Handwriting in Years 5 & 6 / P6 & 7 (age 9–11)
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 Years 5 and 6 are taught to write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed by:
- choosing which shape of a letter to use when given choices and deciding whether or not to join specific letters
- choosing the writing implement that is best suited for a task.
Scottish Curriculum for Excellence
In Scotland, most children aged 9–11 will be working towards the following second level experiences and outcomes:
- I consider the impact that layout and presentation will have and can combine lettering, graphics and other features to engage my reader. (LIT 2-24a)
Teachers and practitioners will be supporting children as they learn to:
- write in a fluent and legible way.
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 5 children are able to:
- produce legible, cursive handwriting with increasing fluency.
Year 6 children are able to:
- produce fluent and legible handwriting.
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
- by the end of Key Stage 2 children will be able to use a swift and legible style of handwriting.