Handwriting review

What are the issues?

• Inconsistent in the way it’s taught.
• The amount of time given to handwriting – how much is needed to make it effective?
• How much timetabling is needed?
• Learning correct letter formation.
• Knowing the start and end of each letter. Having the ‘talk through’ as they do the letters.
• Playing ‘catch up’ in KS2.
• Does everyone have a copy of the letter formation & talk through?
• Does everyone have a copy of the handwriting book – Fine Motor Skills Progression?
• Do we target children who haven’t achieved the correct handwriting style/ letter formations?

How will these be resolved?

• Honest discussion needed before we can move on:

Is everyone committed to cursive script? Is it from the beginning?
Is it working?
Is everyone differentiating the handwriting according to ability?
Is there progression towards joining letters?
Are there enough resources?
Are they the correct resources?

How will know if we have been successful?

• Everybody to be consistent in their approach to teaching handwriting.
• Everybody committed to the agreed style of handwriting.
• Everybody to use the Fine Motor Skills progression targets.
• Everybody timetabling handwriting.
• Making a whole school set of resources/ having a scheme. (People can add to as necessary.)
  
  What progress has been made?
• From the INSET day 09.12.11
• Updated the Handwriting & Fine Motor Progression sheet.

Need to go through with staff to agree the changes or continue to amend.

• All staff agreed to use a cursive style of handwriting with only the tail off.
• All staff have been given ‘Talk for handwriting’.
• It was agreed that we would have a formal assessment of children’s handwriting termly. This could be a piece assessed from teacher led dictation.

It would be assessed using the Handwriting & Fine Motor Progression sheet and that we would share progress with the children as to which stage they have reached. (Awaiting final agreed Handwriting & Fine Motor Progression sheet – point 1)

• Two different sets of handwriting lineguides have been made, of differing size. Children will be moved on to smaller handwriting lineguides when they are ready.
• Three different sets of linguides have been made with various sized spacing. The largest spaced lineguides will be on cream paper, the medium spaced lineguides will be on pink paper & the original spaced lineguides will be on white paper.

Next step:

• Agree a final copy of Handwriting & Fine Motor Progression sheet with staff.
• Pick up on timetabling issues.
• Look at targeting children.
• Discuss differentiation of handwriting – individual letters

-          Two letters joined

-          Letter patterns

-          Complete words