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Further study of the four joins

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Threads

Why this why now

This unit strengthens pupils' cursive handwriting skills by building on the four joins learned in Year 2. Through focused practice in writing cursive sentences, pupils develop greater control and accuracy - mastering pencil lifts, consistent letter size, and proper spacing. These skills enable them to produce smoother, more connected writing across all curriculum areas, enhancing readability and written expression. The fluency developed here prepares pupils for the next unit on letter strings, where they will apply their cursive writing skills to words containing prefixes and suffixes.

Prior knowledge requirements

  • The ability to hold a pencil in a comfortable tripod grip.
  • Knowledge of the four letter joins.
  • The formation of capital letters.
  • The ability to use correct letter spacing.

Threads

Why this why now

This unit strengthens pupils' cursive handwriting skills by building on the four joins learned in Year 2. Through focused practice in writing cursive sentences, pupils develop greater control and accuracy - mastering pencil lifts, consistent letter size, and proper spacing. These skills enable them to produce smoother, more connected writing across all curriculum areas, enhancing readability and written expression. The fluency developed here prepares pupils for the next unit on letter strings, where they will apply their cursive writing skills to words containing prefixes and suffixes.

Prior knowledge requirements

  • The ability to hold a pencil in a comfortable tripod grip.
  • Knowledge of the four letter joins.
  • The formation of capital letters.
  • The ability to use correct letter spacing.
Handwriting

Further study of the four joins

In this unit, pupils strengthen cursive skills by practising the four joins with attention to letter size and orientation. They write sentences in cursive, applying each join type, using capital letters and focusing on when to lift the pencil, as well as when to use lead-ins and lead-outs.