Handwriting in Year 2 / P3
(age 6–7)
For ideas to support your child’s handwriting development at home, take a look at our handwriting at home pages.
Handwriting in the curriculum
The National Curriculum in England
In England, the National Curriculum requires that children in Year 2 are taught to:
- form lowercase letters of the correct size relative to one another
- start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join
- letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
- write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lowercase letters
- understand which letters belong to which handwriting ‘families’ (i.e. letters that are formed in similar ways)
- use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters.
Scottish Curriculum for Excellence
In Scotland, most children aged 6–7 will be working towards the following first level experiences and outcomes:
- I can present my writing in a way that will make it legible and attractive for my reader, combining words, images and other features. (LIT 1-24a)
Teachers and practitioners will be supporting children as they learn to:
- write independently, punctuating most sentences accurately, for example, using a capital letter, full stop, question mark or exclamation mark
- present writing in a clear and legible way using images and other features as appropriate.
Foundation Phase Framework and the Programme of Study for Wales
The list below provides a summary of the expectations set out in the Foundation Phase Framework and the Programme of Study for Wales, with regards to handwriting.
Year 2 children are able to:
- form uppercase and lowercase letters accurately and with consistent size.
Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum
In summary, the expectations set out in the Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum, with regards to handwriting, require that by the end of Key Stage 1 the majority of children will be able to use a legible style of handwriting.
Handwriting books
Nelson Handwriting Pupil Book 2
The Nelson Handwriting programme supports handwriting skills throughout primary school. If your child’s school is using Nelson Handwriting, you can use these books at home to help them practise their handwriting skills.
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Handwriting Age 6–7
This activity book will help your child to progress while having fun so they will quickly learn the correct formation of letters and start to learn how to add flicks to prepare them for cursive handwriting.
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At Home With Handwriting 1
This fun activity workbook for 5–7-year-olds supports children as they learn how to establish a comfortable and efficient pencil grip, how to write correctly formed letters, and how to leave appropriate gaps between words. Includes lots of useful tips for parents.
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At Home With Handwriting 2
This fun activity workbook for 5–7-year-olds includes illustrated step-by-step activities that are simple enough for children to work through on their own, or equally perfect to do with a parent.
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