Finn has been attempting independent writing for a while now. Although we may have some letter reversals, his letters are recognisable. However, he was keen to learn to write in cursive, like his big brother.
Resources
- Easel with chalk board or dry erase board
- Chalk or dry erase pens
- Print out of cursive letters
Method
We clipped the cursive letters to the top of the easel and traced the first letter with our finger on the sheet. Finn chose to start with ‘f’ because it is his letter.
Then we used our finger to draw the letter in the air, on each other’s backs and on the chalk board.
Next, I modelled forming the letter correctly with chalk. I slowly drew the first letter on the chalk board and Finn described how I had drawn it:
“Down the stem and form the leaves.”
He built up to writing the whole alphabet in chalk, one letter at a time.
I then left the cursive letters clipped on the top of the board and came back to find he had written the whole alphabet independently. This will take repetition and practice, but I had a very proud 4 year old.
DfES Early Learning Goals (2017)
Physical development
ELG 04 – Moving and handling:
Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
Literacy
ELG 10 – Writing:
Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.
