Ireland Wood Primary School
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Curriculum  »  Curriculum (All subjects)  »  English  »  Handwriting & Spelling

Handwriting
 
At Ireland Wood Primary, we follow the Letter-join handwriting scheme. The programme begins as children start to form letter in Early Years and continues to develop throughout each key stage. Once children are forming letters clearly and accurately, we begin to focus on making accurate joins, ensuring that writing is legible and all lettering is formed at the correct size. 
 

Correct posture and pencil grip for handwriting
 
Pupils should be taught to sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly.

 
 
Left-handed children
 
Left-handed children may find it difficult to follow the movements of right-handed teachers as they model letter formation (and vice versa). Teachers should demonstrate to left-handers on an individual or group basis.
 
Left-handed pupils should sit to the left of a right-handed child so that they are not competing for space.
Pupils should position the paper/book to their left side and slanted.
Pencils should not be held too close to the point as this can interrupt pupils’ line of vision.
Extra practice with left-to-right exercises may be necessary before pupils write left-to-right automatically.

 
The Tripod Pencil Grip
 
Both right and left handed children should be encouraged to use the tripod grip which allows the pen/pencil to be held securely whilst allowing controlled movements of the pen/pencil nib. 
 

 
 
If any child is not on track to reach our expectations in KS2 they will receive additional support through small group intervention groups using the Letter-Join recovery programme.
 
Letter Families 


Handwriting Documents

Please find attached our handwriting expectations from Reception - Year 6. You will also find additional resources to support you at home.

Spellings

What does spelling look like at Ireland Wood?

  • Children will have a weekly spelling or phonics lesson focused on a spelling rule or pattern using Spelling Shed. 
  • They will learn about how words are made, including prefixes, suffixes and roots
  • They will explore where words come from and how spellings link to meaning
  • Throughout the week, children will practise spellings in a range of ways in class.
  • On a Friday, children will take part in a dictation lesson, where spellings are used within sentences read aloud by the teacher.
  • Common Exception Words are taught in both KS1 and KS2. The children have resources in class to support with spelling these words. Attached below are copies of the words for each year group. 
 

On a Friday, children will bring home a spelling homework sheet linked to the spellings they have been taught in school. This should be completed at home and returned to school on Tuesday. The children will mark their homework with their teacher, allowing time for any misconceptions to be identified and addressed. Please note that spelling homework may occasionally look different for some children. This is because tasks are adapted to best support each child’s individual learning needs and help them make the greatest progress. All spelling activities are designed to build confidence and success.



Children will continue to be assigned spellings on Spelling Shed (KS2), and we encourage them to practise regularly. This forms an important part of their spelling development and supports the learning taking place in class.

Attached is a parent guide which explains some of the terminology you may come across on the homework sheets.