Research shows that handwriting assists with the preparation for early literacy, increases creativity and productivity, improves learning difficulties and enhances auditory learning. It is this understanding that makes Handwriting today the must-have new series for every teacher. This innovative resource is packed with handwriting activities designed to combine the teaching of handwriting with fun and effective cross-curricular activities, including Science, Mathematics and Health.
Handwriting today is developed in workbook form for Foundation–Year 3, with comprehensive teacher guides available for Foundation–Year 1 and Years 2–3. Teacher resource books are available for Years 4–6 to provide greater flexibility for older students and individual instruction where required.
YEAR: FOUNDATION
Workbook features:
- colourful, contemporary and attractive page presentation
- colourful developmental writing patterns and letter introduction
- dedicated writing character for each year level, encouraging students through handwriting skills and curriculum activities
- dotted-third lines for size and spacing practice
- supportive starting points and arrows to guide correct letter formation
- developmentally-appropriate letter, word and sentence practice
- joining patterns with concise and explicit letter practice
- cross-curricular and differentiated activities while supporting good pedagogical handwriting practices
- handy student handwriting tips
Australian Curriculum links:
English—Literacy—Creating texts
Produce some lower case and upper case letters using learned letter formations (ACELY1653)
- adopting correct posture and pencil grip
- learning to produce simple handwriting movements
- following clear demonstrations of how to construct each letter (for example where to start; which direction to write)
- learning to construct lower case letters and to combine these into words
- learning to construct some upper case letters
YEAR 1
Workbook features:
- colourful, contemporary and attractive page presentation
- colourful developmental writing patterns and letter introduction
- dedicated writing character for each year level, encouraging students through handwriting skills and curriculum activities
- dotted-third lines for size and spacing practice
- supportive starting points and arrows to guide correct letter formation
- developmentally-appropriate letter, word and sentence practice
- joining patterns with concise and explicit letter practice
- cross-curricular and differentiated activities while supporting good pedagogical handwriting practices
- handy student handwriting tips
Australian Curriculum links:
English—Literacy—Creating texts
Write using unjoined lower case and upper case letters (ACELY1663)
- using correct posture and pencil grip
- learning how each letter is constructed including where to start and the direction to follow
- writing words legibly using unjoined print script of consistent size
YEAR 3
Workbook features:
- colourful, contemporary and attractive page presentation
- colourful developmental writing patterns and letter introduction
- dedicated writing character for each year level, encouraging students through handwriting skills and curriculum activities
- dotted-third lines for size and spacing practice
- supportive starting points and arrows to guide correct letter formation
- developmentally-appropriate letter, word and sentence practice
- joining patterns with concise and explicit letter practice
- cross-curricular and differentiated activities while supporting good pedagogical handwriting practices
- handy student handwriting tips
Australian Curriculum links:
English—Literacy—Creating texts
Write using joined letters that are clearly formed and consistent in size (ACELY1684)
- practising how to join letters to construct a fluent handwriting style
FOUNDATION & YEAR 1 TEACHER GUIDE
Teacher guide features:
- background to handwriting
- developing a whole-school approach to handwriting
- sample lesson plan
- teaching strategies for handwriting
- the mechanics of handwriting
- an explanation of dotted-thirds line sizing
- font description
- the skills needed for handwriting
- class and student checklists
- support for left-handed and vision-impaired writers
- remediation activities
- warm-up activities, including finger plays and action rhymes
- multisensory activities
- physical development activities
- verbal cues for letter and numeral formations
- mini posters
- slope cards
- curriculum links for cross-curricular handwriting activities
- character poster
- tracing sheets
- colouring pictures
- dot-to-dot pictures
- patterns and pattern pictures
- differentiated assessment sheets
- flashcards for games
- desk charts
- character spacing guides
YEAR 2 & 3 TEACHER GUIDE
Teacher guide features:
- background to handwriting
- developing a whole-school approach to handwriting
- sample lesson plan
- teaching strategies for handwriting
- the mechanics of handwriting
- an explanation of dotted-thirds line sizing
- font description
- the skills needed for handwriting
- class and student checklists
- support for left-handed and vision-impaired writers
- remediation activities
- warm-up activities, including finger plays and action rhymes
- multisensory activities
- physical development activities
- verbal cues for letter and numeral formations
- mini posters
- slope cards
- curriculum links for cross-curricular handwriting activities
- character poster
- tracing sheets
- colouring pictures
- dot-to-dot pictures
- patterns and pattern pictures
- differentiated assessment sheets
- flashcards for games
- desk charts
- character spacing guides
