End of Year 1 Expectations
Year 1
In Year 1, children build on the skills developed in the Early Years, focusing on cursive letter formation and the correct orientation of letters. They are taught to:
- Form all letters accurately, ensuring they start and end in the correct place.
- Write capital letters correctly, ensuring they are appropriately sized and positioned.
- Maintain clear finger spaces between words to improve legibility.
- Begin to develop consistency in the size and proportion of their letters in relation to each other.
This is a good example of Year 1 handwriting as all letters are formed with the correct orientation, capital letters are clearly defined, and there are clear finger spaces between the words.
Handwriting lessons in Year 1 also reinforce the importance of sitting correctly, holding a pencil using the correct grip, and writing on the line. Developing these habits early helps ensure children are prepared for more advanced writing tasks as they progress through the school.
By the end of Year 1, children are expected to write simple sentences neatly, demonstrating clear and consistent letter formation with accurate spacing. These foundational skills set the stage for the introduction of joining letters in Year 2.