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Little Wandle Handwriting

The programme will be extended into KS2 with resources starting to publish from Spring 2027 and will support schools with the teaching of both handwriting and spelling

NEW

Make a strong start in Reception and KS1 Little Wandle Handwriting ensures early development of fluent, legible handwriting and provides a structured approach to teaching handwriting. • Delivers clear teaching guidance on how to model, assess and review handwriting • Includes high-quality, engaging pupil materials to carefully support children’s step-by-step progress • Is written in collaboration with experts at Little Wandle and based on the latest research on how to teach handwriting • Provides coverage of the Early Learning Goals, National Curriculum and works alongside the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression Collins have partnered with Little Wandle to produce print resources that support the delivery of the Handwriting programme. They include Pupil Workbooks, classroom resources, and Teacher Handbooks, which offer a print copy of the planning and guidance available on the Little Wandle website. Unit 6: Capital letters A From the top, diagonally down to the left, up to the top, diagonally down to the right. Lift up and across.

Unit 6: Capital letters

Lower-case letters: curly letter family

Write over the letters.

a Around the astronaut’s helmet and down into space. Trace the letters with your finger.

Write over and copy the letters.

Write over the letters.

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Pages from the Pupil Workbooks and Letter Formation Cards

Planning and guidance An online subscription to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised includes the Little Wandle Handwriting programme for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Lesson plans and resources, plus a range of ‘How to’ videos modelling the teaching of handwriting, are all included. Fully aligned with the DfE writing framework guidance on transcription/teaching handwriting

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17/12/2025 16:24

‘Ready to write’ checklist: the four Ps s

Little Wandle Handwriting

Pages from the Teacher Handbook

Pencil grip Children need to learn how to hold their pencil correctly from the outset, as grip affects the ﬂow, speed and overall quality of handwriting. Without a proper grip, children’s hands can tire more quickly, their writing can become harder to read and they may struggle to write for extended periods – an essential skill as they progress through school.

It is important to establish routines for getting ready for handwriting lessons. The routines of warming up ﬁngers, having the correct posture and holding the pencil correctly so that children are ready to write are key. These routines need to be a common policy in the school, and have clear expectations that are established right from the start and reinforced so that they become embedded and automatic.

Young children need to develop the muscles in their hands to build the strength required for a proper pencil grip. For some, this will take longer and require additional practice. Children initially start to hold the pencil within their ﬁst (age 1–1.5 years), progress to holding the pencil shaft with all their ﬁngers (2–3 years) and then move on to a static, then dynamic tripod grasp. Children typically progress through a series of grasp patterns before developing a tripod grip.

The Little Wandle ‘Ready to write’ checklist ensures children are well prepared to start handwriting with conﬁdence and control. The children are taught and reminded of four elements prior to starting their handwriting lesson.

Tripod grip

Feet are ﬂat on the ﬂoor or supported on a wide, stable raised surface.

•

Knees form a 90 degrees angle, with about two ﬁngers’ space behind the knees to prevent pressure on the lower thighs.

•

Hips are positioned at approximately 90 degrees, with the back fully supported by the chair.

•

Seat position with the back against the chair maintaining a small gap (about the width of a ﬁst) between the stomach and the table, so there is sufficient space to breathe comfortably.

•

Table and chair height should allow the forearms to rest comfortably on the surface – without leaning forward (too low) or raising the shoulders (too high).

•

Work surface must be clean, smooth and clear of clutter to promote proper hand and arm placement and allow arms to move freely to write.

The tripod grip is typically the easiest for children to learn. It can be modelled by showing how to pinch the pencil between the ball of the thumb and index finger – about a finger’s width from the pencil tip – while resting the middle finger underneath for support, and the other fingers tucked into the hand. Using a small sticker to mark the correct grip position can be a helpful visual aid. The ideal location of the fingers is about 3cm from the pencil tip. For children who find pencil grip challenging, timely intervention and additional practice are essential to prevent the development of incorrect habits. See the ‘Pencil grip’ video on the Little Wandle website. For children who continue to have difficulty with fine and gross motor skills, adaptive equipment can used to support their development. Writing implements and equipment •

Pencils are an ideal tool for introducing letter formation as they provide a smooth glide across the page helping young children develop control during the complex process of learning to write. Some children may beneﬁt from using thicker, triangular pencils to support the development of a tripod grip.

•

However, the size of the pencil should be appropriate for the child’s hand. While some children may initially ﬁnd a chunkier pencil easier to grip, as they develop pencil control, it’s important to ensure the pencil is not too large, as this can hinder comfort and proper grip development.

•

There are pencil grips commercially available that promote a good tripod position. An elastic band placed at the tip of the pencil will prevent the ﬁngers from slipping forwards onto the point.

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07/10/2025 15:05

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A range of ‘How to’ videos modelling direct instruction of handwriting.

07/10/2025 15:05

Meet the series editor Rachel Davis MBE is the co-founder of Little Wandle and has a wealth of experience in education including 20 years as the headteacher of an outstanding school in Birmingham and 12 years as an Ofsted Inspector. She also serves as the Strategic Lead for an English Hub. Rachel is committed to enabling every child to become a confident reader and writer, giving them the best possible start in life.

Title

ISBN

Price

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception

978-0-00-880028-4

£19.99

Workbook 1: Patterns

978-0-00-880029-1

£0.99

Workbook 2: Lower-case Letters

978-0-00-880030-7

£1.99

Workbook 3: Capital Letters

978-0-00-880031-4

£1.99

Little Wandle Handwriting Reception

Workbook 4: Digraphs and Trigraphs

978-0-00-880032-1

£1.99

Reception Letter Formation Cards

978-0-00-882848-6

£59.99 + VAT

Workbook 5: Applying Capital Letters

978-0-00-881112-9

£2.99

Workbook 6: Forming Digits and Words

978-0-00-881113-6

£2.99

Workbook 7: Writing Sentences

978-0-00-881114-3

£2.99

Year 1 Letter Formation Cards

978-0-00-882849-3

£59.99 + VAT

Workbook 8: Joining Letters

978-0-00-885340-2

£2.99

Workbook 9: Develop Fluency in Joining Letters

978-0-00-885885-8

£2.99

978-0-00-881111-2

£29.99

978-0-00-882850-9

£25.99 + VAT

View sample pages and find out more

Year 1

Year 2

Year 1 & Year 2 Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Key Stage 1 All years Letter Formation Desk Mats

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Teacher’s Handbook

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception Introduction Why is handwriting important? Making a strong start in Reception Writing names National guidance and expectations Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (revised 2025) Development Matters (revised 2023) The National Curriculum in England (2014) The Writing Framework (2025) Executive function and handwriting Working memory Inhibitory control (self-control) Cognitive ﬂexibility The relationship between handwriting and writing Transcription Oral composition Preparing for handwriting Drawing and forming lines The importance of developing core strength and motor control Gross motor control Fine motor control Dominant hand and left-handed children Supporting left-handed children in writing Little Wandle Handwriting Programme pedagogy Lesson structure and programme content ‘Ready to write’ checklist: the four Ps Posture Pencil grip Paper position Pressure Setting up your classroom The environment Useful resources Hand warm-up routines Hand exercises Teaching Little Wandle Handwriting in Reception Lesson organisation in Reception Teaching routines for handwriting 2

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Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception Teacher’s Handbook

‘Ready to write’ rhyme Using the pupil workbooks Practising patterns Teaching letter families Links to phonics lessons Pace and progression Resources for teaching Unit aims and content Unit 1: Practising patterns Units 2 to 5: Letter formation Unit 6: Capital letters Unit 7: Digraphs and trigraphs Additional practice Assessment and providing additional support Assessment for Learning Additional support Engaging parents Home learning Teaching handwriting in Key Stage 1 Year 1 Year 2 Developing a handwriting policy What to include in a handwriting policy Glossary References

Appendices Appendix 1 – Audit: Handwriting

Appendix 2 – Lesson templates

Unit 1: Practising patterns

Units 2 to 5: Lower-case letters Unit 6: Capital letters

47 48

Unit 7: Digraphs and trigraphs

Appendix 3 – Unit guidance Unit 1: Patterns Unit 2: Curly letter family Unit 3: Long letter family Unit 4: Bouncy letter family Unit 5: Zig-zag letter family Appendix 4 – Capital letter formation phrases

