PR-2888IRE New Wave Handwriting Teachers Guide - Junior and Senior Infants

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LOWER-CASE LETTERS THE HANDWRITING FONT Lower case is the most commonly used letter case in the written representation of the English language. It is used to write every letter that does not require capitalisation, in every word. Some lower-case letters are smaller versions of the uppercase letter, such as vV or wW, and some lower-case letters look very different to the corresponding upper-case letter, such as aA or rR. Some lower-case letters have different representations of the same letter depending on the font of the writing. It is important to teach pupils how to recognise different versions of a letter, regardless of the font being taught, so they are better equipped to read texts written in different fonts. Lower-case letters in the English language are written using different sizing and directional movements. All lower-case print letters can be classified into three groups of similar-sized letters—body letters; and head and body letters. These sizes allow for easier recognition of letters and words when reading and are important when writing on single-lined or blank paper. They can also be classified into four groups based on the initial direction or main movement used when forming the letter, such as anticlockwise, clockwise, downstroke or zigzag letters. a b c d e UPPER-CASE LETTERS g h i j k l m n o p q r s u v w x y z Upper case is one of two letter cases used in the written representation of a language. The use of upper-case letters in a piece of writing depends on the grammatical conventions of the language. In the English language, the first letter of a word is written in upper case if that word marks the beginning of a sentence or if the word is a proper noun. Upper-case letters are also used when writing acronyms, such as NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) or R.S.V.P (Répondez s’il vous plait, French for ‘respond, if you please’); when referring to oneself as ‘I’ in a piece of writing; when writing abbreviated units of measurement, such as litres (L); or at the beginning of lines of poetry. All upper-case letters are written using equal sizing. They sit on the baseline and extend up to the top line. The head and body of the character will be coloured to show the size of an upper-case letter and its position on the line. Review sample A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 24 NEW WAVE HANDWRITING TEACHERS GUIDE JUNIOR AND SENIOR INFANTS 978-1-84654-938-0 Prim-Ed Publishing www.prim-ed.com
ASSESSMENT AND RECORDING METHODS OBSERVATIONS ASSESSMENT AND RECORDING Observations are a quick and easy assessment method that can be used at any time and for any purpose. Observing pupils as they write helps teachers identify elements of handwriting including posture; paper position, management and control; pencil grip; seating arrangement; fluency of writing movement; writing speed; overall comfort when writing; the ability to write for extended periods of time (writing endurance); the amount of pressure applied to the implement when writing; and the techniques used to form letters. Digital cameras, smartphones or tablets can be used to record observations using photographs or videos. CHECKLISTS Checklists provide an efficient method of recording specific information about pupils’ handwriting mechanics and skills. They allow teachers to monitor pupils' progress against specific learning criteria in a format that is easy to read and analyse, so that teachers can make an informed opinion of pupils' progress that is supported by data. Class checklists are efficient at recording general data about pupils' handwriting skills; however, if pupils are displaying handwriting difficulties, it is recommended that a more detailed individual assessment be carried out using resources, such as the samples on pages 35 and 36 and page 146. ANECDOTAL NOTES Anecdotal notes are an efficient method of recording observations during different handwriting activities, to provide reminders of pupils' individual needs and progress, or for future planning to assist pupils. Anecdotal notes can become time-consuming if used extensively. It is recommended that teachers only use anecdotal notes to record specific information observed, for particular pupils, as required. PUPIL/TEACHER DISCUSSIONS Review sample Pupil/teacher discussions about a pupil's handwriting or class writing activities allows the teacher to discover information about the pupil’s attitude to, and concerns about, handwriting; and their understanding and use of handwriting terminology. During pupil/teacher writing conferences, pupils develop an awareness of handwriting as an integral part of the writing process. Pupil/teacher discussions, especially those with pupils who display handwriting difficulties, should be conducted in privacy to ensure pupils do not develop negative emotions, such as shame or frustration, towards handwriting. 32 NEW WAVE HANDWRITING TEACHERS GUIDE JUNIOR AND SENIOR INFANTS 978-1-84654-938-0 Prim-Ed Publishing www.prim-ed.com
Page 2 and 3: FOREWORD The New Wave Handwriting T
Page 4 and 5: JUNIOR INFANTS The New Wave Handwri
Page 6 and 7: FONT INTRODUCTION THE HANDWRITING F
Page 10 and 11: DIFFERENTIATION AND HANDWRITING Dif
Page 12 and 13: ASSESSMENT - LOWER-CASE LETTERS Tra
Page 14 and 15: DOWNSTROKE LETTERS Copy. DIFFERENTI
Page 16 and 17: JOINED DIGRAPH PRACTICE Review samp
Page 18 and 19: PATTERNS - JUNIOR INFANTS DOWNSTROK
Page 20 and 21: PATTERNS - JUNIOR INFANTS HORIZONTA
Page 22 and 23: CLASS CHECKLIST UPPER-CASE LETTERS
Page 24 and 25: ASSESSMENT - LOWER-CASE LETTERS Tra
Page 26 and 27: DOWNSTROKE LETTERS Copy. DIFFERENTI
Page 28 and 29: MAZE - SENIOR INFANTS CATHY CAT Rev
Page 30 and 31: PATTERNS - SENIOR INFANTS HORIZONTA
Page 32: GLOSSARY KEY HANDWRITING TERMINOLOG

PR-2888IRE New Wave Handwriting Teachers Guide - Junior and Senior Infants

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