Once the pivots have worked their way down to the wrist, the journey doesn’t stop there, although for lots of children it becomes far trickier. This is where children often get stuck. The end of the ‘pivot’ journey will be when we get that mark making implement to the very last, smallest set of pivots, right at the end of the fingers. If we can hold our mark making tool there then we will have the fullest, most dexterous range of movement that our bodies can provide. Penguin Pre School The hand is quite a complex piece of machinery and is made up of lots of different joints and muscle groups that interconnect and work together to provide maximum dexterity. … Read More
Get a Grip for January!
I have blogged a great deal about all of the things that you can do to prepare children to become successful writers. I think our aim should always be not just to get children writing, but to get children wanting to write. It is undoubtedly true (especially for some boys) That without the will they will struggle to master the skill! But often how we approach the teaching of writing doesn't take 'will' into account. It seems to be all about the end result and not the process. The stages of physical writing development can be tricky and different children show different levels of dexterity at different times. When it comes to 'writing' as opposed to 'mark making' I think … Read More
Get Cosy – Some great ideas!
As always, I have seen lots of inspiring ideas on my travels, so I thought I would share a few… First of all, you need to keep a look out for this 'must have' catalogue for Early Years resources. It was Joanne at Chester Blue Coat Primary School that recommended it to me and I have been promoting it ever since. It has got some BRILLIANT stuff in it, the sorts of things that we spend hours trying to source and collect. Better than that the prices are really good! There is no website yet so you need to check your pigeon hole or staffroom table to see if your copy has been delivered. If you can't find it or … Read More