ST.JOSEPHS RC PRIMARY SCHOOL HIGHFIELD Handwriting and - - PDF document

ST.JOSEPH’S RC PRIMARY SCHOOL HIGHFIELD Handwriting and Presentation Policy

Intent

Using the EYFS curriculum, the National Curriculum and Come and See as

• ur basis, we have built a curriculum which is right for St. Joseph’s. We have

chosen to base our curriculum around three key drivers which we feel are the most important for our school. These are:

• Our place in the global world – learning all about our local area as well as life,

religion and diversity outside of Highfield both now and in the past.

• Developing skills and experiences for life – enhancing cultural, creative and

sporting experiences for all, as well as learning about how our pupils might use their skills in the future in the world of work and as parents.

• Developing the whole child – in God’s love, as rights respecting citizens and caring

individuals

English at St. Joseph’s is a rich, inspiring curriculum, but also provides skills which open the door to the depth and breadth of our curriculum as a whole.

Aims Our pupils will:

• Develop a handwriting style which is clear, cursive and swift.
• Present their work clearly and efficiently
• Take pride in the presentation of their work.
• Understand that handwriting and presentation style can create a positive
• verall impression of work and a person’s standards

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding Development Matters in the EYFS – non-statutory Guidance 40-60m

• Shows a preference for a dominant hand.
• Begins to use anticlockwise movement and retrace vertical lines.
• Begins to form recognisable letters.
• Uses a pencil and holds it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of

which

• are correctly formed.

Early Learning Goal

• Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements.
• They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They

handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing. The 2013 National Curriculum Statutory Requirements for handwriting are as follows: Year 1 Pupils should be taught to:

• sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly
• begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing

in the right place

• form capital letters
• form digits 0-9
• understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ (i.e. letters that

are formed in similar ways) and to practise these. Year 2 pupils should be taught to:

• form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another
• start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters

and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined **

• write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship

to one another and to lower case letters

• use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters.

**We feel that, providing the children are confident and can form lower-case letters swiftly, with the correct formation and orientation, then they should be taught to join in Year 1 Years 3 and 4 pupils should be taught to:

• use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and

understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined

• increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting [for

example, by ensuring that the down-strokes of letters are parallel and equidistant; that lines of writing are spaced sufficiently so that the ascenders and descenders of letters do not touch]. Years 5 and 6 pupils should be taught to:

• write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by:
• choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding

whether or not to join specific letters

• choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task.

Implementation: Teaching and Learning We teach handwriting as a specific skill rather than an independent task. In Reception and Y1 the little and often approach is adopted; at least 10 mins per day but in KS2 2x30 minute sessions per week are timetabled. Year 5 from the Y5/6 class will join Y4/5 for these sessions. Getting ready to write - Handwriting checklist

• Warm up. See appendix 1 and accompanying booklet.
• Pen or pencil should be loosely gripped between the first finger and the

thumb, using the second finger as a rest. This is the ‘pincer grip’. Check that the first finger is placed lightly on the pencil. There should be no ‘crook’ which leads to writer’s cramp.

• Pen or pencil should be held at 45 degrees to the paper. Hand should be in

line with their arm and not bent.

• Non-writing hand should be used to support and guide the paper.
• Children should be sitting with their backs supported by the back of the chair

and their feet flat on the floor

• Paper can be slightly angled to the left. (see below for left handed children)

