The Department for Education’s new Writing Framework places a strong emphasis on explicitly teaching handwriting as a core part of literacy. It recognises that fluent, legible handwriting is not simply a motor skill but a foundation for learning across all subjects. To support teachers, the framework highlights a set of key teaching strategies that should be embedded in daily classroom practice.
This blog explores those strategies in detail, offering practical guidance to help teachers implement them effectively and support every child in developing confident, fluent handwriting.
No.1 Building Early Support in the Foundation Stage
Before children pick up a pencil, they need the physical and cognitive readiness to do so successfully. Handwriting is not simply about finger movement – it relies on a combination of body strength, coordination, and memory.
- Motor skills and control: Core strength allows children to sit upright
- Memory and awareness: a good working memory helps children remember sounds and shapes, visual and special awareness also aid letter placement
- Body movement and awareness: Crossing the midline, coordinating both sides of the body, and tracking with both eyes are essential for left-to-right movement on a page.
- Multisensory learning: Physical activities such as climbing, kicking a ball, or balancing on ladders may seem unrelated to writing, but they strengthen the whole body and lay the foundation for controlled fine motor skills.
By prioritising these areas, teachers can support Reception children in developing the confidence and readiness needed to begin learning handwriting.
No. 2 Encouraging Informal Writing Practice
Formal handwriting teaching should not begin until children are developmentally prepared. However, informal opportunities for drawing, copying, and early mark-making provide the bridge between play and writing.
The framework highlights that writing develops in tandem with speaking and listening. As children tell stories, role-play scenarios, or act out ideas, they learn to connect thought with expression – the same process that later underpins writing.
Teachers can introduce fun, low-pressure activities such as:
- Using magnetic shapes to build the parts of letters.
- Tracing sandpaper letters to experience letter shapes through touch.
- Writing on chalkboards or “erasing” letters with a wet finger to make mistakes less intimidating.
- Organising space using blackboards with corners as guides.
- Practising spacing and size with coloured squares on strips of paper.
These informal practices not only prepare children for writing but also make the process enjoyable, playful, and meaningful.
No. 3 Teaching Handwriting Explicitly
When children are ready, handwriting must be taught systematically.
This means:
- Breaking letter formation into small, clear steps.
- Providing daily practice so pupils develop fluency and ease.
- Using visual cues such as dots, arrows, and bounce symbols to clarify starting points, direction, and return strokes.
Correct formation must be reinforced consistently before moving on, as allowing incorrect habits to persist can create long-term problems. Teachers should monitor progress closely and provide targeted support when needed, ensuring every child develops legibility and confidence.
No. 4 Modelling High Standards for Pupils
Children look to their teachers as role models and handwriting is no exception. The framework emphasises that teachers should always model legible handwriting across every subject, showing pupils what high standards look like.
This also involves reinforcing correct posture – feet flat on the floor, bottom at the back of the chair and gently correcting poor pencil grip. For some children, pencil grips can provide extra support. We highly recommend the Grotto pencil grip which is suitable for left and right-handers.
Fun Activity: For example, teaching the letter c using a big clock face (starting at 1 and moving anticlockwise, ending at 5) helps children visualise the curve and the fullness the letter c requires. Pupils can also “draw” the letter in the air or on a friend’s back to reinforce muscle memory in a playful way.
No. 5 Physical Positioning and Comfort
Handwriting is not just a mental process, it is physical. Poor posture or grip can cause discomfort, frustration, and fatigue, reducing stamina and motivation. Teachers should create routines around correct positioning:
- Posture: Encourage children to sit upright, relaxed, and stable – feet on the floor, bottom to the back of the chair. If they cannot touch the floor, place a box beneath their feet to provide stability and support.
- Grip: Teach the dynamic tripod grip – pinching the pencil between thumb and index finger, resting it on the middle finger. Stickers can help children know where to place their fingers. Using a pencil grip in Reception can help establish a correct and comfortable tripod grip from the start.
- Comfort: Spot vision issues or posture difficulties early, as these can hinder progress.
Correcting these habits early ensures children write with ease and develop stamina for longer pieces of writing.
No. 6 Creating the Right Environment and Materials
Practical classroom setups play a crucial role in handwriting success. Teachers should ensure:
- Desks and chairs are at the correct height.
- Sharpened pencils and optional grips are available.
- Wide-lined paper supports early learners, before moving gradually to narrower lines.
- Paper is preferred over whiteboards, as it develops better control.
Adaptations are equally important. Left-handed pupils need additional space, they should be sat to the left of a right-hander, have a slanted page, and hold the pencil 2-3 cm away from the tip using a softer pencil. Establishing correct technique early helps prevent smudging and promotes comfortable writing. For children with SEND or EAL, handwriting must remain accessible, with adaptations to tools and approaches as needed. The goal is inclusion to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed.
No. 7 Teaching Letter Formation in Stages
The framework outlines clear stages for progression:
- Year 1: Children should sit correctly, form both lower- and upper-case letters accurately, and begin to understand “handwriting families” (letters with similar starting points). Number formation (0–9) is also a priority.
- Key Stage 2: Focus shifts to fluency, consistency, and writing speed. Importantly, joined handwriting should only be introduced once pupils are secure with printed letters – rushing this stage can create confusion and embed poor habits.
For struggling writers, progression must be personalised. Joins should only be introduced when children are ready, ensuring confidence and accuracy remain at the heart of learning.
No. 8 Distinguishing Handwriting from Phonics
One of the most important clarifications in the new framework is that handwriting should be taught separately to phonics. While both are essential to literacy, they follow different learning sequences and must be taught separately.
Some children may struggle with stamina or physical discomfort, slowing handwriting progress even if phonics skills are strong. The goal is to ensure that difficulties with handwriting do not become a barrier to wider literacy or creativity.
Handwriting remains a cornerstone of learning, and the new Writing Framework highlights the importance of teaching it with the same care and consistency as other subjects and skills.
From building early physical readiness in the Foundation Stage to explicitly teaching letter formation, modelling high standards, and providing the right tools, teachers play a critical role in giving children the skills to write fluently and confidently.