Children will begin to learn the Nelson style of pre-cursive handwriting in Flexible Lower Primary 1st learning year and cursive handwriting in Flexible Lower Primary 2nd learning year.
This will be reinforced in Year 3. During Year 4, use of joined-up/cursive handwriting will be required.
- Teaching of handwriting skills happens regularly in years 1 - 3 and specific children or small groups are targeted to rectify identified problems before they become a habit. The principle of regular, short periods of handwriting practice is prominent in this part of the school.
- There is a gradual transfer to cursive, ('joined up') writing from the appropriate moment in Year 2. However, children develop physical pencil control at different rates and they are only introduced to the Nelson letter joins when confident with the previous step.
- Flexible Lower Primary children usually have their own work book which guides letter formation in very visual and structured ways on the page, also permitting practice through 'overwriting'. From Year 3 children produce letter joins more independently from Nelson handwriting text books. The Nelson spelling course books also demonstrate letter joins within the context of common letter strings.
- In Y3 a fountain pen license will be given to the children after passing special handwriting exercises. During Year 4, the use of the fountain pen and cursive handwriting will be required.
- The German 'Schul-Ausgangsschrift' can be introduced in German to children from Year 3 and it offers a natural and logical extension to the 'Nelson' script by introducing the option of loops for descenders in letters like 'g' or 'y'. A few other specific differences are also introduced to children at this stage.