At Park, we us
e the PenPals handwriting scheme of work to support the teaching and learning of handwriting. Teachers model and teach handwriting regularly as a part of English lessons as well as across the full curriculum where pupils are writing. Pupils who are consistently using the cursive script appropriately are awarded with a handwriting pen licence.
Progression in handwriting:
Early Years
- Use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are formed correctly.
Year 1
- 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 0- 9 digits.
- Understand which letters belong to which handwriting families (letters that are formed in the similar ways- see appendix) and to practise these.
Year 2
- Form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another.
- Begin to use diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters (continued in Yr3/ 4). See appendix for joining sets.
- Understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined (continued in Yr3/ 4). See appendix for break letters.
- 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.
Years 3 & 4
- Increase legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting:
- Downstrokes of letters are parallel and equidistant.
- Lines of writing are spaced sufficiently so that the ascenders and descenders do not touch.
Years 5 & 6
- Write legibly and fluently with increasing speed.
- Begin to develop their own personal style.
