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Handwriting and the National Curriculum - Wales
Foundation Phase – Reception, Year 1 & 2 (4 to 7 years old)
Reception
Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework: Language, Literacy and Communication Skills
Strand: Writing
Children are able to (areas associated with handwriting):
- Mark make or write in response to a variety of stimuli on subjects that are of interest or importance to them including stories and personal experiences.
- Produce pieces of emergent writing.
- Convey meaning through pictures and mark making.
- Copy and write letters, words and phrases, e.g. from the environment or those modelled by the practitioner.
- Use written language within role play and active learning.
- Hold writing instrument appropriately.
- Write from left to right.
- Discriminate between letters.
- Distinguish between upper and lower case letters and show an awareness of full stops.
Foundation Phase Skills Ladders for Assessment
Age range 48 months to 60 months (4 to 5 year olds)
Outcome 3: Handwriting
Children able to: recognise the alphabetic nature of writing and write letters and simple words and phrases, writing from left to right.
Children may be observed: discriminating between letters, applying their phonic knowledge to write letters and simple words/phrases, e.g. from the environment or high-frequency words. They will consistently write from left to right when producing pieces of emergent writing.
Outcome 3: Holding a mark-making implement
Children able to: hold a crayon/pencil using two or three fingers and thumb.
Children may be observed: holding a crayon/pencil using their thumb and two or three fingers, they sometimes revert to earlier grips but do not yet show a dynamic grip. Some grips which fit this description are inefficient and should be discouraged (examples give on p87).
Outcome 3: Fine manipulation
Children able to: string beads onto a lace and are able to manipulate and lock together appropriate resources.
Children may be observed: locking together jigsaw puzzles and construction materials; fluently threading a few large beads onto a hard tipped string; making a dough model with some attempts at detail; tapping a touchscreen, using a computer mouse, doing up front zips and large buttons.
Year 1
Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework: Language, Literacy and Communication Skills:
Strand: Writing
Children are able to (areas associated with handwriting):
- write in response to a variety of stimuli on subjects that are of interest or importance to them, including stories, poems, class activities and personal experiences
- communicate purposefully in writing, e.g. may be supported by a drawing
- use pictures, symbols, letters in sequence and familiar words to communicate meaning
- write words, phrases and simple sentences and read back own attempts
- use written language for different purposes or functions within play and active learning
- form upper- and lower-case letters that are usually clearly shaped and correctly orientated
- use capital letters and full stops with some degree of consistency
Foundation Phase Skills Ladders for Assessment
Age range 60 months to 72 months (5 to 6 year olds)
Outcome 4 – Handwriting
Children are able to: write words, phrases and letters, forming upper- and lower-case letters, which are usually clearly shaped and correctly orientated.
Children may be observed: forming single upper- and lower-case letters which are clearly and correctly formed. Letters may not show correct sizing between upper- and lower-case letters, but will mostly follow a ‘baseline’ and be correctly orientated.
Outcome 4 – Holding a mark-making implement
Children will be able to: sometimes hold a pen/pencil with a dynamic (mature) grip.
Children may be observed: with their thumb and two or three fingers making contact with the pencil/pen. The pencil/pen may be held further from the point than is usual for an adult’s writing hold.
Outcome 4 – Fine manipulation
Children will be able to: tie a knot, construct models using kits and have good control over creative materials and resources.
Children may be observed: using buttons, zips on self and toys without help. Manipulating materials for play at this stage would include tying a knot and building basic models using construction kits. Accessing technology would include some independent use of a mouse and touchscreens.
Year 2
Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework: Language, Literacy and Communication Skills:
Strand: Writing
Children are able to (areas associated with handwriting):
- extend their response to a variety of stimuli on subjects that are of interest or importance to them, including stories, poems, class activities and personal experiences
- write for different purposes
- write text which makes sense to another reader, which may include details and pictures
- re-read and improve their writing to ensure that it makes sense
- use written language for different purposes, audiences or functions within play and structured activities
- form upper- and lower-case letters accurately and with consistent size
- use capital letters, full stops and question marks accurately, and sometimes use exclamation marks
Foundation Phase Skills Ladders for Assessment
Age range 72 months to 84 months (6 to 7 year olds)
Outcome 5 – Handwriting
Children will be able to: write words, phrases and letters, forming upper- and lower-case letters accurately, with consistent size and orientation.
Children may be observed: forming letters correctly and with consistent size and orientation the majority of the time. Errors will be infrequent at this stage.
Outcome 5 – Holding a mark-making implement
Children will be able to: often hold a pen/pencil with a dynamic (mature) grip and good control.
Children may be observed: with their thumb and two or three fingers making contact with the pencil/pen, with movement of the writing tool coming from the finger tips. They should usually hold the pencil/pen close to its point.
Outcome 5 - Fine manipulation
Children will be able to: start to use hands and fingers with confidence, control and appropriate pressure to accurately manipulate resources for a range of purposes.
Children may be observed: manipulating materials for play including building increasingly complex models out of construction kits or modelling materials, using a range of materials and tools to make images and artefacts, manipulating equipment for science experiments or independently using a mouse and touchscreen.
‘Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework (revised 2015): www.gov.wales; OGL 2015;
Digital ISBN 978 1 4734 4217 7
‘Welsh Government: Foundation Phase Profile Handbook; OGL: September 2017; Digital ISBN 978 1 78859 477 6’
Key Stage 2 – Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 (7 to 11 years old)
Key Stage 2 English Programme of study Strand: Writing – Elements - Writing accurately; Aspects - Grammar Punctuation Spelling Handwriting
Year 3
Learners are able to: produce legible handwriting and present work appropriately joining letters in some words.
Year 4
Learners are able to: produce handwriting which is clear and legible and may be cursive.
Year 5
Learners are able to: produce legible, cursive handwriting with increased fluency.
Year 6
Learners are able to: produce fluent and legible handwriting.
Attainment Targets 3: Writing (Handwriting element only shown here)
Level 1: Letters are usually clearly shaped and correctly orientated.
Level 2: In handwriting, letters are accurately formed and consistent in size.
Level 3: Handwriting is legible and work is appropriately presented.
Level 4: Handwriting is clear and legible and, where appropriate, presentation is adapted according to the task.
Level 5 - Level 8: Work is legible and well presented.
Exceptional Performance: Work is legible and well presented.
‘Curriculum for Wales: Programme of Study for English Key Stages 2–4; 15/07/17 (on-line at learning.gov.wales)’