Handwriting
At Westwood Primary School, we aim to provide the children with the skills required to be confident, creative and competent writers. Our handwriting policy enables children to develop the transcription skills required to write down their ideas fluently. The way in which handwriting takes place at Westwood ensures that work from Early Years is built on through to Year 6 whilst also providing time for consolidation throughout. It is essential that children’s physical skills needed for handwriting and the ability to form individual letters are mastered from the beginning.
At Westwood, we teach the children a joined cursive style that uses continuous strokes to form words. A copy of both our cursive lower case and uppercase letters can be seen below along with the lowercase letters joined in the correct places. All lowercase letters begin at the same point on the line and each letter has a carry-on stroke so that it can be joined. The pencil should not leave the paper during the writing of any word (other than to form the second half of the x letter, which is the only letter not to join).
Why Cursive handwriting?
- Letters are produced in a flowing movement, which helps the development of a physical memory of how each letter is written.
- Letters all start in the same place and flow from left to right, which reduces the chance of reversal mix-ups such as b/d and p/q.
- Due to the smooth flow, writing becomes quicker and easier.
- Brain mapping, as it is called, shows that during cursive writing both the right and left hemispheres of the brain are active, this promotes improved language and memory functions. This is something that is not present either while writing in print or on a keyboard.
- A cursive style of handwriting is recommended by the British Dyslexia Association.
What does it look like?
Capital letters and pre-cursive letters Letter formation (Early Years and Y1)
Joined letters
How will handwriting look at Westwood?
We believe Early Years is the time to cultivate motivation and joy in writing and that is why our Nursery children are given opportunities to mark make and draw as often as possible. Teachers plan these opportunities with secure knowledge of how writing develops as well as providing activities which promote the development of gross and fine motor skills to ensure children develop their muscle memory.
As children move through Early Years and enter our Reception classes children will have at least four, 1:1 or small group writing lessons a week. These lessons are planned in conjunction with their RWI work and focus on correct pencil grip and letter formation. The length of these writing lessons will differ throughout the year and will depend on the individual needs of each child. By the end of the Reception year children are expected to; write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed, spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters and write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.
From Year 1 onwards handwriting lessons take place four times a week. These 10-15minute lessons will differ in structure throughout the year but mostly will centre around focussing on a key letter or join that meets the needs of the class, followed by practising common exception words in a joined style (Year 2 onwards). See the plan below for each stage of handwriting in each year group.
In Years 1 and 2 their handwriting practice will be completed in the front of their writing book. From Year 3 onwards handwriting practice will be completed in the back of their writing book. It is not a requirement for the handwriting to be marked but teacher intervention should be seen, if needed, to support children if they’re struggling.
Everything around the classroom, as much as possible, should be written in cursive. This includes worksheets, adventure blurbs on displays, writing on the interactive whiteboard and marking.
Nursery |
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Reception |
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Year 1 |
At the start of every handwriting lesson, after the formation of each letter has been taught, a letter that children continue to make mistakes in the formation will be taught at the start of each handwriting session. See KS1 writing long term plan for timings. |
Year 2 |
At the start of every handwriting lesson, after the formation of each letter has been taught, a letter that children continue to make mistakes in the formation will be taught at the start of each handwriting session. See KS1 writing long term plan for timings. |
Years 3 and 4 |
At the start of every handwriting lesson, after the formation of each letter has been taught, a join that children continue to make mistakes in the formation will be taught at the start of each handwriting session e.g. joining ‘r’ or ‘w’ to another letter. |
Years 5 and 6 |
At the start of every handwriting lesson, after the formation of each letter has been taught, a join that children continue to make mistakes in the formation will be taught at the start of each handwriting session e.g. joining ‘r’ or ‘w’ to another letter. |
Cursive letter families
Wave Letters
These are lowercase cursive letters that curve up from the baseline with a curve that follows the outside and left side of a circle. The curve traces back on itself to create a curve shape.
Wave letters include lowercase cursive: c, a, d, g, q, s, and o.
Spike Letters
These are lowercase cursive letters that curve up from the baseline with an inverted curve that follows the underside and right side of a circle. The curve traces back on itself for the strait portion of the letter, but then pulls away to either continue with additional components of the letter or to connect to subsequent letters.
Spike letters include lowercase cursive: i, t, u, w, r, p, l and j.
Loop Letters
These are lowercase cursive letters that begin with a loop from the baseline.
Loop letters include: e, h b, k, and f.
Bump Letters
These are lowercase cursive letters that start from the baseline with a low curve on a 45 degree angle that peaks with a curved "bump" at the middle line.
Bump letters include: n, m, v, x, y, and z.