Pens and pencils
For much of their time in the Foundation Stage, children will be developing their fine motor skills through activities such as sewing, crafts and painting. Role play activities can promote this understanding of writing for a purpose. When the children are ready, their emergent writing can be encouraged with a range of attractive materials.
Bright Minds stocks a range of handwriting aids including triangular pens and pencils. Pens and pencils shaped in this way make it easier to grip in a relaxed manner which helps the writer to form letters more easily. Their hand huggers colouring pencils contain strong colour pigment, doing away with the need to apply heavy pressure and take a tight grip. The leads are also formulated to last without breaking or crumbling, priced 5.95 for 12. A pack of 12 black HB pencils and a set of 12 washable colouring pens with tips suitable for drawing and writing are also available at the same price.
Telephone 01225 852305
Step by Step has a wide selection of pens and pencils for beginners, including Ferby pencils which come with coloured or graphite 'leads' and are shorter than normal (12cm) to facilitate easy gripping by small hands. The pencils come with a natural wood finish and in a tub or divided wooden box. A tub of 36 graphite pencils is priced 13.15; a box of 96 coloured pencils is priced Pounds 33.50.
Telephone 0845 300 1089
Galt sells its own brand of Foundation Range pencils: 45 triangular coloured pencils measuring 18cm in length, with a plastic storage tub, are priced Pounds 14.95. A tub of 75 standard black-leaded HB pencils (not triangular) is priced 17.99 and a pot of 75 colouring pencils is priced 13.95. Jumbo colouring pencils are also available in a tub containing 45, priced Pounds 13.50 and form part of a 'super special' selection with four tubs being offered for 49.95.
Telephone 08702 424477
Paper and books
Most children love taking possession of a brand-new, pristine, exercise book or folder and, with the upsurge of home computer use and electronic games, this is a pleasure you may well be alone in supplying. Try to mark each project or topic with a new book and ensure that, while you are encouraging the children to look after their books carefully, you set the example by preserving their work in good condition.
The NES Arnold 'Out of School' catalogue contains a wide range of books and folders which should satisfy the keenest collector. Bulletin/Primary workbooks are available as rough note or sketch books measuring 203 x 254mm, in a variety of colours, including lime green, bright blue, lilac, bright pink, yellow and red. A pack of 100 is priced 10.80. 80 page scrapbooks measuring 330 x 233mm with card covers and brightly coloured interiors are priced 6.45 per pack of six. Document wallets, mark books, record books, budget pads and general workbooks are also part of the range.
Telephone 0870 6000192
Writing aids
Reluctant scribes may require more than simply paper and pencil to grab their interest. Fortunately there are plenty of handwriting aids for you to choose from.
LDA's Rol'n'Write consists of grooved plaques depicting each letter of the alphabet and a ball bearing, which rolls through the letter, tracing the correct formation. This is a handy resource for introducing a new letter to a group or for placing on the children's tables while they are practising their handwriting skills.A complete set of lower-case letters plus ball bearings is priced 42.50.A set of numerals from 0 to 9 is also available, priced 19.95 and there is an accompanying set of activity worksheets. The sheets feature comic cave characters and their adventures and provide practice in pencil control and letter formation. The set comprises 48 photocopiable A4 worksheets, priced 14.95.
Also from LDA comes WriteFrom the Start, a cumulative programme which concentrates on developing the muscles of the hand so that children then gain the control they require to produce legible letter forms. This scheme was previously billed as the Teodorescu Perceptuo-Motor Programme and has been trialled extensively in British schools where, the company claims, it was particularly helpful for children with developmental co-ordination disorder and older children with mild to moderate learning difficulties, as well as mainstream children agedfour to six. Includes over 400 photocopiable, graded exercises and activities in two books, plus a teacher's handbook, priced Pounds 29.95.
Telephone 01945 463441
Learning with Linden stocks a range of tabletop overlays and a tabletop board to facilitate the teaching of letter formation and identification to a group. The tabletop board measures 800 (h) x 740 (w) x 100 (t) and the whiteboard surface is 740 (h) x 650 (w)mm. The boardfolds flat for storage and hasfinger-safe hinges and 'hand holds'for carrying, as well as an integral storage box at the back. Eachoverlay you purchase to use with the board has a reference number printed on its border which corresponds toan index on the back of the board,so you only have to remove overlays from the box as you need them. The board is priced 129.99, or 225.99 with 10 overlays. A Letter Forming set consists of two overlays, covering the entire alphabet with indicators of where to start and in which direction to go. A Hand & Eye Co-ordination set has dot-to-dot formations to encourage children to join them up at the board and there are also Alphabet and Lines and Find the Letter overlays in this section. Each overlay set is priced 13.99 and there are other overlays available for different subjects.
Telephone 0115 975 5055
NES Arnold's Trace 'n' Erase pockets are useful for individual writing work. These transparent vinyl pockets measure 33 x 10cm and you can insert flashcards into them which children can trace over or write directly on to the pockets with water-based marker or wax crayon. They are easily wiped clean and are priced 15.95for a pack of 24.
Telephone 0870 6000 192
