• Teach reading and spelling and a good handwriting style – with initial joining links together through a structured, phonic, multi-sensory program.

• Look at “Jolly Phonics” - “ERR” – THRASS
• Are you teaching synthetic or analytic phonics?
• Jolly Phonics is producing astounding results in its trials.
• Read the Reading Reform site and investigate what is going on at the moment

• Teaching spelling should be started with a multi-sensory approach - say the word, spell the word orally, then write the word in the air – in sand – with plasticine – bread dough – whatever for letters – digraphs – words etc

Use rhyme–

“I’m thinking of a word

That sounds like hat

You hit a ball with it

And the word is ……”

And do the actions too

Play games with words – play with anagrams etc early on

• Use a wooden or plastic alphabet to teach names and sequence of letters – capital first, then lower case.  Close eyes to feel the shape and remember its name and associated sound/sounds.  Use pictures and memory hooks to provide pictorial and memory hooks for sounds.

Use mnemonics early on – orchestra = or – chest- ra – produce with a picture of a chest in the middle.

Said = Sally and Ian dance – or whatever.

bed – makes a bed for b and d recognition

• Teach handwriting in very small groups or preferably one-to-one, using cursive script, which encourages flow and aids letter orientation.
• Get the pen and pencil hold right early on.

• Get rid of the left handed hook writing
• Use chubby/triangular pens and pencils for a long time
• Give out the additional grips when moving to thinker writing tools

• Practice writing in the air, in sand, on a board and/or with playdough as well as in an exercise book.

Teachers need to be able to write in the air backwards! – make very large shapes initially

• Use games, songs, and rhymes to help the student listen and repeat sounds.

• The letter “L” can only be made with the left hand using the thumb and index finger, which can help students with directionality.