Introduction to skills and patterns
I can sit comfortably and hold a pencil ready for handwriting.
Introduction to skills and patterns
I can sit comfortably and hold a pencil ready for handwriting.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Sitting position is important for handwriting.
- A comfortable pencil grip can make handwriting easier.
- It takes practice to be able to form a letter correctly.
- Handwriting patterns can help prepare to form letters.
- There are some letter formations that require you to lift the pencil to add a dot or a cross.
Keywords
Sitting position - the way we sit when writing, with our feet on the ground, back straight, and our body balanced and comfortable in a chair
Letter formation - the way we make each letter, starting at the top and following the correct path to create the shape of the letter.
Pencil grip - how we hold the pencil with our fingers, making sure it feels comfortable and steady in our hand.
Tripod grip - a special way of holding the pencil with three fingers (thumb, index, and middle fingers) that helps us write smoothly and with control.
Tramlines - straight, parallel lines that we can use as a guide to help us write neatly and keep our letters the same size.
Common misconception
Many children will not securely use the correct pencil grip.
Ensure to spend sufficient time checking children's pencil grip and intervening where they need extra support.
To help you plan your year 1 english lesson on: Introduction to skills and patterns, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 1 english lesson on: Introduction to skills and patterns, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 english lessons from the Writing lower case letters in print unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
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