Handwriting and writing

Perfect pencil grip and handwriting

Children sit at a table to write.

They hold up a pencil in a tripod pencil grip with the non-writing hand flat holding their paper. They put their bottom back on the chair and pull their chair in so that their tummy is to the table.

We say the phrase as we teach the letter formation.

Teaching sounding out to write

Children use Fred Fingers to spell words. They say the sounds in the word as they press the sounds onto their fingers. They then write the letters – if they get stuck, say the sounds again. Lots of praise is given for spelling using the sounds they know, even if their handwriting is not perfect.