Cursive Handwriting

Age 5+

Hg Help children master cursive writing with confidence and speed with this handwriting book.

The Letterland friends show the exit strokes for each letter making the transition from print to joined-up writing much easier.

With cursive words and sentences to copy and trace, including lots of high-frequency words, this book is sure to capture the attention of your little writer!

k!

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g         g     H g          H g          H

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Code: TH90

£3.99

ISBN 978-1-78248-169-0

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9 781782 481690

See our full range at: www.letterland.com

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Child-friendly phonics

Step-by-step joined-up handwriting 29/09/2015 15:12

Cursive Handwriting

My name is

.

I am

years old.

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How to use this book There are 52 basic letter shapes in written English (Aa–Zz) and they are all abstract shapes.

In Letterland these abstract shapes are linked to child-friendly characters that children love and quickly get to know. When your child sees the Letterland characters linked to the letter shapes, the risk of confusing all these abstract shapes is greatly reduced. If you are not familiar with Letterland, you may like to look at the other books in the range.

It’s important for your child to learn the right ‘movement pathway’ for each letter. Correct formation ensures that the letters begin and end in the right place. This is especially important when your child moves on to the next stages of joined-up handwriting. If young children are allowed to form letters ‘their own way’ these habits quickly become established and can be very difficult to correct later.

In this book your child will be focusing on joined-up or cursive writing. They will discover exactly where the joins and breaks are, so letters can be formed in the most efficient way.

It features essential words – words we use most in the English language. By practising these particular words the benefits should soon appear in virtually every piece of writing.

Handwriting Styles This book has been created with the font style ‘Sassoon’ which is commonly used in schools throughout the UK, however, some schools use different handwriting styles. Many of the differences in style can be found in ‘break’ letters (the letters are not joined to the next letter to help with fluency). It is important to check which style your child’s school uses.

Remember, it is important to use this book:  when your child is not tired  with a good sharpened pencil  when there are no background distractions, such as TV  for short periods of time (ten minutes will probably be enough at first)  with plenty of praise and encouragement.

Correct Handwriting Positions Left-hander

Right-hander

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Colour the stars as you complete the activities!

Contents How to use this book

2

Warm up! p Pencil control

4-5

Join lines a-z

6-9

Joining to round letters

10-13

Joining to short letters

14-17

Joining to tall letters

18-21

Joining along the base line

22-23

Joining along the top p

24-25

Joining the letter s

26-27

Using break letters: b, g, jj, p p, q q, x, y y, z

28-29

Copying practice: Animals py p

30-31

Copying practice: A tongue twister py p

32

Copying practice: A short story py p y

33

Copying practice: A rhyme about a rainbow py p y

34

Copying practice: A shopping list py p pp

35

Copying practice: An invitation py p

36

Copying practice: A rhyme about Clever Cat py p y

37

Copying practice: Months of the y year py p

38

Copying practice: A p poem about snow py p

39

Copying practice: The Letterland song py p

40-41

Copying practice: High frequency py p q y words

42-45

Copying practice: Numbers py p

45

Lined p practice p pages

46-47

The Letterlanders

48 3

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Pencil control

Warm up!

Let’s warm up by tracing the lines on these two pages.

4

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Pencil control

5

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Join practice

Join lines and break letters Let’s look at the Letterland alphabet and how each letter joins.

Trace over the letters and the joins. Some letters do not join on to other letters in a word.

The break letters in this style* of handwriting are: b, g, j, p, q, x, y, z.

Annie Apple says: Turn my flick-up into a join.

Bouncy Ben says: Remember I’m a ‘break’ letter.

Clever Cat says: Just curve on up to make my join.

Dippy Duck says: Draw my join like this.

Eddy Elephant says: Follow my trunk in the Reading Direction.

Firefighter Fred says: Cross my letter before you move on.

a bbbbbbb c d  f f f f 6

*Different styles of handwriting may join some of these letters. Check on the style used in your child’s school.

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Join practice Golden Girl says: It’s good to take a break after my letter.

Harry Hat Man says: Go up from my foot to make a join.

Impy Ink says: Finish the word.

Then dot my letter.

Jumping Jim says: Don’t forget I’m a ‘break’ letter.

Kicking King says: Turn my flick-up into a kick-up.

Lucy Lamp Light says: Start my join where my dress flicks up.

Munching Mike says: Make my flick-up into a join.

ggggggg h i i i i i j j  j  j  j  j  j  j  j  j k l m 7

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Join practice

Noisy Nick says: Turn my flick-up into a join.

Oscar Orange says: You’ll be using my top joins a lot!

Peter Puppy says: Remember, please, I’m a ‘break’ letter.

Quarrelsome Queen says: Please have a quick break after my letter.

Red Robot says: Reach out from my hand to make my join.

Sammy Snake says: Swish up from my tail to join me.

Talking Tess says: After my join, finish the word. Then cross my letter.

n o ppppppp qu qu qu r  t t t t 8

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Join practice

Uppy Umbrella says: Turn my flick-up into a join.

Vicky Violet says: Start your join at my vase edge.

Walter Walrus says: Remember where I join along the top.

Fix-it Max says: I like being a ‘break’ letter.

Yellow Yo-yo Man says: Same here! Remember I’m a ‘break’ letter.

Zig Zag Zebra says: I’m the last ‘break’ letter!

u v w xxxxx y y y y y zzzzzz 9

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Joining to round letters

Go up and over, then back.

Joining to round letters Let’s learn how to join round letters. Trace over the letters and their joins.

n o a a a a o o o o

a o o o o

a o o o o 10

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Word practice

Word practice These words all use joins to round letters.

Trace and then write the words on the lines.

p t g t p t p 11

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The Letterlanders

Annie Apple

Bouncy Ben

Golden Girl

Harry Hat Man

Munching Mike

Talking Tess

Noisy Nick

Uppy Umbrella

Clever Cat

Dippy Duck

Impy Ink

Oscar Orange

Vicky Violet

Eddy Elephant

Jumping Jim

Peter Puppy

Walter Walrus

Kicking King

Quarrelsome Queen

Fix-it Max

Red Robot

Yellow Yo-yo Man

Firefighter Fred

Lucy Lamp Light

Sammy Snake

Zig Zag Zebra

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