Young Writers 2Check-up (for the beginning of the lesson) Do these ‘warm-up’ activities with the class so they are ready to work better: © Ask the children to stand up and wave their hands. © Get the children to move each hand in a circle to loosen the wrists. © Get the children to wriggle their fingers. ° Ask the children these questions before they begin: © Are you sitting comfortably? © Are both of your feet on the floor? Are you sitting up straight? @ Have you got enough room on your desk? @ Have you sloped your paper slightly so it is in the correct place to begin writing? @ Have you got a good pen or pencil to write with? © Are you holding it in a comfortable way? © Can you see what you are doing? Check-up (for the end of the lesson) Ask the children these questions at the end of each lesson: Is your writing neat? Is it easy to read? Do all the letters have a good shape? Are all the letters the correct size? Are any letters too long or too short? Is there a space between each letter? Is there enough space between each word? © Are all your letters sitting on the correct line in a straight row? © Are all the joins well made? © Have you left a space after the break letters (b, 9, j, p,q, x, y, 2)? © Have you left a space after each capital letter? © Are you pleased with your writing? @ Is there anything you can do better next time?Macmillan English Handwriting Young Writers 2 Louis Fidge Contents Page Introduction and Teaching Notes 2 Introducing joined writing 8 Introducing the first join 10 Practising the first join 12 Introducing the second join 18 Practising the second join 20 Introducing the third join 26 Practising the third join 28 Introducing the fourth join 34 Practising the fourth join 36 Introducing break letters 42 Practice page 48 MACMILLANIntroduction The Macmillan English Handwriting Books will provide children with the skills necessary ‘to begin writing, and will help them develop a fluent, legible style of handwriting. The books are carefully graded in difficulty. The style of handwriting and individual letter shapes taught in these books is similar to that used in UK schools. Little Writers A Contains valuable pre-writing skills. Helps children develop the skills necessary to begin writing. | Little Writers B_ Introduces children to the correct formation of lower case letters | (arranged according to the way they are formed) and capital letters. Little Writers C Practises what has been learnt in Little Writers B using unjoined letters, writing words, phrases and sentences. Young Writers 1 Offers further practice using unjoined letters in a variety of contexts. Young Writers 2 | Introduces the essential joins and other skills required for joined-up writing. letters, writing words, phrases and sentences. Bie Writers 3 Practises what has been learnt in Young Writers 2 using joined Skills involved in handwriting Handwriting is a complex skill. It consists of: © holding a pen or pencil correctly © good control of the pen or pencil @ hand-eye co-ordination @ left to right movement © seeing small differences between letters © being able to copy accurately. The activities in this book support the teaching of all the above skills. Letter shapes Lower case letter shapes Here are the lower case letter shapes taught in this book. (Note the new shapes for f and k. These shapes make it easier to join other letters from them.) a bede Fog ht ktm nO" pg rs tou wwe YZ 2Here are the lower case letter shapes arranged in groups according to the way they are formed. Set2 Some lower case letters have descenders. Capital letter shapes Here are the capital letter shapes taught in these books. Here are the capital letter shapes arranged in groups according to the number of pencil strokes needed to form each letter. ‘Set 1 (These letters are formed with one pencil stroke.) 1 0 4 Set 3 (These letters are formed with three pencil strokes.)Letter joins There are four basic letter joins which form the basis of all joined writing. The first join ° (| iM, Usb The second join The third join The fourth join Break letters Here is an example of the first join. It is used when any letter joins from the baseline to a letter which begins at the mid-point line and returns straight to the baseline again Here is an example of the second join. It is used when any letter joins from the baseline to a letter which begins at the top line and returns straight to the baseline again. Here is an example of the third join. It is used when any letter joins from the mid-point line to another letter which also begins at the mid-point line. Here is an example of the fourth join. It is used when any letter joins from the mid-point line to a letter which begins at the top line and returns straight back down again. There are eight break letters after which no join is ever made. A small space is left after each letter so that it is spaced as evenly as the joined letters. The break letters are: bg jpg xyzHelpful hints on teaching handwriting Handwriting involves good hand control © Teaching handwriting is concerned with helping children learn the most comfortable and efficient hand movements to produce writing that is legible and fluent. @ Handwriting is learnt quicker and more easily if it is taught in a logical, organised way. Furniture and seating @ If children are sitting at desks or tables, check that they are sitting comfortably and that the desk or writing surface is at the correct height. © Sometimes a slightly sloping surface is easier for writing on. © Check that children are sitting up straight. @ Make sure there is enough light to see what is being written. This is a good writing position. The desk is at the correct height. The child's arms are comfortably supported on the desk top. Holding a pencil or pen All children, especially left-handed children, will find a pencil or pen with a rounded rather than a very sharp point is best for writing. Right-handed children @ The most efficient way of holding a pencil or pen is when it is held lightly between thumb and forefinger. Hold it about 3cm from the point, with the middle finger providing the support. © The paper should be placed to the right, tilted slightly to the left. © The left hand should be used to steady the paper.These are examples of the most comfortable and efficient ways of holding a pen or pencil. Bee Left-handed children @ Encourage left-handed children to hold their pencil or pen far enough from the point to allow them to see their writing. © The method of holding the pencil or pen is similar to that