In Year 1, your child will learn to correctly use a pencil, to form letters and numbers, and to write words. Read on to discover the National Curriculum expectations for handwriting in Year 1, and to find out how you can support your child at home.
What your child will learn
In Year 1 (age 5–6), your child will learn to:
- Sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly.
- Form lowercase letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place.
- Form capital letters.
- Form digits 0–9.
- Understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ (letters that are formed in similar ways).
- Leave spaces between words.
How to help at home
There are lots of ways you can help your Year 1 child with handwriting. Here are our top ideas.
1. Practise getting ready to write
Make sure your child has a straight-backed chair to sit ion and a table/desk at the right height for sitting to write or do homework.