50 50 53 56 58 60 62

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Teacher’s Handbook

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception

Introduction

The LittleWandle Handwriting programme provides a structured approach to teaching handwriting right from the start of Reception. It has been developed around research into the teaching of writing and national requirements and guidance, including the National Curriculum in England, the Writing Framework and Ofsted ﬁndings. The programme has been carefully designed to support the development of legible and ﬂuent handwriting using an easy-to-follow approach with consistent routines and memorable mantras. The Writing Framework 2025 highlights the importance of this approach. It states: Pupils should be taught handwriting precisely, in a clearly sequenced progression, starting from reception, to support their gradual acquisition of skills. Little Wandle Handwriting can be taught alongside Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, and the programme progression takes account of children’s growing phonic knowledge. It uses the well-loved and familiar mnemonics from the core Little Wandle programme to ensure children can make links in their learning.

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Handwriting: • Develops the brain Writing by hand activates multiple areas of the brain associated with memory, attention, language and problem-solving. It promotes neural connections that are not fully engaged when typing. • Improves fi ne motor skills Handwriting builds strength and coordination in the hands and fingers. This fine motor control is essential for many daily activities beyond writing, like using cutlery and scissors, buttoning clothes or tying shoelaces. •

Boosts learning and retention

Teacher’s Handbook

Handwriting remains a crucial skill in a child’s development and daily functioning, even in our increasingly digital world. As educators, it’s important to understand why handwriting matters and how to communicate its value to children and parents.

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception

Why is handwriting important?

Research shows that children tend to remember and understand material better when they write notes by hand. The act of forming letters and words helps reinforce learning. The slower pace of handwriting allows time for thinking and processing, aiding comprehension and memory.

• Helps with writing quickly and legibly for assessments Fluent, legible handwriting that requires little conscious effort allows children to concentrate on higher-level writing skills. In time-limited assessments – still a common format for formal qualiﬁcations – slow or unclear handwriting can hinder performance and limit academic achievement. •

•

Enhances literacy skills Handwriting contributes to reading and spelling development. The process of writing letters helps children recognise and remember letter shapes and sounds more effectively. Encourages focus and attention Writing by hand requires more concentration than typing. It can help children slow down, organise their thoughts and think more deeply about what they are writing. Is a practical life skill Handwriting is necessary for tasks like ﬁlling out forms, signing documents, taking notes or writing thank you cards.

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Teacher’s Handbook

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception

Making a strong start in Reception

The Reception year is essential for the early development of fluent and legible handwriting. In the same way that teaching children to decode and blend with automaticity enables children to think about the meaning of what they are reading, when children’s transcription skills become automatic and they develop fluent handwriting, then their minds are freed to think about what they are writing. By teaching handwriting right from the start, it means that children do not develop incorrect habits that are hard to break. Direct teaching of handwriting will prepare the children with the skills to develop fluent, speedy writing later on. The ‘Strong foundations in the first years of school’ report (Ofsted, 2024) identified that some settings introduce complex tasks too early, leaving children without the foundational knowledge of how to hold a pencil correctly and form letters and numbers. It highlights the importance of building in time to explicitly teach handwriting from the start of Reception. ‘Teaching handwriting only in phonics sessions, as some schools do, is part of the problem. It means that children do not learn the basics of letter formation that establish the foundations for speedy and fluent handwriting later on. Further, plans to teach handwriting in Key Stage 1 do not always include important elements that the National Curriculum requires, such as making sure that children understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ and that they practise these. Incorrect letter formation then becomes a habit. Even when schools provide explicit handwriting lessons, teachers do not always demonstrate well enough to children what they need to do.’ Strong foundations in the first years of school (Ofsted, 2024)

Writing names Children will sometimes come to school writing their name. They may have poor pencil grip and letter formation, and some children may write in capitals. You will need to prevent these habits from becoming embedded by correcting their pencil grip and modelling correct letter formation straight away. Schools may wish to take the opportunity at induction sessions before the children start school to show parents the tripod grip and how to achieve this with the ‘pinch, pinch, pinch, ﬂip’ routine (see the ‘Pencil grip’ video) and the correct way to form letters. For further information on engaging parents, see page 38.

