Handwriting at Littleton

Fluent, legible handwriting matters because it frees children to think about what they want to say, rather than the physical effort of forming each letter. At Littleton, handwriting is taught as its own dedicated skill, not folded into other lessons, from the very start of Reception.

Before children pick up a pencil to write letters, they build the physical foundations that handwriting depends on: core strength, balance and fine motor control through climbing, threading, playdough and pattern-making. We teach the four building blocks of good handwriting explicitly: sitting posture, pencil grip, how the paper is positioned, and how much pressure to apply.

Reception and Year 1 follow the Little Wandle Handwriting programme, teaching each letter through the same formation language children already know from their phonics lessons, so the two reinforce one another. Children learn to form clear, unjoined letters correctly and consistently before they ever join their writing. Once this is secure, typically in Year 2, children move on to joined, continuous cursive handwriting through the Letter-Join scheme.

We support every child to succeed, including left-handed children and those with additional needs, and any child who finds handwriting difficult is identified early and given targeted, catch-up support. By the end of Year 2, children write with growing speed and fluency, and take real pride in the presentation of their learning across every subject.

Click here to view our full Handwriting Policy.