Handwriting
You can practise the letter formation in different ways, not just on paper.
- paint brush and a pot of water outside on a path or wall
- painting the letters
- in a tray of sand, flour or shaving foam
- using different pens and pencils eg felt tips, highlighters, chalk.
- If you have access to a tablet - ICT games - Handwriting repeater https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/writingRepeater/index.html
Below is a powerpoint which will show the children the correct formation for each letter.
Here are 10 reasons why we teach cursive handwriting.
Ten Benefits of Teaching Cursive Handwriting
1.It is very easy to teach cursive handwriting. It only requires 3 movements: under curve, over curve and up and down.
2.Prevents reversals and confusion of letters The letters "b and d", "f and t", "g, q and p" are confusing for young children. In cursive, writing the letter "b and d" require a difference in formation.
3. In cursive, children learn to spell correctly since hand movements create some muscle memory that retains the spelling patterns.
4.Fluent movement is developed.
5. Cursive handwriting reduces errors because of the continuous flow of writing.
6.Improved reading skills Cursive writing promotes reading words, instead of a distinct letter.
7. Unlike print writing, lower case cursive writing starts from the same beginning point. In print, various letter start from the top, down, middle and many different positions.
8. Prevents erratic spaces between letters and words
9.Helps Left Handed Children In print, the left-handed child proceeds to write printing from left to right but will cover what he has written with his arms. This is called the hook position. In cursive writing, the left-handed child learns to write from bottom up and turns the paper clockwise causing great comfort and legibility.
10. The child will be able to write faster. The student can get his or her ideas on paper quicker.
Here is how we help the children know whether to write 'b' or 'd'.
Cursive formation will also help.
'b' is a one armed robot letter
'd' is a curly caterpillar letter.
Activity 1
This week we are continuing to learn to join letters together using entry and exit strokes.
Lets start with joining curly caterpillar letters together. Remember to keep your pencil on the paper until you have finished each pair of letters.
Live Lesson 2
Continuing curly caterpillar joins. These are a bit trickier.
Now lets put the letters into words. Keep your pencil on the paper until you have finished the whole word.
We are watching out for joining up in your writing. So have a go! There may be an extra learning star! 
If you need to practise individual curly caterpillar letters the practise sheets are below or if you have a tablet you can practise using the Handwriting Repeater game. Link below.