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The Little Wandle Handwriting programme is based on the principle of direct teaching of transcription skills. It has been carefully planned to develop the children’s skills in accurate letter formation, with regular review and assessment. It is essential that you consistently model handwriting to a high standard. Each letter must be correctly formed and consistent in size, with clear starting and ﬁnishing points. You also need to demonstrate the correct pencil grip and proper writing posture. Children should be taught the Little Wandle ‘Ready to write’ checklist and encouraged to refer to it, not only during handwriting lessons, but across all writing activities throughout the curriculum, ensuring clear and consistent expectations. Each handwriting lesson should be delivered by a teacher or trained teaching assistant. The children should not be left to practise without supervision from a trained adult who will monitor the children’s work and pick up on incorrect pencil grip and letter formation. Strong modelling of starting points for letters and the correct orientation is essential. When forming the letters, the Little Wandle formation phrases should be used. You can make reference to the sound of the letters but the focus of the lesson must remain clearly on handwriting.

Teacher’s Handbook

Programme pedagogy

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception

Little Wandle Handwriting

Ofsted’s ‘Strong foundations in the ﬁrst years of school’ guidance (2024) makes clear the importance of a separate phonics lesson from handwriting: Teaching handwriting only in phonics sessions, as some schools do, is part of the problem. It means that children do not learn the basics of letter formation that establish the foundations for speedy and ﬂuent handwriting later on.

Lesson structure and programme content The handwriting lessons are designed to be short and focused, involve recall from the previous day, with direct, explicit teaching through strong modelling. This is followed by repeated practice, accompanied by precise feedback, to embed the learning in the long-term memory and ensure it becomes automatic. Long-term memory

Environment Learning Attention

Learning Working memory

Forgotten

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Teacher’s Handbook

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception

‘Ready to write’ checklist: the four Ps Itis important to establish routines for getting ready for handwriting lessons. The routines of warming up ﬁngers, having the correct posture and holding the pencil correctly so that children are ready to write are key. These routines need to be a common policy in the school, and have clear expectations that are established right from the start and reinforced so that they become embedded and automatic. The Little Wandle ‘Ready to write’ checklist ensures children are well prepared to start handwriting with conﬁdence and control. The children are taught and reminded of four elements prior to starting their handwriting lesson.

Posture Pencil grip Paper position Pressure Posture If children have a poor posture when writing, it can result in pain and fatigue, causing poor presentation, handwriting that is difficult to read, slow speed and lack of motivation to write. By modelling, monitoring and reinforcing good posture from the beginning, poor habits can be prevented from developing and children can be supported in building the stamina and speed needed for fluent writing. • Feet are flat on the floor or supported on a wide, stable raised surface. • Knees form a 90 degrees angle, with about two fingers’ space behind the knees to prevent pressure on the lower thighs. • Hips are positioned at approximately 90 degrees, with the back fully supported by the chair. • Seat position with the back against the chair maintaining a small gap (about the width of a fist) between the stomach and the table, so there is sufficient space to breathe comfortably. • Table and chair height should allow the forearms to rest comfortably on the surface – without leaning forward (too low) or raising the shoulders (too high). • Work surface must be clean, smooth and clear of clutter to promote proper hand and arm placement and allow arms to move freely to write.

910

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Use this guidance from the Writing Framework (DfE, 2025) to audit your current practice. Handwriting routines

Current practice

Handwriting is taught explicitly and regularly across the school to all pupils. This begins early in Reception and is in addition to writing in phonics lessons. Pupils across the school are taught consistent routines for handwriting that support a comfortable writing position and enable them to form letters legibly and to develop ﬂuency. Routines consider posture, paper positioning and pencil hold (including for left-handed children). All adults who work with pupils expect consistently high standards of handwriting and provide good models of handwriting that align with the school’s agreed style, across all areas of the curriculum.

