Forming the Letters
This is also the time to learn how to form the letters correctly. It is not an easy task and will probably to take a year or two for the child to do it automatically. See video.
The first ones to learn are the ‘round’ letters –
c a, o, g and d. They are formed in a circular, anti-clockwise movement. As the child forms them, say ‘round, round, round’. For ‘c’: say ‘round, round, round’, for ‘a’: say ‘round, round, round, up and down and flick up’, for ‘o’: ‘round, round, round and over’, ‘g’ will be easy; ‘d’ is the hardest – ‘round, up, up, down and flick up’. The ‘e’ could also be practised in a similar way, but when it is taught at a later stage, it rarely needs much help.
There are various ways to master the skill. Practising them in the air, tracing by finger on paper, joining the dots, guiding the hand on big pieces of newspaper. Generally, one makes a dot at the starting place (the ‘one o’clock position’) and guides the hand round. First, letters are learnt and eventually they are written in words.
The children are learning through hearing, through actions, through seeing and through repetition.
The ‘stick’ letters are next –
m, n, r
They need to be formed by starting some way above the line (at the top of the stick) and saying ‘down, up and over’.
There are three additional formation types:
The ‘tall’ family – h, b, l, t, k
The ‘long’ family – so underneath the line – p, f, j, qu, y, g – the first four do often need additional practice to master).
There are also the ‘slanted’ letters – w, v, x – they rarely need extra teaching but I usually encourage a flick at the end of w and v in preparation for joined-up handwriting.
For the tricky z, say, ‘forwards, backwards, forwards’ and this usually helps.
I tend to like lines on paper for children to write on fairly early on, maybe midway through the Reception Year. There needs to be plenty of space around the line, but it gives the child something on which to place letters. Space between words is something to think of too.
I find joined-up writing is taught pretty early in school, but it can help children improve how they write.
Number formation can be tackled later in a similar way.
Do not worry unduly about number reversals and b/d/p reversals. They are quite natural until about the age of seven or even eight. The advice I would give is to tackle one letter or number at a time. Likewise, for reading and writing, support the child to learn ‘b’ first.