Left –Handed children

Teachers should be aware of the left-handed children in their class and make appropriate provision in all lessons. Paper should be positioned to the right and slanted to suit the child., Pencils should not be held too close to the point as this can interrupt their line of vision. Left-handers should sit to the left of a right handed child to ensure that they have enough room for their elbows and paper. Inclusion Some children need more support and provision will be made for them in an I.E.P. Teachers of children whose handwriting is limited by their fine motor skills should liaise with the SENCO to develop a programme tailored to their needs. The Learning environment In all classrooms, tabletop storage should be equipped with age appropriate writing implements (see Presentation Guidance table). There should be a model of the Nelson Handwriting style available on each table and prominently displayed on the wall. Handwriting in Reception Children need to develop their upper body strength, to develop dexterity in their wrists and finger and to develop a tripod or ‘pincer’ grip. This is because they are required to manipulate writing implements with control for increasing periods of time. They do this by participating in a well planned, varied programme of gross and fine motor activities. (See appendix 2) Meanwhile, they will be learning to recognise and write phonemes during phonics session, saying writing verses to aid formation. They will learn to trace letter patterns with a variety of implements and to write their names, When they are ready, they can use materials from the Nelson Handwriting Scheme. This holistic approach to writing should ensure that the majority of children should form lower-case letters correctly, with correct orientation. Parents and carers should be introduced to the Nelson handwriting style during the induction meeting when they will be given the information as part of their ‘Starting School’ Pack. A handwriting sheet could be included with the Autumn term curriculum sheet at the beginning of each school year, with ‘joining update’ information sent home during Year 1 and Year 2. Teaching letters shapes There are 3 basic letter shapes from which most of the alphabet is made The cursive style is taught from the beginning ie, with joining ‘hooks’. When children are ready, sheets with tramlines should be used. Letter group Check… Curly caterpillar letters Anti-clockwise letters

c a d e g o q f s 0,6,8,9

Main body of letter fits into middle of tram lines Ascenders should touch the top line and descenders should go halfway between the third and fourth tramlines. Long Ladder Letters Down and off in another direction

I j l t u,

Main body of letter fits into middle of tram lines Ascenders should touch the top line and descenders should go half way between

the third and 4th tramline. One armed robot letters Down and retrace upwards

r b h k m n p 2,3,5 (follow a clockwise direction like

the top of the robot) Main body of letter fits into middle of tram lines Ascenders should touch the top line and descenders should go half way between the third and 4th tramline. Care to be taken with the bridge of the ‘r’. Zig-zag letters

v w x z 1 4 7

Main body of letter fits into middle of tram lines

Handwriting from year 1-6 Basic structure of a handwriting session Y1-6

• 1. Warm up activities – see appendix 2
• 2. Ready for writing checklist
• 3. Teacher modelling .
• 4. Children practising and teacher observing and correcting mistakes.
• Sessions can be fun, varied and multi-sensory and letters can be written in

the air, on partners’, backs, on hands and on whiteboards before committing them to paper.

• Before each lesson remind that the main body of the letter sits between

tramlines, then point out the relevant peculiarities of the particular focus letter such as ascenders, descenders or joins.

• Model the letter or series of letters being practised on the board, ensuring that

all children have a clear view. Talk through your actions eg, “Round, up and down again’’. Give the children time to practise the letters while walking around and praising effort and correcting mistakes.

• Check letters are evenly sized and spaced.
• Encourage partner work; ask children to pick out their partner’s best letter and

try to recreate it in subsequent lines. Ask them to suggest an improvement point for their partner.

• When children are confident, Materials copied from Nelson books or made

using the handwriting font, using the tramline option can be used. Materials can be differentiated by complexity.

• It is also useful to have additional adult support with less able handwriters if

possible but it is crucial that the teacher works with each group, praising, teaching and correcting faults such as; faulty pen/pencil grip, incorrect formation, reversals, poor posture and paper positioning.

The joins There are 5 letters groups. Set 1

a c d e h i k l m n s t u

12 Letters with exit flicks plus s Set 2

a c d e g i j n n o p q r s u v w x y

19 letters which start at the top of the x height Set 3

b f h k l t

6 letters which start at the top of the ascender Set 4

f o r v w

6 letters which finish at the top of the x-height The break letters

b g j p q x y z

8 letters after which no joins are made. Joins are not made to or from the letter z The joins are taught in this order The 1st join Set 1 to set 2

in am

Joins in an ascending slope to a letter which has a starting point of the same height The 2nd join Set 1 to set 3

ab ch

Joins to a tall letter with an ascending slope The 3rd join Set 4 to set 2

• a

wo

Joins with a bridge from the top of the letter The 4th join Set 4 to set 3

wh

• b

Joins with a bridge to a tall letter The break letters

bigger

No joins are made after these letters Capital letters never join.

