by: jolly_louise - 23-02-05 15:35
I aggree that is a very difficult thing to teach your children. But all I can reccomend is that you do dots on a page for your children and then see if they can manage joining the dots together. I do think it is too hard for the children to do because like you said you have difficulty with it well I do as well!!! any way give it a go and see what happens!!
by: Jackie C
We teach cursive writing in our Reception class. Children are not taught how to writeuntil almost half way through the year. We do lots of writing patterns and Write Dance. Some of the children are still not ready to learn, but have lots of opportunuties to do emergent writing while others are getting very proficient.
Teaching Cursive Handwriting in the Foundation Stage?! - 06-06-05 22:49by: Hardworkin
In the nursery where I am, the children have writing books and if they are able to write their names, they are written in fluorescent pens in their books and the children write over it.They are taught cursive writing, if they are not at the stage of being able to write their names then writing patterns are written in their books.
Teaching Cursive Handwriting in the Foundation Stage?! - 20-10-05 18:27by: Tim
Surely if the head teacher has any knowledge at all on early years he would know that 'raising standards' involves building an environments which supports childrens dispositions to learn. Forcing them to attempt tasks which they are not ready for will only have negative effects and lead them to attach negative ideas to writing, before they should even be introduced to it.
I manage a day nursery where children are encouraged to attempt to write when they decide they are ready, no dotted lines, no worksheets, just resources which encourage experimenting with mark making and emergant writing. I don't ever recall a reception teacher suggesting that our children weren't prepared for school.
If children are interested and motivated to learn, then the foundations are in place for the school years ahead of them, besides, where does the Foundation Stage Guidance mention cursive handwriting?!
Teaching Cursive Handwriting in the Foundation Stage?! - 21-10-05 18:06by: joshuajones
T Easton
You don't say whether you are in a reception class or a nursery, which makes a difference. It should be remembered that the foundation stage goes up to the ages of 5/6 depending on entry age to school. However, that aside there is a reasoning to cursive script. For those of us that can remember the old way of teaching letters with everything starting in a set place and ending usually in a different place, printing letters. This was fine except that when we turned about 7 years of age we had to learn a new way of writing in order to join up. This put many of us at a disadvantage, because we had to learn all over again. This caused tremendous problems for some children. Extensive research then showed that if children learnt from the start of their writing careers that everything "starts on the line" and "finishes on the line" as it does in cursive script writing becomes much easier and joining up becomes second nature. This then does not disadvantage some children with a new style of writing at 7. That said, children in nursery should not be being taught to write. They should be given opportunity to practice writing skills, pencil control etc without fear of being told they are getting it wrong.We already disadvantage half our population (boys) by asking them to do things they are not physically ready to do, because we educate too young.( sorry to all those men out their, but it is a proven fact that little boys brains are not as developed as little girls brains, giving rise to a difference in what we should expect from the sexes, until boys catch up) Children are children for a very short time let them develop in their own time, and if that means that some of them don't get the hang of writing until 6/7 well so be it. Look to the continent and places like Sweden/Finland their children do very nicely thankyou with no "formal" education until much later than UK children.
Teaching Cursive Handwriting in the Foundation Stage?! - 29-10-05 12:29by: scarlett
i agree with joshua jones, any of us who have studied child development for many years, will agree that boys and girls are different. they learn in different ways. eg. boys on the whole (not all) do not practice mark making skills as much as girls. you have to think of different methods, eg put the mark making equipment outside, or have a clipboard, tell them they're a builder, etc and then they may be more inclined to participate. yes i agree that parents need to be more involved with their childrens upbringing and show an interest. but again everyone is different and some parents do not have the level of understanding that is required to help develop their children. (some people whether they are a parent or not, simply dont get it!)
our early years team advise not to use work sheets, not to teach!! we offer learning opportunities to develop writing skills.
i could read and write before i started school, but none of the other children could so i had to wait for them to catch up.