Teacher’s Handbook

Audit: Handwriting

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Reception

Appendix 1

Handwriting instruction focuses on letter formation, size, orientation, spacing and consistency. Teachers make sure all children in every year group regularly practise handwriting to develop physical skill and control, and maintain ﬂuency and legibility. Teachers teach pupils how to hold the pencil using the tripod grip, and support and encourage them to use it when they write. Pupils who need support have access to appropriate resources and equipment to enable them to make progress in handwriting in line with their peers. Teachers routinely model handwriting in the writing lesson to enable pupils to see how letters are formed. Teachers seek advice and work with the SENCO and other adults to support children needing adaptations or further support.

Actions to be taken:

Term actions to be reviewed by:

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1011

Workbook 1 - Patterns

Reception Workbook 1: Patterns

Unit 1: Practising patterns Draw over and copy the spirals.

Draw over and copy the spirals.

18 12

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Unit 7: Digraphs and trigraphs

Workbook 1 - Patterns Reception Workbook 1: Patterns

Unit 1: Practising patterns Practice picture

Draw the spirals. Keep your pencil on the page.

Pattern check-up

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Workbook 2 - Lower Case Letters

Reception Workbook 2: Lower-case Letters

Unit 4: Bouncy letter family Down, up and over the mouse’s ears. Trace the letter with your finger.

Write over the letters.

32 14

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Unit 7: Digraphs and trigraphs

Workbook 2 - Lower CaseLetters Letters Reception Workbook 2: Lower-case

Unit 4: Bouncy letter family Write over the letters.

Write over and copy the letter.

Copy the letter.

Letter check-up

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Workbook 3 - Capital Letters

Reception Workbook 3: Capital Letters

Unit 6: Capital letters Q From the top – all around the O. Lift off. Short line diagonally down. q Around the queen’s face, down her robe and a flick at the end. Trace the letters with your finger.

Write over the letters.

12 16

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Unit 7: Digraphs and trigraphs

Workbook 3 - Capital Reception Workbook 3: CapitalLetters Letters

Unit 6: Capital letters Write over the letters.

Write over and copy the letters.

Letter check-up

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Workbook 4 - Digraphs and Trigraphs

Reception Workbook 4: Digraphs and Trigraphs

Unit 7: Digraphs and trigraphs Catchphrase: a light in the night i Down the iguana and dot the leaf. g Around the goat’s face and curl under its chin. h Down, up and over the helicopter. Trace the letters with your finger.

Write over the letters.

28 18

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Unit 7: Digraphs and trigraphs

Workbook 4 - Digraphs and Triigraphs Reception Workbook 4: Digraphs and Trigraphs

Unit 7: Digraphs and trigraphs Write over the letters.

Write over the letters and the word.

Copy the letters and the word.

Letter check-up

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Reception Letter Formation Cards

Lower-case letters: curly letter family

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Reception Letter Formation Cards

Lower-case letters: curly letter family

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Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Key Stage 1

Year 1 Overview and progression

The Little Wandle Handwriting programme for Year 1 is organised into teaching units with clearly deﬁned outcomes and assessment criteria. Individual lesson plans identify the content for each lesson, alongside lesson templates which provide the detail for how each part of the lesson should be delivered. Assess and review weeks are built into the teaching progression to provide time to revisit areas that require additional practice. Use Assessment for Learning in lessons to identify areas for additional practice in the Assess and review lessons. Term

Workbook

Unit number Duration

Content

Autumn

Workbook 5

Unit 1

6 weeks

Lower-case letters

Unit 2

7 weeks

Applying capital letters

Unit 3

2 weeks

Forming digits

Unit 4

4 weeks

Digraphs and trigraphs

Unit 5

6 weeks

Useful words

Unit 6

7 weeks

Words with Phase 5 GPCs

Unit 7

2 weeks

Days of the week

Unit 8

1 week

Sentences with punctuation

Unit 9

3 weeks

Sentences with useful words

Spring

Summer

Workbook 6

Workbook 7

Autumn term Unit 1: Lower-case letters • • • • • •

c, a, d, g, o, q (Week 1) e, s, f, l, i, t (Week 2) j, u, y, m, n, r (Week 3) b, p, h, v, w, x (Week 4) z, k (Week 5) Assess and review (Week 6)

