Letter formation – movements There is a letter formation movement in Happy Handwriting for each letter. The dot is the starting point and each arrow represents a directional stroke. These are set out on pages 13 and 14 of this guide. There are memory phrases to reinforce this movement, set out on page 15.
Letter formation – break letters Happy Handwriting uses a lower-case script where most letters have an exit stroke or ‘flick’ to prepare children to join letters as soon as they feel able. In Happy Handwriting, the following letters do not join to letters following them: b, g, j, p, q, x, y, z, s. Letters which finish on the left (b, p, x), letters where a join would cause a loop (g, j, q, y) and letters with many changes of direction (s, z) do not join. Most adults use an efficient semi-joined script when they write, and Happy Handwriting prepares children to learn this as early as possible.
Letter formation for left handers The formation of some letters is slightly different for some left-handed children, who ‘pull’ the lines right to left, whereas right-handers will ‘push’ lines left to right: the lower-case letters t and f and the capital letters A, E, F, H, J, T.
Learning the alphabet Knowing the names of the letters allows us to talk about them and helps with phonics and spelling. Call a letter by its name, rather than the sound associated with it. If children learn the letter name when they learn the movement for the lower-case letter, they can then learn the capital letter which has the same name. Of course, it is also important to discuss the sounds associated with letters in phonics, and children have no difficulty learning both letter names and the sounds associated with the letters. Alphabetical order of letter names is an easily learnt sequence which lasts a lifetime. It enables children to use dictionaries, encyclopaedias and glossaries – and it is one system that is not changing in this digital age! It is worth teaching your Reception children to recite the alphabet and use games to consolidate alphabetical order of letters. In Reception, Happy Handwriting does this by encouraging you to sing the classic alphabet song as often as possible, and follow the letters across the page. Additional alphabet activities are given on page 78 of this guide.
Joining letters in Key Stage 1 In Key Stage 1, Happy Handwriting teaches five main joins between letters: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
vertical joins to letters without ascenders (for example: ai) vertical joins to letters with ascenders (for example: ch) horizontal joins to letters without ascenders (for example: wa) horizontal joins to letters with ascenders (for example: wh) joins to round letters (for example: ad).
The basis of all these joins is correct letter movements, so that is the most important goal for the Reception year.
Happy Handwriting
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