Physical DevelopmentPhysical Developmentand Writingand Writing

An information meeting for An information meeting for parents and carersparents and carers

Tuesday 3Tuesday 3rd rd March March

20152015

• to understand the importance of gross to understand the importance of gross motor developmentmotor development

• to appreciate the importance of the to appreciate the importance of the learning opportunities providedlearning opportunities provided

• to consider ways to support the to consider ways to support the development of fine motor controldevelopment of fine motor control

• to know how to encourage good control of to know how to encourage good control of writing implementswriting implements

• to be familiar with cursive ( joined ) letter to be familiar with cursive ( joined ) letter shapesshapes

• to know how to write your child’s name in to know how to write your child’s name in cursive scriptcursive script

Aims of this workshop -Aims of this workshop -

Gross motor control –Gross motor control –• controlling handlebars on a bikecontrolling handlebars on a bike

• pedalling and scootingpedalling and scooting

• climbing, balancing, swingingclimbing, balancing, swinging

• raking and sweepingraking and sweeping

• moving with ribbons and scarvesmoving with ribbons and scarves

• managing clothing – arms into sleevesmanaging clothing – arms into sleeves

• controlling bats and ballscontrolling bats and balls

• joining in with action rhymesjoining in with action rhymes

• lifting and carryinglifting and carrying

• swimmingswimming

Fine motor control –Fine motor control –• rolling and shaping doughrolling and shaping dough• cutting with scissorscutting with scissors• building with small construction kitsbuilding with small construction kits• threading beadsthreading beads• drawing with chalkdrawing with chalk• lacing and sewinglacing and sewing• using a knife and forkusing a knife and fork• mixing cooking ingredientsmixing cooking ingredients• turning the pages of a bookturning the pages of a book• using small tools, eg. hole punchers, using small tools, eg. hole punchers,

staplers, pegs and paper clipsstaplers, pegs and paper clips• fastening clothing – buttons, zips and fastening clothing – buttons, zips and

tiesties

Control of writing Control of writing implements -implements -

• a variety of writing implements – a variety of writing implements – pencils, pens, crayons, chalks, pencils, pens, crayons, chalks, paintbrush and water, a stick in paintbrush and water, a stick in the sand !the sand !

• tripod grip ( froggy legs ! )tripod grip ( froggy legs ! )

• handwriting practice - whiteboardshandwriting practice - whiteboards

• left-handed hints and tipsleft-handed hints and tips

‘‘Emergent’ writing Emergent’ writing Most children will –Most children will –•experiment with marksexperiment with marks•begin to use lines, circles and other begin to use lines, circles and other shapes / patternsshapes / patterns•begin to use random collections of lettersbegin to use random collections of letters•begin to use familiar letters ( usually from own begin to use familiar letters ( usually from own name ) to represent meaningname ) to represent meaning•begin to understand that a group of letters have begin to understand that a group of letters have meaningmeaning•begin to apply their phonic knowledgebegin to apply their phonic knowledge

Supporting writing in schoolSupporting writing in school

Three super heroes -Three super heroes -

•Captain CapitalCaptain Capital

•Super Space Super Space

•Super StopSuper Stop

Other ‘prompts’ -Other ‘prompts’ -

•letter-sound matsletter-sound mats

•individual name cardsindividual name cards

•working wallworking wall

Applying letters and soundsApplying letters and sounds

Broadly speaking children apply their Broadly speaking children apply their phonic knowledge in similar ways -phonic knowledge in similar ways -

•hearing and writing initial letter sounds hearing and writing initial letter sounds for words for words

•hearing and writing initial and final hearing and writing initial and final soundssounds

•hearing sounds in the order they occur in hearing sounds in the order they occur in wordswords

•building a memory of words off by heart – building a memory of words off by heart – often ‘tricky’ wordsoften ‘tricky’ words

‘‘Cursive’ letter shapes -Cursive’ letter shapes -

• ‘‘families’ of lettersfamilies’ of letters

• writing patternswriting patterns

• simple rules to remembersimple rules to remember

Supporting writing at home Supporting writing at home --• provide opportunities for independent provide opportunities for independent

mark makingmark making• value and encourage all mark makingvalue and encourage all mark making• avoid scribing for children ( dotting / avoid scribing for children ( dotting /

writing over the top / copy writing )writing over the top / copy writing )• practise phonemespractise phonemes• encourage use of phonemes but accept encourage use of phonemes but accept

own spellings eg. hows/houseown spellings eg. hows/house• encourage correct pencil gripencourage correct pencil grip

Useful resources –Useful resources –

• Langshott letter shapesLangshott letter shapes

• ‘‘families’ of lettersfamilies’ of letters

•www.sparklebox.co.uk