Handwriting Practice 2

Age 4+

Pre-Cu rsive Style

First stages of joining letter shapes

Using 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 bonded with child-friendly concrete images that act as memory cues. When your child sees the Letterland characters linked to the letter shapes, the risk of confusing all these abstract shapes is greatly reduced.

Pages 6-31 Finger-Tracing: When little fingers get the habit of forming each letter the right way, handwriting becomes much easier and more efficient. Let your child finger-trace several times over each large hollow letter before picking up a pencil to write the strokes.

The Shape/Sound Link: Practising the letter shapes can be an ideal time for reviewing the letter’s sound. Encourage your child to softly chant the letter’s sound as they create the shape.

Alliterative Objects: By naming and colouring the objects in the row, your child will strengthen their awareness of the sound at the beginning of words.

Capital/Lower Case Pairs: Ask your child to look carefully at the difference in size as well as at the differences in shape in each capital/lower case letter pair. The need to make this judgement for themselves prepares them for independent writing without lines.

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 joining up handwriting. They will learn the very first stages of joining letters (adding ‘flick-ups’) on pages 32-53.

Pages 36-37 will help foster an awareness of letter height next to the five vowels.

Pages 40-52 allow children to practise writing many high usage words and words they will often come across in their daily lives.

It is important to use this book:

when your child is not tired when there are no background distractions, such as TV, that can affect concentration for short periods of time. Ten minutes or so will probably be enough, especially at first with plenty of praise and encouragement.

Correct Handwriting Positions Left-hander

Right-hander

Finger tips 4cm from tip of pencil

Finger tips 2cm from tip of pencil

e dg ee sid

e edg

per Pa 30 Table Edge

m tto bo r e Pap 20 Table Edge

Elbows off the table

Chair slightly tilted

°

°

2

Contents Warm up! Pencil control

4-5

Straight/Manuscript style

6-31

aA, bB, cC, dD, eE, fF gG, hH iI, jJ kK, lL mM, nN oO, pP qQ, rR sS, tT uU, vV wW, xX yY, zZ

6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21 22-23 24-25 26-27 28-29 30-31

Pre-cursive style

32-53

Beginning cursive Letter formation (lower case a-z) Look how much taller, Look how much longer Letter formation (upper case A-Z) Colours Shapes At School Numbers Days of the week Months & Seasons At home Family Weather Transport Actions Shopping Writing notes Lined practice page

32-33 34-35 36-37 38-39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

Handwriting Song words Letterland characters

54-55 56 3

Warm up!

Trace

4

Annie Apple

a

At the leaf begin Go round the apple this way, then add a line down so Annie won’t roll away.

Trace

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Copy

a Trace

1 2

AAAAAAA Copy

3

A

In Letterland, the apples sit on an Applestand to start names and sentences.

Trace

An an t on an appl e.

Copy

6

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm

Bouncy Ben Trace

b b b b b b b b b b b b b b Copy Brush down Ben’s big, long ears.

Go up and round his head so his face appears!

b Trace

1

2

B B B B B B B Copy

B Ben proudly balances his blue ball on his head to start names and sentences

Trace

A bag by a bel l .

Copy

7

Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz

Beginning Cursive Trace

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q

r

s

v

w

x

t y

u z

32

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm

Beginning Cursive Trace

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W

X

Y

Z

33

Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz

Letter formation Don’t forget the flick up!

a c e fg

b d dddd f gf f f f f

aaaa

b b b b

cccc eeee g g g g

i

iiiii

k m o

k k k k m mm o ooo

h j

hhhh

l n p

l llll

jj j j j

nnnn pppp

34

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm

Look how much taller

b

d

f

h

k

l

t

bi

bo

bu

ba

be

da

de

di

do

du

fa

fe

fi

fo

fu

ha

he

hi

ho

hu

ka

ke

ki

ko

ku

la

le

li

lo

lu

ta

te

ti

to

tu

36

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm

Letter formation Trace

AAAA

B B B B

CCCC

DDDD

E E E E

F F F F

G G G G

HHHH

IIIII

JJJJ

K K K K

L L L L

M M M

NNNN

O OOO

P P P P

38

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm

Colours Trace

Copy

Add each colour

red yellow blue green pink purple brown black 40

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm

Shapes Trace

Copy

Trace & colour

circle triangle square oval star diamond rectangle hexagon 41

Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz

Family Trace

Copy

mum dad sister brother grandpa grandma This is my family.

Draw

47

Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz

Writing notes Trace

Copy

To Dear Thank you Happy Birthday Christmas Lots of love xxxxx 52

Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm

Lined practice page

53

Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz

Handwriting Songs Annie Apple

Golden Girl

At the leaf begin.

Go round the apple this way.

Then add a line down so Annie won’t roll away.

Go round Golden Girl’s head.

Go down her golden hair.

Then curve to make her swing, so she can sit there.

Bouncy Ben

Harry Hat Man

Brush down Ben’s big, long ears.

Go up and round his head so his face appears!

Hurry from the Hat Man’s head down to his heel on the ground.

Go up and bend his knee over, so he’ll hop while he makes his sound.

Clever Cat Curve round Clever Cat’s face to begin.

Then gently tickle her under her chin.

Impy Ink Inside the ink bottle draw a line.

Add an inky dot. That’s fine!

Dippy Duck Jumping Jim

Draw Dippy Duck’s back.

Go round her tum.

Go up to her head.

Then down you come!

Just draw down Jim, bending his knees.

Then add the one ball which everyone sees.

Eddy Elephant Kicking King

Ed has a headband.

Draw it and then stroke round his head and his trunk to the end.

Kicking King’s body is a straight stick.

Add his arm, then his leg, so he can kick!

Firefighter Fred Lucy Lamp Light

First draw Fred’s helmet.

Then go down a way.

Give him some arms and he’ll put out the blaze.

Lucy looks like one long line.

Go straight from head to foot and she’s ready to shine!

54

Letterland Characters

Annie Apple

Harry Hat Man

Bouncy Ben

Impy Ink

Clever Cat

Dippy Duck

Eddy Elephant

Kicking King

Jumping Jim

Firefighter Fred

Golden Girl

Lucy Lamp Light

Munching Mike

Red Robot

Sammy Snake

PP

Noisy Nick

Talking Tess

Oscar Orange

Uppy Umbrella

Quarrelsome Queen

Peter Puppy

Vicky Violet

Walter Walrus

56

Fix-it Max

Yellow Yo-yo Man

Zig Zag Zebra