for right-handed children. © Paper should be placed to the left and tilted slightly to the right. © Try to sit left-handed children on the left side of their partners so that they have plenty of room. This is the best position for left-handed children. Teaching order © You will find it helpful to work through the book one activity at a time, in the given order. © Before attempting any of the units it is strongly suggested that children work through pages 8-9 which revise the formation of all lower case and capital letters of the alphabet and introduce children to joined writing. Before you start a lesson @ Read the Check-up questions (on the inside of the front cover) with the children to make sure they are ready to begin. At the beginning of the lesson @ The activities in this workbook will introduce children to joined letters and teach the four essential joins. It will also teach children the break letters after which no joins are ever made. © It is important for you to demonstrate the joins and the formation words which include the join being taught to the class. The more you can show children what to do, the better. When you demonstrate anything to the class, it should be done on a board. Draw lines on the board to represent the lines in the children’s books. Stand at the front with your back to the class. Look over your shoulder at the class. If you are right-handed, stand on the left of the class so all the children can see what you are doing and you can see them. If you are left-handed, stand on the right. Write the word on the board so children can see you doing it. Write neatly on the lines.© Throughout the teaching process you should explain the writing movements you are making and how the joins are made, e.g. 'Start at the top. Go round and round ... ’. Make sure that the children understand words and phrases like ‘start here’, ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘over’, ‘under’. Ask a few children to come to the board and trace over the word or join with their fingers and with different colour chalks or marker pens. © Next get the children to trace over the example word or join in their books with their fingers several times. This all helps give children the ‘feel' of the joins they are learning. The handwriting patterns are provided to help children develop fluency of movement and practise patterns and shapes helpful in joined writing Always talk about the actual writing activities themselves with the class and show how they are related to the joins being taught. During a lesson @ Always make sure the children understand what they have to do. @ Use language appropriate to the children. @ When the children are working, walk around the classroom and observe and supervise the children’s efforts as far as possible. @ Talk to the children about what they are doing © Look for bad habits and deal with them before they become established. After each lesson @ Read through the Check-up questions (on the inside of the front cover) with the children to help them assess how well they have done. Extra practice © The more children are able to practise what they have learned, the better. @ Provide children with a variety of different writing tools (pencils, pens, crayons, chalks, etc.) and different types of paper to allow them to experiment and practise freely before and after carrying out the activities. © A practice page is included at the back of the book, with guidelines for children to write on. If more practice of any activity is needed, use this page for the purpose. It may be photocopied for multiple copies. Writing guidelines Writing guidelines are used in this book to help children form letters of a uniform and appropriate size. top line (most ascenders come up to this line) ie line (descenders come down to this) mid line base line (most letters sit on this)1, iM EE how to write each letter correctly. a ( Notice the new shape of f and koLook at this sentence in unjoined writing. Pec ecccccvcccccccccccccccccccccs This sentence contains every A quick brown. Fox ete : Perce ccccccccccccccccccccceccesceesccececesesereeees Now look at the sentence in joined writing. Crater lh A quick brown.” fox jumps:over: the lazy dogs: an a0 Practise the new and} | shapes. J a P i (Trace over the letters \ a 2 ( with your finger. J US __* Trace over the letters with your finger. © Feel how you make the first join. Get ready. SDAA RAKAAASS} £YYYYN£YYY YY Trace. Then write. as t= 10Si ak pin aGet ready. COIS EXC CECUCeo COE Trace and write some rhyming words.@ Bw & mom 8§ vou pou Toa Trace. Then write. S Chie moon tus goto pean: Themen has goto: fon Thecman has: goto vor:This word contains the first join. Trace your finger over it with your fingers. fA) NAN RLLLLOLLL LLLCLLL2 Trace. Then write. OAwYy DM he e teriTrace over the the shape with your finger. * Feel how you make the second join. Get ready. Sel cs coesessls Trace. Then write.Trace and write.Practising the second join Here is a word containing the second join. Trace over it with your finger. Oe; ela c ds N = Trace and write some rhyming words. 20Trace. Then write. of plate of chips o accheose: sandwich: oc fush. orton dish onmudeshake. ina. glows onthe slice orf calew, octhick: slice: of cokeHere is a word that contains the second join. Trace over it with your finger. eo ow LUUES Get ready. Trace. Then write. 24- Trace. Then write. —\- 1 yy, Yew Yes ee, a a \ \ \ \ a ay = EB Ee Gee* Feel how you make the third join. Get ready. Trace. Then write. = eo = 26Trace. Then write. Match. dng with a bone e onde: with. phone. \ & 3 \ Me came (Ay a frog. wh aay Ee oc frog wrtth. ot: rock a frog witha ebock SdTrace. Then write.Trace. Then write. o 29Trace. Then write. (AR IFooHere is the word containing the third join. Trace over it with your finger. Get ready. Trace. Then write. 32Trace. Then write. £ 2 33® Trace over the the shape with your finger. °® Feel how you make the fourth join. 34Trace. Swe 4 ot bottle: moth spot: a Xe 1S broke: dol: pot. Write the answers. Is this a cot? OE. Ratna Tes a bot: Is this a spot? é RS, Is this a hole? Is this a pot?Trace. Then write. Be Or Bom as 36Trace. ot] fog Write the answers. 1 Who has got short hair? 2 Who has got curly hair? 3 Who has got a skirt? 4 Who has got a shirt? 37Trace. 39Here is a word containing the fourth join. Trace over it with your finger. Get ready. Trace. Then write. 40Trace. Then write. ae RAS AL AdanTrace. Then write.44[s) ae fan = Cora Dom 8) (8 Edawreurd: Frezt: a Tour: Joe Katie: kway oN @) (8 /@Practice page se 48