Complete Handwriting Practice

Age 3+

Print

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