Handwriting

Handwriting is an important part of the English curriculum, and a skill which supports all areas of the National Curriculum. The emphasis on handwriting has significantly increased and we would like to share with you the expectations for children in Key Stage 1 and 2. We firmly believe in working in partnership with our parents/carers and value the support that home can offer.

Expectations for the end of Key Stage 1:

• form lower case letters that are all the same size
• use diagonal and horizontal strokes to join letters
• know which letter are break letters
• write capital letters, lower case letters and numbers the right way, the correct size relative to each other
• use spacing between words which fit the size of the letters

 

Expectations for the end of Key Stage 2:

• shape their letters correctly 
• produce legible joined writing
• maintaining legibility, fluency and speed in handwriting through choosing whether or not to join specific letters

When children incorrectly form letters, this leads to them experiencing difficulties in joining up their handwriting. This prevents them from making good progress towards achieving the end of Key Stage handwriting objectives. If the handwriting objectives are not achieved, this will prevent your child achieving the expected standard for their year group.

We are working hard in school to support your child in moving forward in this area and very much value the support you can provide your child at home. An example of the letter formation that children are taught in school can be found below.

t l 5931 cursive alphabet letter formation poster upper and lower case.pdf