between these blessed reports!!! Just 3 left to do now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Hi and welcome Clark. hope that will be the first post of many! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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