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Original poster

Should Descender letters (g j p q y) be joined or not

51 replies

Sunflower123456 · 02/08/2015 07:01

I have been taught to join all my letters, including descenders but the teacher's remark on my DD's school work book said 'We do not join descenders'. I don't understand why and why not.

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fortifiedwithtea · 02/08/2015 07:12

Odd. I was taught to join them up and so was my two DDs aged 17 and 12. Maybe its a new idea and my family are outdated.

I would write a note back in your daughter's book asking why.

CarriesBucketOfBlood · 02/08/2015 07:16

'We' definitely do join ascenders. The young children at school that I know are being taught to join them. Imagine how ridiculous her writing will look if she joins everything except ascenders?

CarriesBucketOfBlood · 02/08/2015 07:16

Descenders that should've read.

Bonsoir · 02/08/2015 07:18

Some joined up writing styles do not join up descenders. Personally I think this is a huge mistake. Why not ask for a quick word with the teacher to find out what writing style your DD's school teaches?

Original poster
Sunflower123456 · 02/08/2015 07:27

I remember in my secondary school, I was the only one that joined my descenders. Is not joining descenders still very common? I think it's common in the US and not in the UK.

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Original poster
Sunflower123456 · 02/08/2015 07:34

It should read it's common to join all letters in the US, but not in the UK.

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mrz · 02/08/2015 07:35

It depends on the style of writing used by the school.

Mehitabel6 · 02/08/2015 07:36

It depends on the style they use.

Mehitabel6 · 02/08/2015 07:36

Cross posted there!

Original poster
Sunflower123456 · 02/08/2015 07:41

I think joining all letters is faster and prettier, so I don't understand why some schools don't teach joining descenders. Yes, I will ask the school next term. There should be a UK standard, by the DfE. So many children and adults have bad hand writings.

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mrz · 02/08/2015 07:45

I may be confusing you with someone else but didn't you post that your child's school don't teach joined writing until later? Which would explain why the teacher has said this.

mrz · 02/08/2015 07:48

I may be confusing you with someone else but didn't you post that your child's school don't teach joined writing until later? Which would explain why the teacher has said this.

Fannyfannakerpants · 02/08/2015 07:50

It completely depends on the school. I personally think all letters should join but lots of schools dint use this style or teach not to join descenders in ks1 but then that you should in ks2. There seems to be 2 schools of thought; either they join all from the beginning of school, which can help spelling as you gain muscle memory of spelling patterns,or smaller children shouldn't join and descenders shouldn't be joined as it is too hard for children with poor motor skills and can be detrimental to motor skill development. Ask to see their scheme so you can familiarise yourself with it.

Original poster
Sunflower123456 · 02/08/2015 08:19

DD was in Y2. Hopefully in Y3 the school will teach joining descenders.

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mrz · 02/08/2015 08:20

I don't think it's correct to say that children are taught to join from the first in the U.S. It's very common for capitals to be taught first (mainly straight lines) then a ball and stick print lower case then move onto joined.
In the UK it's common to teach individual letters first (often in a style with exit strokes sometimes with entrance and exit strokes) but many schools teach fully joined from reception.

Personally I think it's important to teach correct formation of individual letters first then join once this is established ... And yes most schools in the UK join descenders

suze28 · 02/08/2015 08:23

We teach and follow the Nelson writing scheme and those letters don't join to the next letter. Lower case b is also a break letter so no join to the following letter.

Original poster
Sunflower123456 · 02/08/2015 08:35

A quick google search found that quite a few primary schools teach the Nelson writing scheme, where descenders are not joined. It seems quite common.

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mrz · 02/08/2015 09:20

A quick Google should also show you there are different versions of the Nelson scheme

alexpolistigers · 02/08/2015 09:40

I've never heard this before. I join all my letters - it's what I was taught to do, and it is what I am now teaching my children to do. Should I not do so?

alexpolistigers · 02/08/2015 09:41

I also join a lower case b or a p, on both sides. Is that not common?

mrz · 02/08/2015 09:41

Often schools start off in the infants with basic letters in a semi cursive style before adding loops

Should Descender letters (g j p q y) be joined or not
mrz · 02/08/2015 09:42

At my school we join all letters except capitals

AtiaoftheJulii · 02/08/2015 09:45

I do an open p so that gets joined, but I don't join any other tails. And no one's ever told me before that my writing looks ridiculous Grin

alexpolistigers · 02/08/2015 09:46

That's what I do too, mrz.

I teach my children literacy in English at home, as we live abroad in a country where they learn a different alphabet at school. I don't have an official book scheme, so I make a lot of it up myself, and it never occurred to me not to teach them to join up all their letters!