Phonics and handwriting

[babydayz]

Hi,
Does anyone know where i can download a phonics poster just with the basic a b c's on it, also i want to find some letter tracing cards that i can laminate that the kids can use dry wipe pens on so they can learn basic handwriting.

[beccas]

i got a load from my local foundation unit t school ask them they can only say no. i also pick up a selection of sheets of letter tracing that they put out for the children tpo do in a morning:blush: they dont know i do this

[beccas]

just found these


http://www.kidzone.ws/phonics/index.htm
http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/word.htm
http://www.free-phonics-worksheets.com/html/free_phonics_worksheets.html

[harrysgirl]

You can make your own here:

http://www.writingwizard.longcountdown.com/handwriting_practice_worksheet_maker.html

[nannymcflea]

We were advised at a network meeting that children shouldn't be tracing words, it should be emergent writing.

YET I had a reception TA say that if they are teaching children to write in nurserys they should be teaching them to form letters properly...

Wish someone would make their mind up!:(

[singlewiththree]

http://www.senteacher.org/Worksheet/16/Handwriting.xhtml

[angiemog]

Doesn't tracing letters or shapes teach them to use their fine motor skills and pencil control??? I used to write my mindees name for him to write over and this was being done in nursery as well. When I asked for ideas this is what the teacher told me to do. I know they like children to be taught to form letters correctly but this does come a little later.

[Heaven Scent]

yes but it should be very large using fat impliments or just using their fingers initially start big then get smaller and smaller - At first use impliments such as chalk and wax crayons then pencils and colouring pencils but not felt tips, ball points or gel pens. there is no control with these. Children have no or very little control and make a mess of or with felt tips as they dig in and often rip the paper and therefore cannot gain any pride in their work.

[TheBTeam]

We were told it should be emergent writing and you should not be encouraging or pushing formal writing skills, it must be child led and initiated by them and then only supported by us. Our nursery also say that they are not to lead a child to write, a child must only be supported with any emerging skills and the formal teaching only starts in reception.

We should provide access to mark making materials, but even colouring in a picture is now frowned upon!

I do know of minders who sit and 'teach' children letters, how to write and spell their own name and teach them numbers quite formally, i personally do not agree with this, I think that children have time to do this at school and if we have tought them everything before they go, even if we have taught them properly then they will have nothing to learn at school!

Whoops sorry just remembered that this wasnt the thread, got sidetracked on my soap box!:blush:

[The Juggler]

We were told it should be emergent writing and you should not be encouraging or pushing formal writing skills, it must be child led and initiated by them and then only supported by us. Our nursery also say that they are not to lead a child to write, a child must only be supported with any emerging skills and the formal teaching only starts in reception.

We should provide access to mark making materials, but even colouring in a picture is now frowned upon!

I do know of minders who sit and 'teach' children letters, how to write and spell their own name and teach them numbers quite formally, i personally do not agree with this, I think that children have time to do this at school and if we have tought them everything before they go, even if we have taught them properly then they will have nothing to learn at school!

Whoops sorry just remembered that this wasnt the thread, got sidetracked on my soap box!:blush:

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: it's quite right though. I only introduce 'teaching' awareness of letters once they start seeing and telling me they see letters in the environment (road signs etc) or saying look theres a 'x' for my name. Before that just surround them with letters in diferent visual forms.

I still don't like tracing them even then let them carry on with emergent writing but provide lots of resources at the mark making area with the 'real' letters on so they will begin to copy them when they are ready. Or provide activities where they write for meaning, i.e. writing pretend shopping lists, writing down numbers when they measure with a tape measure. If you look closely at their 'scribbles' you will often see that they have shapes similar to letters.

It's only once they realise that their symbols and letters have meaning and that (and not before) is probably the time to introduce tracing if you're going to do it. However, I don't think I would with a child unless they were near(ish reception age).