Opportunities for handwriting in the curriculum There are many opportunities to practise handwriting skills during the course of lessons in other subjects and emphasis should be put upon correct letter formation and good presentation in all subjects. Research has confirmed a natural link between spelling and handwriting and look-cover-write-check activities are an ideal way of reinforcing spelling and handwriting. Presentation Guidance Good presentation is essential to raise standards. A child who makes an effort to present a piece of work carefully tends to extend that care into others aspect of the work such as spelling, punctuation and checking. YR

• Children write on plain paper or books initially, moving to wide

teacher drawn lines the width of a ruler . By the end of the year some children will be able to write in 15mm lines.

• They write with LYRA chubby triangular pencils to encourage a

pincer grip and have similar colouring pencils.

• A new page should be started for each new piece of work unless ¼
• f a page or less has been used.
• All work should display a computer printed success criteria and

date at the top of it.

• Mistakes should be crossed out using one straight line with the

correct word written next to it, or if the mistake has been noticed when checking through at the end of a piece of work, written above it. KS1

• Y1 use 15mm lines and 2cm squares in their books.
• They use thick STAEDLER pencils with a pencil grip to correct

their grip if necessary.

• Y2 use 12mm lines and 2cm squares and use STAEDLER ‘Norris’

HB pencils. They begin to use BEROL handwriting pens during handwriting lessons and some children who are ready ie. Use correct formation and joins, can use joined writing and a BEROL pen during lessons as the year progresses.

• A new page should be started for each new piece of work unless ¼
• f a page or less has been used.
• All work should display computer printed success criteria and date

at the top of it.

• Children should write from the margin or left hand edge of the book

to the right hand edge of the page.

• They should attempt to sit their letters on the line and leave spaces

between their words.

• They should attempt to use correct letter formation, orientation and

joins.

• In maths books, one number should be written in each square.
• Children should use pencils in their maths books.
• They should also use pencils for drawing picture and diagrams.
• Mistakes should be crossed out using one straight line with the

correct word written next to it, or if the mistake has been noticed when checking through at the end of a piece of work, written above it. KS2

• In Y3 children use 12mm lines and 1cm squared books. From Y4
• nwards children use 10mm lines.

• In Year 3 children write with a BEROL handwriting pen and join

their writing in all lessons.

• A new page should be started for each new piece of work unless

¼ of a page or less has been used.

• All Literacy work should display a handwritten date on the top line

The learning focus should also be written on the top line.

• All other work should display a handwritten date on the top line at

the left hand side written in numerals separated by a dot. Eg. 2.12.13. The learning focus should also be written on the top line.

• The date and learning focus should be underlined with a ruler and

pen.

• After the date and learning focus the children should leave a line

before they begin their written work.

• They should attempt to use correct letter formation, orientation and

joins.

• In maths books, one number should be written in each square.
• Children should use a pencil in their maths books.
• Children should also use pencils for drawings and diagrams.
• Mistakes should be crossed out using one straight line with the

correct word written next to it, or if the mistake has been noticed when checking through at the end of a piece of work, written above it.

• Paragraphs should be demarcated by missing a line.

Staff

• Good presentation should be actively encouraged and rewarded in

all lessons.

• All teachers and teaching assistants should use the correct Nelson

Style to write comments on children’s work.

• Rubbers should be used at the discretion of the teacher.
• All writing modelled by teachers and teaching assistants on

classroom whiteboards should also be in the Nelson style.

• Worksheets should, sometimes be converted into the Nelson font.
• They should be trimmed and stuck into books flat.
• Labels around the school (coat pegs, book fronts etc should be

made in the Nelson Precursive font) Assessment and Monitoring Teachers to monitor their own class’s handwriting regularly and plan in sessions to revise letter shapes and joins which have been incorrectly formed. On-going informative assessment which would inform the planning of the next week’s lessons is always good practise but a good opportunity to make a formal assessment with reference to GAP would be when the children are doing an assessed piece of writing. Books will be scrutinised by the Head teacher and co-ordinator regularly to ensure consistency of approach. Impact We monitor the impact of our approach through:

• Learning walks and observations.
• Pupil enjoyment and confidence in numeracy.

