Training options for handwriting

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debbie
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Training options for handwriting

Post by debbie »

We are developing our training options for handwriting.

There are various options available so it is always worth contacting us for a chat about your requirements.

It is great, for example, to model the handwriting style and teaching approach with real children/students - so that teachers can witness the remarkably fast progress and encouragement of learners. This is encouraging, also, for the teachers themselves!

Teaching handwriting well is not something which should drag on and on.

I was speaking with a headteacher recently who, like me, is passionate for all the children to be able to write fluently with a fully joined style and it was clear that he considered that this might take three years or so.

I was delighted to tell him that I was thinking more in terms of one term for all the children to be fully on board with fab handwriting!

Further, some children can change their style and become competent in a matter of days - with fluency developing surprisingly quickly. :D

Sometimes, the 'mindset' of teachers may need to change from the idea that the children 'have not learnt' to write well - to the idea that it is they who 'have not taught well enough' the handwriting! :?

It could be, however, that the school's choice of handwriting style and/or programme is found somewhat wanting!

If I am suggesting that it need not take long to teach fully cursive writing effectively for all the learners, then this also suggests that it won't take long to see if I'm correct! :wink:
Debbie Hepplewhite
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debbie
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Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:28 pm
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Post by debbie »

I was delighted to tell him that I was thinking more in terms of one term for all the children to be fully on board with fab handwriting!
If I am suggesting that it need not take long to teach fully cursive writing effectively for all the learners, then this also suggests that it won't take long to see if I'm correct!
Update:

This is interesting - whilst I was in a large primary school providing a phonics consultancy day at the end of the summer term this year, I was asked if I would take a look at some handwriting lessons in Key Stage 2 to suggest how the school could raise their levels of handwriting.

I modelled a double-length handwriting lesson with a Year 5 class to demonstrate to the teachers and assistants how to do my fully-joined handwriting style.

The lesson was filmed. After the lesson, the class teacher told me that she could not believe what her own pupilis had achieved in the time. The watching adults also joined it to practise the style themselves. They were amazed with their own achievements too!

The headteacher ensured that the style was brought in across the school from September 2012 (made policy) - and yesterday I was in touch with some members of staff of this school to see how they were faring following my visit (that is, after nearly one term of the school adopting the style).

I was told emphatically that the results, one term after adoption, are absolutely amazing across the school.

I've asked the school for a report and some handwriting samples and hopefully they'll be forthcoming to share on the website.

One teacher I spoke with said they made it policy for all staff to write on the boards and to mark pupils' books with the new handwriting style. She said this was difficult at first because of course they were slower writing with the new style so marking seemed to take that much longer! :?

Now, however, she said speaking personally that she uses the new style for her own personal writing, she loves it, and has never been neater - and now she's quick with it too!

You can imagine that this was very heartwarming for me. So often I aim for the ideal in schools knowing realistically that it's not necessarily going to be achieved in 'all corners' - but it seems that this school, at least, really have taken to heart all my recommendations for handwriting to great effect.

Aw..... :D

PS: They're also making great strides in their phonics teaching and learning too! Handwriting is one of the core basic skills for literacy and the embodiment of 'multi-sensory' practice.
Last edited by debbie on Fri Dec 14, 2012 12:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Debbie Hepplewhite
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debbie
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Post by debbie »

I'm also gratified to report that we already have some schools booked for full-event handwriting training even though we have yet to advertise this on our training website or handwriting website!

I think some of these have come through the route of the website of Rob and Carol Cockeram - the people who turned my print and joined handwriting styles into a software programme that schools can use to make their own resources in the styles.

Carol and I share a passion for joined handwriting it seems and I am extremely grateful that Carol's work has enabled me to produce resources for my handwriting style - taking me to the next step of being able to help schools more widely to improve handwriting - something which I think is exceedingly important for the pupils themselves - and something which should be at a high level as a staff-tool and skill.

Here is the page on Rob and Carol's website which mentions the training as well - thus the approaches from schools:

http://www.cursivewriting.org/debbie-he ... iting.html
Debbie Hepplewhite
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debbie
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Post by debbie »

Bespoke handwriting training available:

http://www.syntheticphonicstraining.com ... iting.html
Debbie Hepplewhite
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