The four joins
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Threads
Why this why now
Building on pupils' knowledge of lowercase and pre-cursive letters, this unit deepens their mastery of accurate formation, while introducing the flowing movements of cursive handwriting. By practising lead ins, lead outs and diagonal and horizontal strokes, pupils develop the consistency needed for fluid joins. Identifying 'break letters' helps them understand which letters connect and which do not, strengthening their awareness of writing patterns. These skills lay the groundwork for future units, where pupils will practise using these joins and applying them to words and sentences.
Prior knowledge requirements
- The primary grapheme phoneme correspondence (GPC) for all 40+ phonemes.
- The letter names for all 26 letters of the alphabet.
- The difference between capital and lower case letters.
- Knowledge of the formation of all lower-case letters in print form.
- The ability to hold a pencil in a comfortable tripod grip.
- How to sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly.
Threads
Why this why now
Building on pupils' knowledge of lowercase and pre-cursive letters, this unit deepens their mastery of accurate formation, while introducing the flowing movements of cursive handwriting. By practising lead ins, lead outs and diagonal and horizontal strokes, pupils develop the consistency needed for fluid joins. Identifying 'break letters' helps them understand which letters connect and which do not, strengthening their awareness of writing patterns. These skills lay the groundwork for future units, where pupils will practise using these joins and applying them to words and sentences.
Prior knowledge requirements
- The primary grapheme phoneme correspondence (GPC) for all 40+ phonemes.
- The letter names for all 26 letters of the alphabet.
- The difference between capital and lower case letters.
- Knowledge of the formation of all lower-case letters in print form.
- The ability to hold a pencil in a comfortable tripod grip.
- How to sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly.
Handwriting
The four joins
In this unit, pupils learn to form each of the four joins with lead ins. They practise using diagonal and horizontal strokes to connect letters and identify 'break letters' that do not join. Pupils also learn how to form looped descenders and how to end a join with a lead out.
10 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the The four joins unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our primary english curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for primary english programmes.