Age 3+
Pre-cursive
Cursive
A guided journey from print to cursive
Using this book Did you know that your hand movements are made up of hundreds of little hand habits? These little hand habits cleverly free our minds from having to think about every movement that our hands are making. Once our hands have learned how to pick up things, throw and catch, tie knots etc. they remember all these different movements as hand habits. We need our brain power to think about what we want to do with our hands not how to get our hands to make the correct movements.
The 52 basic letter shapes in written English (aA-zZ) are all abstract shapes to children. By presenting the letter shapes linked to the Letterland characters, you greatly reduce the risk of confusion between the many similar ones, such as (b, d, p, q, m, n, W, M etc). By helping your child to start with the right ‘movement pathway’ for each letter you will be ensuring that on moving to joined up handwriting the transition will be much easier. If young children are allowed to form letters their own way, incorrect habits quickly become deep rooted and can be very difficult to correct later. That's why this book covers the full transition. If your child is just starting to take an interest in making marks and forming letters, focus on the Print style section of the book (page 6-35). Start by just tracing over the large letter shapes with a finger or coloured pencils. The Letterlanders guide the correct formation. The pre-cursive and cursive sections of the book should be saved until much later in your child's development. If your child has started to make the transition to pre-cursive or cursive handwriting then it may still be useful to revise the Print section to boost confidence and ensure that all the correct ‘movement pathways’ have become hand habits for your child. It is important to use this book: when your child is not tired 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. Note: Some schools use different handwriting styles to this book. It is important to check which style your child’s school uses.
Correct Handwriting Positions Left-hander
Right-hander
3
Contents Warm up! Pencil control
6
Print style
9-35
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 Lined practice page
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
4
Contents Pre-cursive style
37-56
Beginning Cursive Letter formation Small letters Tall letters Descenders Letter formation Colours Shapes At school Numbers Days of the week Months & Seasons Signs Lined practice page
38-39 40-41 42-43 44 45 46-47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54-55 56
Cursive style
57-102
Let’s join ‘Break’ letters Join lines Words we write a lot Colours Days of the week Numbers Months of the year Writing an invitation Left-handers Lined practice pages
58-60 61 62-91 92-95 96 97 97 98 99 100 101-102
5
Warm up! Trace
6 6
7
Warm up! Trace
8
Print style In this section your child will be focusing on forming the 52 basic letter shapes correctly, with the help of their Letterland friends.
These handwriting verses are available on CD at www.letterland.com
Annie Apple Trace
1
a a a aa a a
aaaaaaa a Copy
At the leaf begin Go round the apple this way, then add a line down so Annie won’t roll away.
Trace 1
1
22
AAAAAAA Copy
3
3
A
In Letterland, the apples sit on an Applestand to start names and sentences.
Trace
An ant on an apple.
Copy
10 10 Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm
Bouncy Ben Trace
bb b b b b b
1
bbbbbbb b Copy
Brush down Ben’s big, long ears. Go up and round his head so his face appears!
Trace
B B B B BB B
2
1 1
2
Copy
B Ben proudly balances his blue ball on his head to start names and sentences
Trace
A bag by a bell.
Copy
11
Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Clever Cat Trace
cc c cc cc
1
ccccccc c Copy
Curve round Clever Cat’s face to begin. Then gently tickle her under her chin.
Trace 1
CCCCCCC Copy
C Clever Cat takes a deep breath and makes herself look bigger at the start of a sentence or name.
Trace
A cat and a cup.
Copy
12 12 Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm
Dippy Duck Trace
dd d d d d d 1
ddddddd Copy
Draw Dippy Duck’s back. Go round her tum. Go up to her head. Then down you come!
d Trace
1
1
2
2
DDDDDDD
Copy
D This is Dippy Duck’s door. She opens names and other important words with it.
Trace
A dog and a dr um.
Copy
13
Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Lined practice page
36
Pre-cursive style In this section your child will be focusing on the very first stage of joining letters (adding ‘flick-ups’). The exercises provide many opportunities to compare and contrast the pre-cursive letter shapes while practising them in letter families and beside the five vowels.
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 38 38 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 39 39 Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt
Letter formation Don’t forget the flick up!
aaaa
bbbb
cccc
dddd
eeee
fffff
gggg
hhhh
iiiii
jjjjj
kkkk
l llll
m mm
nnnn
o ooo
pppp 40
40 Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm
Letter formation
qqqq
rrrr
ssss
tttt
uuuu
vvvv
wwww
xxxx
yyyy
zzzz
These letters start the same way... around.
caodgq
These letters start the same way... down.
lthkbpijuyrnm
These letters start the same way... sloping down.
vwx
These are different.
zesf
41 41 Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt
Pre-cursive alphabet review
Small letters Trace and write
a
a a a
c
c c c
e
e e e
i
i
i
i
m m m m n
n n n
o
o o o 42
Pre-cursive alphabet review
Trace and write
r
r
r r
s
s s s
u u u u v
v v v
w w w w x
x x x
z
z z z 43
Colours Trace
red
Copy
Add each colour
yellow blue green pink purple brown black 48 48 Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm
Signs Do not join the capital letters but keep them close. Trace and write
Airport
A
Caution
C
Closed
C
DANGER
D
Dentist
D
Doctor
D
Emergency
E
EXIT
E
Fire Escape
F
Hospital
H
Information
I
Inquiries
I
Junior School J Keep Out
K 54
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm
Cursive style In this section your child will be focusing on joined 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.
Cursive style
Let’s join
aa a
- 12 letters join up from the base line.
and nd animal i l
ccc
ccan n ccame me
ddd
d dd ddy daddy
eee
eating e ting ti 58
Join lines
aaaa cc c c
bbbb d ddd
ee e e gggg
ffff hhhh
ii i i
jjjjj
kkkk mmm
l llll nnnn 62
a a
Turn my flick-up into a join.
a a
Trace and write
ab
about
ac
across
af
after
ag
again
ai
air
al
almost always
am
among
an
another
ar
any are
as
ask
au
aunt
aw
away 64
b
b
Remember I’m a ‘break’ letter.
b
Trace and write
ba
baby back bang
be
because before behind
bi
bird birthday
bl
black
bo
boat book
br
brother
bu
but building 65
b
c
c
Just curve on up to make my join.
c
Trace and write
ca
called came can’t
ce
centre face nice place
ci
city
cl
close class
co
comes coming
cr
crying
66
c
Go up u from my foot to join me.
ch
ch
Trace and write
ch
ch
ch
ch
chair cheek child choose chose church such teacher
67
a d a d
Draw mya join Turn my flick-up into join.like this.
a d a d
Traceand andwrite write Trace
ab da
about day
ac
across dark
af de
after dear
ag
again decide
ai di
air did
al
air didn’t
al
air die
am do
air don’t
an
air done
ar
air door
ar
air down
dr as
air dress
au
drink air
du aw
air during 68
Words we write a lot Trace and write
the and a to said in he I of it was you they on 92
Trace and write
she is for at his but that with all we can are up had 93
Writing an invitation
Dear_____________ You are invited to my birthday party on
_____________
at
_____________
Love from _____________
99
Left-handers
F
You may prefer to cross to the left.
A At
A
E
E
Full
End F
G
Go
G
H
Hot
H
T
The
T
f
fall off
t
ten tents t 100
f