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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Extra Marks for Joined up Writing Year 5.............

17 replies

Doobydoo · 22/04/2009 20:46

Does anyone else think this odd?
I am very surprised at this.There are many,many outstandingly bright people who cannot 'do'joined up writing,I am sure.Stephen Hawking cannot write[for example]Surely what a person has to say is more important?As long as the writing is legible.

OP posts:

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cazzybabs · 22/04/2009 20:49

I don't join...but joining helps with spelling and speed

georgimama · 22/04/2009 20:49

Sounds perfectly normal to me, I was certainly doing joined up writing by 9. For one thing you can write more quickly, and for another well, adults just write joined up, don't they?

Think your "Stephen Hawking doesn't write joined up" argument is a bit empty, really, there are plenty of things that Stephen Hawking can no longer do, joined up writing is probably one of them.

thisisyesterday · 22/04/2009 20:51

hmm dunno. I don't like the extra points thing, but I do see the importance in teaching good penmanship.
sadly under-rated these days

WedgiesMum · 22/04/2009 21:01

A handwriting mark is part of the SATS scoring for the writing tasks. It is applied to optional SATS as well. There are only 3 marks available and don't usually make much difference to the overall result but can make a difference if a child is borderline between levels.

Original poster

Doobydoo · 23/04/2009 08:21

Thanks for replies.Georgimama agree re my Stephen Hawking example really,prob not the best examole.
Still find it surprising though.

OP posts:

cory · 23/04/2009 08:42

Obviously not a mark that any of mine will get, dd did her SATS to dictation and ds will probably need to use a laptop, but tbh that doesn't worry me at all. It is such a tiny part of the SATS, it's a way of encouraging those that may not be very good at the work but do at least take pains over the presentation, I can't really see a problem here.

It's not even as the SATS matter to a child.

JulesJules · 23/04/2009 08:55

I was shocked when dd1 aged 6, (year 2) came home with joined up writing practice. I don't know when would be a good time to start, but this seems too early to me. I remember being confused at school by being taught first 'cursive' at 9 and then 'italic' at 11.

Explains a lot when you look at my handwriting

aintnomountainhighenough · 23/04/2009 10:28

I must admit I don't really understand why joined up writing is taught from the outset. Surely it is very confusing to firstly get children to start at the top of the letter and then go, oh now you need to start on the line. I also thought that it had been proven to help children with spelling etc as the word flows as you are writing it. My DD moved schools and last year started joined up writing (year 1) her writing has improved immensely and it is lovely to see how proud she is to produce such good neat work. I guess it is also a personal thing, I think nice writing is important and neat joined up writing looks better imo, it is also much quicker to write. Lastly I also thought that students were given extra marks in GCSEs for writing?

morningsun · 23/04/2009 10:47

The policy here changed about 4 yrs ago~so now they teach cursive/joined up writing from the beginning instead of printing in the infants and cursive in juniours~as they had two lots to learn and some children find cursive easier.

morningpaper · 23/04/2009 10:49

Ay dd's school they only do 'not joined up' in reception - after that it's all joined up

Madsometimes · 23/04/2009 11:44

dd2(5) is year 1, and she is determined to use joined up writing because the girl she sits next to can do it! Her friend is French, so I was wondering if her mother had been teaching her French "ecriture." They are planning to return to France soon, so this would make sense. Anyway, my dd is very impressed.

vonny67 · 23/04/2009 14:23

My dd is 8, and has been taught cursive script at school since reception. We moved to Spain when she was due to start year 1, her teacher was amazed that she was already writing joined up!

katiestar · 23/04/2009 16:54

The reception children at our school are taught joined up

mrz · 25/04/2009 16:44

The NC criteria for a level 3 requires "Handwriting to be joined and legible" that will be some Y2 children.

Habbibu · 25/04/2009 16:47

"Surely what a person has to say is more important?As long as the writing is legible. "

I've worked in several universities, and academic staff handwriting is often not legible... Mine was terrible as a child, and I used to get really riled when teachers focused so much on my handwriting and not what I'd written - it was legible, just ugly.

MuffinBaker · 25/04/2009 16:48

Year 3 in our school and ds1 really struggles. School won't listen to what I have suggested to help him.

lunamoon2 · 25/04/2009 21:16

I agree with Habbibu.
Whilst neat joined handwriting is lovely to look at, I prefer a good content tbh.
I do think that there is a difference between NEATNESS in all areas and technically correct letter formation.
x

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