Handwriting and Spelling

Handwriting

Writing is a life-skill and an essential part of enabling children to express themselves, both as learners and as individuals. As humans, we have an inbuilt need to make our mark. We write to express ourselves, to find meaning, to change the world or to create an entirely new world. At Ryarsh Primary School, the teaching of writing is a thorough, well developed and thought-out process. The following Handwriting Progression document lays out how we will approach the teaching and progression of handwriting across the school considering a child’s development.

handwriting progression.pdf

Spelling

At Ryarsh Primary School, we encourage our pupils to think and write creatively, be adventurous with their use of language and to write with clear purpose and for pleasure. In order for each child to reach their full potential, it is essential that our pupils learn the knowledge and skills to spell accurately. At Ryarsh, we want our pupils to be equipped with the knowledge and range of strategies required for learning spelling patterns and to be able to apply their strategies when spelling words in their independent writing. Children who understand and can retrieve spelling patterns accurately, become confident writers and are able to write creatively with enjoyment.

In order to help improve and develop a child’s spelling, we need to stimulate their interest in words. By creating an environment where children feel safe to try spelling new words, we create a culture where children can express themselves in their writing. Through the explicit and discrete teaching of spelling, children learn about the different ways that words are built up using syllables and thus begin to develop a knowledge of the basic spelling patterns of English. In order to continue to improve and develop the children’s recall we need to provide them with opportunities to retrieve their knowledge of spelling patterns in order to make their long-term memory stronger.