• Termly whole staff moderation sessions focussed on progression of one area
• f mathematics across the school.
• Local authority moderation sessions.
• Termly pupil progress meetings with the head and SENDCO with key children

requiring support or challenge identified and shared with SLT prior to the session.

• Head Teacher and SLT monitoring.
• End of EYFS, KS1 and KS2 statutory assessments.
• Termly assessment tracking information being shared with SLT (including key

areas of concern).

Appendix 1 Warm up activities to get the fingers, arms and wrists relaxed and ready for writing

• Washing hands – real or miming
• Washing day - Wringing, rubbing, shaking and folding clothes
• Brushing hair.
• Stroke a cat.
• Playing a musical instrument.
• Playing with snow, bubbles, feathers or balloons.
• Pick up sweets to put in a dish or in your mouth.

KS2

• Sit in the writing position with the arms dangling limply and flutter the hands

loosely.

• Let forearms lie limply on the table in the correct writing position. Raise and

lower the elbows several times.

• Place elbows on the table with the forearms held upright. Let the hands flap

loosely backwards and forewards.

• Clench and unclench fists.
• Circle hands inwards and then outwards.
• Hold the pen in the pincer grip. With the forefinger tap the pencil lightly.

Appendix 2 - Gross and fine motor activities to develop the strength, dexterity and stamina for writing Ideas for developing gross motor control

• Consolidate the vocabulary of movement by talking about the movements

children make, such as going round and round, making curves, springing up and sliding down, making long, slow movements or quick, jumpy movements.

• Show children how to make large movements in the air with their arms, hands

and shoulders. For example, fix ribbons on to the end of sticks for the children to swirl in the air. Encourage the use of both sides of the body.

• Let the children make different body shapes/actions in response to music to

help them to remember the shapes.

• Developing letter shapes using gross motor movements
• Encourage children to skywrite with both hands.
• Ask another adult or a confident child to model the movement with her/his

back to the rest of the children. Stand behind the children to check they are all following the movement correctly.

• Let children make patterns in the air or on each other’s backs.
• Make a letter shape in the damp sand tray. Invite each child in the group to

trace over the shape, going a little deeper each time. The object is to get down to the base of the sand tray without the sides falling in.

• Reinforce the vocabulary of movement, for example the curly caterpillar, the

long ladder and the one-armed robot. Talk about the movements as you make them, using a ‘patter’, for example for the one-armed robot: ‘Start at his head and go down to his feet. Bounce back up and go over for his arm.’ While this is helpful in the early stages, it is purely to help to establish the

• movement. Reinforce a letter movement by asking the children to write the

letter with their eyes closed.

Some ideas for developing fine motor control

• Let the children make patterns using pegboards.
• Provide sewing and weaving activities.
• Involve the children in chopping and peeling in cooking activities.
• Provide woodworking tools – pliers, screwdrivers, hammers.
• Use finger rhymes, counting fingers, playing with words and sounds, etc.
• Provide small construction toys.
• Structure sand and water play to include sieving, pouring, picking up toys

using tools, etc.

• Develop the pincer movement: show the children how to use tweezers to pick

up and sort sequins, small beads, etc., sprinkle coloured sand, glitter, salt,

• etc. on pictures.
• Provide the children with paints, finger paints, etc. for making big patterns on

differently shaped paper, for example fish, balloons, kites. Talk about the patterns they make. Focus on developing the curly caterpillar, long ladder and

• ne-armed robot.
• Encourage the children to strengthen their fingers by using clay, play dough,

Plasticine, etc., for modelling. They can make letter shapes and patterns using the modelling media.

• Encourage dexterity by asking the children to cut out large letter shapes or
• patterns. They can use different coloured marker pens for tracing along inside

the shapes. Emphasise that circles and curly caterpillars need to be traced from the top and anti-clockwise.

• Give the children thick paintbrushes and water to paint patterns on walls,

fences, etc.