How is this handwriting for year 1?

[cotdotton]

I'm a bit concerned about DD's handwriting. She's an only so I have nothing to compare it to - would really appreciate some honest opinions.

In foundation they were taught to print their letters and by the end of the year it was nice and legible.

Moving up to year 1 however they've started on cursive and it feels like she's really gone backwards. She's trying hard but not all of it is joined properly so it looks messy but more concerningly, looks like she can't spell (see in photo "place" looking like plane)

I'm going to do some practice with her over half term, focusing on forming letters on the line as well as practising joins. But honestly - is it ok for this stage in year 1? Thanks

That looks way better than my year 1 ds' writing. Don't think he's ever written more than a short sentence but he's a very able reader so I'm not worried. It also looks much better than most of his friend's writing!

Agree it is better than most her age, but her joined writing doesn't actually bear any relation to the school style on the sheet at all. Its looks like she hasn't been taught to form individual letters in that style in school, but has just decided to join off her own bat! Were they just handed the sheet and expected to get on with it? I would check with school what has happened before working on it at home.

You need to tell the school to redo their example using the font properly! That should never have gone out to parents! The font will be able to join correctly if they use the package correctly.

I don't think your daughters handwriting looks too bad for her age but it's clear she's not being taught the joins consistently and you don't want those habits to stick.

As an aside, I much prefer teaching cursive from reception rather than introducing it later. Their handwriting can be beautiful by KS2.

*daughter's

I'm not actually sure how much they've been taught in school so far in terms of joins and how much she's just having a go at herself. She really wants to do joined up writing and it's possible she's joining letters she hasn't learnt yet.

I think next week I'm going to do some practice focusing on writing on the lines and finger spaces, and then after half term try and get some clarification from school as to how to be supporting her. I'm worried about teaching her the wrong way now.

My DD (also year 1) wrote these, after the first she asked me to draw 4 lines like a handwriting book. I guess they use a handwriting book at school a lot and it makes a massive difference. Asking her to do her best handwriting also makes a massive difference, I'm embarrassed by how badly she's written in some of her friends' birthday cards. She's at a cursive from reception school and it's worked for her.

I'm not a fan of cursive from the start (we've tried it but didn't find any advantage over teaching correct individual letter formation first) but I am a huge fan of handwriting lines they really do make a difference.

What sort of letter formation do you teach mrz? Does it have lead-ins or lead-outs or neither?

In reception and Year 1 we teach exit strokes only. Once children are secure forming letters correctly we introduce fully cursive. We have loops on descenders but not ascenders and those curly z that look a bit like number 3.

The first thing visitors (including Ofsted) comment on is the quality of handwriting and we've won quite a number of firsts for handwriting so a later start definitely hasn't been a problem.

This is an average Y1
And a Y2 (both boys) as only examples I have with me

That looks great mrz. Maybe our school are just bad at teaching print, they used to teach a style like your first one but your average year 1 pic would be the stronger students in yr 2. At which point they'd been having lessons on cursive for a year but weren't actually switching.

Whereas DS previous school started with pre-cursive letter formation - with lead-ins and lead-outs - and most kids seemed to just start joining in yr 1 or even before without any further effort on the part of the school. They would have been similar to mrz's yr 2 picture. I'm assuming this sort of approach is what most people mean when referring to "start-cursive" schools, no-one starts actually joining do they?

New school have now moved to a similar sort of start (pre-) cursive system, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes. DD's looks neat and is fast but quite large still at this point in reception.

Thanks for the examples.

We did some practice today and it became apparent that she doesn't really know how to form all letters on the line. We practised and then got her to write a little story - which was all off the lines again! She said she couldn't concentrate on the lines as she was busy thinking about the story

Going to keep practising!

They looks similar to my year one son. My year two son was better last year , but now has started writing the size of an ant!

Mrsz that seems closer to what my dd is doing, with the flicks etc. I'm glad that it isn't that unusual to have a later start with cursive as I was starting to think there's was only our school delaying its introduction. Assuming of course that you aren't my dd teacher ;)

Also the first of Mrz's examples is closer to what DD's writing used to look like until she tried joining (although perhaps not as reliably on the lines but more so than now). Completely legible. It's so frustrating!

I would say pretty good for Yr1.

If she is keen to produce more, you could try her DICTATING her ideas to a tape recorder or phone, then she can amend and write it out later.

The Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary is easy for a child to use, and has helpful information:

Search my name and Phonics -

An inexpensive and easy to use book, that can encourage children with reading, spelling and writing, and really help them to understand Phonics, is reviewed in the MN Book Reviews section. Just search ‘Phonics’ and my name.

Thanks. I'm not really concerned about her phonics though, she usually does plausible spellings if she doesn't know the correct one. And punctuation will come in time I'm sure. It's just the damn handwriting!

way better than my yr 1 twin boys. They hate writing (although their reading is very good) and the left handed one in particular struggles with it
They will get there, I'm not bothered
Not least as most of the 'writing' they end up doing as adults will be typing I expect!