Unit 2: Applying capital letters

• • • • • • •

A, B, C, D (Week 7) E, F, J, H (Week 8) I, J, K, L (Week 9) M, N, O, P (Week 10) Q, R, S, T (Week 11) U, V, W, X, Y, Z (Week 12) Assess and review (Week 13)

• •

Numbers 0–5 (Week 1) Numbers 6–9 (Week 2)

Spring term Unit 3: Forming digits

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• • • •

Unit 5: Useful words

Focus words: • • • • • •

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Key Stage 1

Unit 4: Digraphs and trigraphs

ll, ff, ss, zz, qu, ck, ch, sh (Week 3) th, ng, nk, ai, ee, igh, oa, oo (Week 4) ar, or, ur, ow, oi, ear, air, er (Week 5) Assess and review (Week 6) and, go, his, be, her, full, he, into (Week 7) push, pull, she, put, the, me, is, as (Week 8) we, to, all, are, by, my, I, was (Week 9) they, said, you, come, do, have, here, like (Week 10) love, little, has, one, some, there, so, today (Week 11) Assess and review (Week 12)

Summer term Unit 6: Words with Phase Writing words with the GPCs: 5 GPCs • ay, a-e, ea, e (Week 1) • ie, i-e, o, o-e (Week 2) • ue, ew, u-e, aw (Week 3) • ea, ir, ou, oy (Week 4) • i, a, ow, u (Week 5) • ph, wh, ie, g (Week 6) • Assess and review (Week 7) Unit 7: Days of the week

• •

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (Week 8) Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Week 9)

Unit 8: Sentences with punctuation

•

Focus punctuation: . ? ! (Week 10)

Unit 9: Sentences with useful words

•

Focus words: again, ask, because, could, eye, beautiful, friend, call (Week 11) Focus words: laugh, our, people, house, school, should, their, water (Week 12) Assess and review (Week 13)

• •

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Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Key Stage 1

Outcomes and assessment criteria – Year 1 Unit 1: Lower-case letters Duration: 5 weeks

Unit 1 builds on the letter formation of lower-case letters taught in Reception. The focus is on developing controlled and fluent letter formation and refining the shaping and sizing of the letters. The Letter-specific assessment criteria grids show the correct way of forming each letter. The letters are taught in letter families because the common features of the starting points and direction help to reduce the cognitive load, making correct letter formation automatic. Children can use Penguin Land to remember how to size their letters correctly. Lessons 1 to 3 teach two letters from the same letter family and from lesson 2 include a short review of the lower-case letters from the previous lesson. The letters are then practised in words, where attention is drawn to the spacing between words. In lesson 4, the lower-case letters from the week are practised in a short sentence. An additional sentence provides the opportunity for additional practice. The unit has five lessons of learning followed by one week to Assess and review. To teach the unit, use the lesson templates and plans provided. Key outcomes In this unit, the children will: • • • • • • • • • •

Use the correct pencil grip (tripod grip). Begin to size and space letters correctly. Form the letters from the curly letter family accurately, with a controlled curve – ‘a’, ‘d’, ‘g’, ‘o’, ‘q’, ‘e’, ‘s’ and ‘f’. Use the up and down movement for the letters ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘d’, ‘g’, ‘h’, ‘m’, ‘n’, ‘p’, ‘q’, ‘r’, ‘u’ and ‘y’. Ascenders reach the top-line – ‘b’, ‘d’, ‘h’, ‘k’, ‘l’, ‘t’ and ‘f’. Form a straight ascender for the letters ‘b’, ‘d’, ‘h’, ‘k’, ‘l’, ‘t’ and ‘f’. Form a straight descender for the letters ‘g’, ‘j’, ‘p’, ‘q’, ‘y’ and ‘f’. Lift the pencil off and cross the letters ‘f’ and ‘t’. Make a loop for the letter ‘e’. Form ascenders and descenders with accuracy.

