Handwriting 

Handwriting is an important part of children’s early literacy development and we want every child to feel confident, fluent and proud of their written work. At our school, we follow the Nelson Handwriting Scheme, to help children develop clear, consistent and joined handwriting.

The Nelson approach introduces handwriting skills in small, manageable steps:

• Correct posture and pencil grip are taught from the very beginning to help children write comfortably and with control.

• Letter formation is introduced systematically, focusing on starting points, direction and consistent size.

• Families of letters (such as straight‑line letters or curved letters) are taught together to build muscle memory.

• Joining handwriting is introduced gradually once children have secure letter formation, helping them develop a smooth, flowing style.

• High‑frequency words and spelling patterns are woven into handwriting practice so children can apply their skills in meaningful contexts.

Parents play a key role in supporting good handwriting habits. You can help by:

When your child starts to write, we would encourage you to reinforce the ‘tripod’ grip through modelling and correction where necessary. This pencil grip gives children the most control over the movement of their writing tool.

When children are beginning to form letters, we encourage children to follow set formation (generally starting at the top of the letters). Once a child can form their letters correctly, joined writing is introduced. When starting to join, we encourage clear joins, which aid fluency and accuracy in writing.

• Encouraging your child to sit comfortably with both feet on the floor.

• Providing opportunities for short, regular writing practice.

• Praising effort and neatness rather than speed.

• Modelling joined handwriting when writing notes or labels for your child.

• Model writing key words (such as names) using correct letter formation and joins as appropriate for the level of your child’s progression e.g. your child’s name starts with a capital letter and capital letters do not join

• Pointing out letters which have a similar formation e.g. the letters c a o d g q all start in the same way

• Praising good effort in handwriting, especially if the error is a ‘reasonable’ attempt, before correcting any mistake

• Encouraging other development of fine motor skills, such as colouring in or drawing, as well as giving ample opportunity to write