Page 29 - Pony Think Write Teachers Guide to Module 1

Module 4: Writing with Fluency and Control Teacher’s Guide.
Objective: Writing sentences in cursive script with the correct spatial placement
Lesson plan:
Integrating together thinking skills with punctuation whilst automatically writing with correct height and spatial placement is a skill children will need to practise. Activities available on the IWB programme, IWB407/408.
1. Each child has a piece of lined A4 paper, preferably non illustrated as this will further test each child’s ability. Children who are not ready and need a little more support can use the Illustrated Paper.
2. Page 52-53 can be used to help the children integrate their skills. Copying a sentence reduces the need for creative thinking, so the children can focus more purely on practising the spatial placement of their letters.
3. On completion ask the children to score their work for each correctly placed letter: 2 points can be given for a Harriet the Cow letter that reaches the cloud line, 2 points can be awarded for each short Georgia the Shetland Pony, Rupert the White Sheep and Zac the Grey Sheep letter that reaches the helicopter line. Bonus points can be given for each Pippa the Rabbit letter that goes underground.
More to Learn:
To increase the complexity of the task ask the children to write from dictated sentences. The hardest level would be when the children are creating their own sentences.
Support:
When learning this skill, spatial placement requires conscious processing. The children then develop the ability to judge the control of their pencil using their muscles. For children who need support with spatial placement, but who are able to create their own sentences, provide them with Illustrated Paper to reduce down the demands of the task and help build their skills gradually.
© 2016 Shelley Birkett-Eyles. Hemispheres Think Write Limited