Handwriting

Sacred Heart has adopted the 'Kinetic Letters' approach to teaching handwriting. We recognise that fluency in handwriting is an essential skill and foundational in nurturing success across the wider curriculum. Fluent and legible handwriting accelerates progress as children able to free-up their mind to focus on what they want to write rather that being held back by the physical process of writing (transcription). 

Ensuring Transcriptional Fluency – Handwriting

Sacred Heart has adopted the 'Kinetic Letters' approach to teaching handwriting. We recognise that fluency in handwriting is an essential skill and foundational in nurturing success across the wider curriculum. Fluent and legible handwriting accelerates progress as children able to free-up their mind to focus on what they want to write rather than being held back by the physical process of writing (transcription). This prioritised in EYFS and KS1 and for pupils who have not yet achieved automaticity in their writing (Williamson, 2018).

Kinetic Letters is Broken into Four Main Threads:

1. Red Thread – Strengthening Bodies

2. Green Thread – Holding the Pencil

3. Yellow Thread – Learning the Letters

4. Blue Thread – Flow and Preparing to Join

This enables children to develop legible handwriting that is produced quickly and automatically. With the development of automaticity, handwriting becomes a valuable tool and not a hindrance to learning. 

The Underlying Principles of Kinetic Letters:

• Building physical strength underpins handwriting, as poor writing may be due to poor strength.
• Children are not expected to do anything before they are developmentally ready for it.
• The different components of writing are mastered individually before being used in combination.
• Letters are learnt as movements not as visual shapes and movement remains central to developing flow and accuracy.
• When handwriting is automatic, the brain can concentrate on content.
• Reading and writing are a reciprocal process and so strengthening handwriting skills will support reading and writing development.

Kinetic Letters Resources:

• Every pupil has access to a triangular KL pencil.
• Class sets of KL Whiteboards for handwriting practise.
• Younger pupils have access to KL whiteboard pens.
• KL font on all school computers

Letter Families:

Children are taught letters as part of a grouping known as 'Letter Families' which emphasises patterns and trends between letters to help promote speedy and accurate writing: 

The 'Jumper Family' all start with a down movement and then back up and over; r, p, n and m begin at Scared Monkey, h and b start from Brave Monkey.

The 'Abracadabra Family' all start with a ‘c’ shape before going ‘up like a helicopter’ and back down; c, o, a,  g, q and s begin at Scared Monkey, d goes 'up like a helicopter' to Brave Monkey.

The ‘Special Squirter’ starts with a push across and then round: e

The 'Window Cleaner Family' come straight down; l and t from Brave Monkey, i and u from Scared Monkey.

The 'Fisher Family' start at Scared Monkey and their tails go down into the flooded pit underneath the line: y, g, f, j

The 'Slider Family' all contain diagonal strokes; v, w, x, z starts at Scared Monkey, k starts from Brave Monkey. 

The whole school uses the following ‘animal positions’ to help strengthen bodies throughout the school day for different tasks: