Handwriting Practice 4 - 5 Years
Age 3
Has a greater interest in making marks but not forming letters
Age 4
Able to draw basic lines and shapes
Age 5
Can print letters in the upper and lowercase style.
Age 6
Forms letters with accuracy but struggles with reversals
What a teacher is expecting to seeโ
We have the following handwriting examples given to us by very proud teachers. It shows the standards they expect.
The UK government has guidelines for the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) years. This advice is for ages 40 months to 60 months (3.3 to 5 years). They do not refer to handwriting as a specific goal. Yet, there are goals for holding a pencil well. As well as for writing recognisable letters and even simple sentences. Some children aren’t ready to write yet. They’re not developmentally ready.ย
What to expect at this age in more detail
At the age of four, your child should be able to draw basic lines and shapes. These are square, single diagonal lines and a vertical cross. They can write some letters. But, the formation will be irregular. They’re learning to move the pencil from right to left. They will have established a hand dominance. A tripod pencil grip will still be emerging.
At the age of five, your child should be able to draw a triangle. They can print letters in the upper and lowercase style. Using this in combination with one another. Theyโre able to write numbers. Both letter and number reversals are common. They can do all this, whilst holding a pencil in a tripod grip.
What support your child might get for handwriting at school?
Your child develops their handwriting skills the most in these early school years. Often, children enter this school year with different skills. Yet, by the end, most should be at similar levels with their handwriting. They will be able to write letters and some words.
In Reception, children often learn phonics. It helps them to recognise words. This technique is often used to teach handwriting. There is a problem with this. In handwriting, we talk about letter patterns. We also call them letter families. They’re not the same as phonic groupings. We would teach writing letters in a different order. This is based on motor control abilities.
Why handwriting practice mattersโ
Starting school is a magical time. Thereโs a lot that goes on. And change can happen quickly. Many expectations are placed upon children at this age. Letters should be clearly formed. They must be able to write their own name. Learn phonics and recognise words.
The crucial two areas to look at are pencil grip and how the letters are formed. Often children can write a good-looking letter. But, they later struggle to write sentences due to their pencil grip. Or struggle to join letters. This is because they started a letter in the wrong place.ย
Expand Your Handwriting Know-how: 4 Must-Read Guides for Parents
Playful Practice: 3 Fun Handwriting Activities for You to Try at Home
We are all about keeping handwriting practice fun. Here are 3 ideas that you can try at home. It’s important to set your child up for writing success. Do this by sitting them at a desk and giving them lined paper for writing letters.
Keep drawing people
This is an important skill. It teaches kids about controlling pencils. It also teaches about eye-hand coordination. Encourage details to be drawn. For instance, eyelashes on eyes and buttons on clothes.
Be like a celebrity and sign your name
Help a child see a reason for writing. Ask them to write their name on pictures they’ve drawn. Extra help can be by writing the date; they’ll have to do both of these at school.
Apple, bear, cat, dog…
Do you remember the game “I went shopping and I bought..”? Help a child write the alphabet by playing this. They can look at the alphabet. Remembering the sequence is tricky for this age group. The first letter of a word should be written by them. You can help write the whole word if needed.
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Please tick which age group is most relevant.ย