Key assessment criteria For every letter, check that a child: • • • • • • •

Follows the four Ps (Posture, Pencil grip, Position, Pressure). Forms lower-case letters in the correct direction, beginning and ﬁnishing at the correct place. Uses controlled, curved and straight line movements. Forms ascenders and descenders with accuracy. Positions letters correctly on a line. Begins to size and space letters correctly in relation to each other. Leaves a space between words.

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Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Key Stage 1

Lesson plans – Year 1 Unit 1: Lower-case letters Autumn 1 Week 1 Lesson Revisit prior learning

Lesson focus

Practice words

Lower-case letters: c, a

can, act

Lower-case letters: c, a Lower-case letters: d, g

dog, good

Lower-case letters: d, g Lower-case letters: o, q

cool, quack

Lower-case letters: o, q Sentences: A duck can quack. He is a good dog.

Autumn 1 Week 2 Lesson Revisit prior learning

Lesson focus

Practice words

Lower-case letters: e, s

goes, seed

Lower-case letters: e, s

Lower-case letters: f, l

ﬂag, left

Lower-case letters: f, l

Lower-case letters: i, t

igloo, sit

Lower-case letters: i, t

Sentences: A cat gets on a log. A soft dog can dig.

Autumn 1 Week 3 Lesson Revisit prior learning

Lesson focus

Practice words

Lower-case letters: j, u

jug, just

Lower-case letters: j, u

Lower-case letters: y, m

yum, may

Lower-case letters: y, m Lower-case letters: n, r

run, train

Lower-case letters: n, r

Sentences: A doll is under my bed. I see red jam.

Autumn 1 Week 4 Lesson Revisit prior learning

Lesson focus

Practice words

Lower-case letters: b, p

bump, beep

Lower-case letters: b, p Lower-case letters: h, v

hover, vanish

Lower-case letters: h, v Lower-case letters: w, x

box, wind

Lower-case letters: w, x Sentences: The car horn went beep. The fox is at the vets.

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Revisit and review (5 minutes ×2)

Quick review (from Hand exercises Lesson 2 onwards) Choose two exercises from the Hand warm-up routines. • Say: Let’s review the lower-case letters we • Say: Let’s get our hands learned in the last ready for writing. session. • Model the first exercise. • Show the Letter • Say: Copy me. Observe Formation Card for the children and provide first letter. support as required. • Say: The letter is • Repeat with the next [say the letter]. The exercise. phoneme is [say the • Say: Now our hands are sound]. warmed up and ready for • Model forming writing. the letter on a lined whiteboard, Get ready to write encouraging children • Say: Check you are sitting to join in with the up straight with your back formation phrase. against the chair and feet flat on the floor. There Write the review letter should be a small gap • Say: Now write the between your tummy and letter [say the letter at the table. least three times] in the • Sing the ‘Ready to write’ Letter check-up box. rhyme (optional): • Encourage children to say the formation Let’s sit up straight, feet phrase aloud to nice and flat, support correct Tilt your paper – just like formation. that! • Circulate to provide Pinch your pencil, give it individual support and a flip, additional modelling Check your hold and then where needed. Check your grip. every child’s pencil grip. Now we can begin to write, Repeat this for the But not too hard and not second letter. too light.

Warm-up (2 minutes ×2)

collins.co.uk/findarep Model writing the new letter • Say: Now we’re going to write the letter. • Model writing the letter on a lined whiteboard, reciting the formation phrase as you write. • Model the letter three times. Tick the best version and explain your reason for choosing that letter. • Say: Now I’m going to make my letter formation even better. • Model the letter again, three times, emphasising the assessment criteria.

The four Ps • Say: Remember the four Ps. • Refer to each one and check that the children are ready to begin writing.

Teach formation of the new letter • Say: Let’s practise writing a letter we learned in Reception. • Show the Letter Formation Card. • Say: This is the letter [say the letter]. Its phoneme is [say the sound]. It is from the [e.g. curly] letter family. • Say: This is a sea/ice/sky letter. It goes up to the sky/stays on the ice/goes under the sea. Show the Penguin Land card. • Sing the ‘Ascenders/ descenders’ rhyme (optional). • Put your ﬁnger on the starting point on the card, then recite the formation phrase while tracing the letter. • Repeat, encouraging children to join in with the phrase.

