Pen or Pencil?

[kiwidreamer]

Quick question, do children use pen or pencil in Reception? DS seems to snap the pencil lead continuously when we 'write' at home and I was wondering what he'll be expected to use at school come Sept? TIA

DS ( Y3, 8 yo ) passed his "pen licence" last term, and he was the first in his class to. Their handwriting has to be sufficiently developed before they are allowed to write with a pen at school.

Maybe try a different pencil with a sturdier lead?

Same at our school - pencil until their handwriting is deemed good enough to "go on pen" which usually happens in y4 sometimes Y3.

Thanks for your replies, will sort some proper school worthy pencils to practice with - pound shop multipack not up to the task by the looks!!!

Try buying a 2B rather than a HB - less effort is needed to make a black mark and the pencil moves more easily across the paper
if he presses on it will be more tiring for him and may even become painful.

We were talking about this last night. Our elder daughter is left handed and, although it's less of an issue in the days after fountain pens, children don't want to smudge their writing and may write at a funny angle. Pencil might become a solution. (She's too young to be doing much writing, though she does bits and pieces with pen and has no problems yet.)

for writing in books they will use pencils but we use a whiteboards and pens alot, children find these easier to use as they glide across the board. have a try with this at home perhaps and your child will get used to the pressure required when writing and will hopefully help when it comes to using a pencil. also if you do get them to use a pencil try a 'chubby' pencil to start with, they are easier to hold and control

OP Go for Staedtler pencils. I too have bought cheapo multi-packs from Poundland or Tesco in my time and they are generally crap. Staedtler leads never seem to break and sharpen to a very satisfying point .

At my DDs' school, they get their "pen license" sometime in Year 4. They make a deal of it by presenting it in assembly.