Use Assessment for Learning to identify children needing further practice.

• Say: Remember to form these letters correctly in your lessons this week.

Repeat for each word.

Writing words • Say: Now we’re going to write lower-case letters in words. • Model writing the word on a lined whiteboard, emphasising correct formation and sizing. Say the formation phrase as you write. • Say: Now I’m going to make my word even better. • Model the word again, emphasising the assessment criteria. • Say: Now practise writing the word in your book twice. • Circulate to provide individual support and additional modelling where needed. • Say: Can you make your word even better? Practise the word again. Have you improved it?

Repeat the teach, model and apply routine for each letter.

Write the new letter • Say: Now you are ready to write. Use your pencil to write the letter in your book at least three times. • Circulate to provide individual support on pencil grip, starting points and formation where needed. • Say: Face the board and look at my letters. • Say: Now look at the letters you have written and put a little tick next to the letter that you think is your best. Notice what is good about that letter. • Say: Can you make your letter even better? Practise the letter again. Look carefully. Have you improved it?

Apply and practise (8 minutes ×2)

Teach and model (5 minutes ×2)

Use the lesson templates in conjunction with the lesson plans.

Use for Lessons 1–3

Lesson template – Year 1 Unit 1: Lower-case letters

Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Key Stage 1

Target:

Letters are correctly orientated

Forms capital letters correctly

Forms letters in the bouncy letter family correctly m, n, r, b, p, h

Correct starting point for each letter

Forms letters in the long letter family correctly l, i, t, j, u, y

Writing is legible

Forms letters in the zig-zag letter family correctly v, w, x, z, k

Forms letters in the curly letter family correctly c, a, d, g, o, q, e, s, f

Uses correct pencil grip

Name:

Year 1 termly assessment sheet Teacher’s Handbook: Handwriting for Key Stage 1

Appendix 10

164

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Year 1 Workbook 5: Applying Captial Letters

Unit 2: Applying capital letters

William Winter Wood

Write the letter.

86 28

Unit 2: Applying capital letters

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Year 1 Workbook 5: Applying Captial Letters

Capital letter W Write the names.

Letter check-up

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Year 1 Workbook 6: Forming Digits and Words

Numbers 2 and 3 From the butterfly’s head, around its top wing and around its bottom wing.

Write the number.

Number check-up

5 30

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Year 1 Workbook 6: Forming Digits and Words

Sentence practice Write the sentence.

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Year 1 Workbook 7: Writing Sentences

Unit 6: Words with Phase 5 GPCs

Write the words.

Word check-up

30 32

Unit 2: Applying capital letters

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Year 1 Workbook 7: Writing Sentences

Sentence practice Write the sentence.

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Year 1 Letter Formation Cards

Trigraphs

air

chair in the air

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Year 1 Letter Formation Cards

Words with Phase 5 GPCs

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Year 2 Workbook 8: Joining Letters

Unit 3: Diagonal joins from the baseline to curly letters

ac uc

Are your letter joins smooth?

Draw the pattern.

Write the joined letters.

Letter join check-up

ac uc

48 36

Unit 2: Applying capital letters

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Write the sentence.

The big duck quacks again.

Year 2 Workbook 8: Joining Letters

Sentence practice

Additional practice

My backpack had a zig zag tag.

Word check-up

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Year 2 Workbook 9: Develop Fluency in Joining Letters

Unit 7: Punctuation

’

Do you know why we use apostrophes? Can you see what the apostrophe is replacing?

Practise the punctuation mark.

’ ’ Write the sentences.

Where’s Mum? I’m sure she’s at Grandma’s house.

Punctuation check-up

Grandma’s house 4 38

Unit 2: Applying capital letters

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ing

Check your joined letters are evenly spaced.

Practise the letter joins.

ing

Write the words.

dancing

jumping

singing

walking

Year 2 Workbook 9: Develop Fluency in Joining Letters

Unit 10: Practise joining words ending in -ing

Word check-up

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