Research School Network: The role physical development plays in Year 1 readiness (Part 1 / 2) The Write Beginning – A 2‑part blog series – Catherine Ward

The Write Beginning

The stimulus for this blog series was conceived from an EEF research project at Manchester Research School, appropriately titled, ​‘The Write Beginning’. Our key partnership aim is to raise writing outcomes in Manchester based schools. From our exploration feedback, poor physical development has been identified as a core barrier to early writing success.

Physically preparing learners in EYFS for continued writing success

A fundamental skill of writing development is the physical necessities of mark making and letter formation. The EEF’s ​‘Teaching the skills needed for mark making and letter formation’ summary, encapsulates the vitality of both fine and gross motor skills as firm ​‘building blocks’ to the future development of writing competence, including spelling.

While fine motor skills are crucial to the demands of manual dexterity and visual motor coordination, gross motor skills are also needed for synchronisation. Key findings advocate that these skills establish a strong baseline for future success in forming letter shapes and handwriting.

Practical tips for physical development in EYFS

Strengthening muscle control and visual coordination within continuous provision

Within Reception at Manchester Communication Academy Primary school (MCPA), a wide selection of physically focused tasks is apparent across continuous provision, both in and outdoors. Beyond the standard offer of opportunities to manipulate playdough using a range of hand tools, children have access to a wide range of purposeful tasks, including:

Jigsaws, threading, tweezer and hammer activities.


In this name writing task, children cut and then glued flowers onto the garden backdrop, prior to practising forming the letters of their own name.

Themed opportunities to engage in purposeful writing opportunities

Using themed links to stories is a great way to entice learners to repetitively use crucial muscles needed to write. This ​‘Gruffalo’ themed mud kitchen exemplifies promoting the simple techniques of tipping, pouring, stirring and patting by using real mud and cooking utensils to make ​‘mud pie’. Opportunities to make ​‘Gruffalo’ masks within the craft area provides tactile opportunities to control hand tools.

Opportunities to mark make with a variety of writing aids

Using attractive tools is a predominant feature within MCPA’s Reception’s provision. The basic task of using a paint brush and a bucket of water on a chalkboard canvas exemplifies the simplicity of using larger gross motor movements and offers the immediate result of seeing the marks being made in live time to support visual coordination. The use of ​‘invisible ink pens’, where learners write before using the UV light to reveal what has been written as a ​‘secret’ writing tool, is another enticing tool to practise writing. Providing appealing materials to scribe motivates learners to engage in writing.

Purposeful play

Enriched role play areas, such as a functioning outdoor garden centre, can be key in exposing learners to opportunities to independently practice skills of pencil control by using writing tools as part of their play. Alongside physically holding a tool to write, the simple act of potting plants also develops the physical strength and visual coordination needed as a basis for writing success.

Digital opportunities

​“The evidence recognised that digital technology apps focused on teaching handwriting and letter formation reported positive effects”

EEF Early Literacy Evidence Store: ​‘Teaching mark making and letter formation’

At MCPA, learners have access to both Ipads and the interactive whiteboard to guide handwriting and offer continued letter formation practice during child led activities using the ​‘Letter-join’ app. Digital tools are incorporated into areas to further motivate writing practice and can be combined with the development of other literacy based skills, such as reading and spelling. The use of LCD tablets provides a motivational tool to influence learners to rehearse pincer control and accurate letter movement. In this example, children used foil to scrunch and mould different space shapes prior to writing themed words on a device.

Teaching Letter Formation

All of these activities are likely to develop both fine and visual motor skills, although the evidence doesn’t necessarily point to a direct improvement in mark making or letter formation from just solely focusing on the above physical components. Additionally, rehearsing one skill in isolation, such as repeated practice of a letter shape, does not automatically lead to improvements in handwriting. Having said that, the evidence does suggest, that targeting this practice as part of a broader programme of activities, which includes teacher demonstration, encouragement, feedback and goal setting, is likely to lead to gains in handwriting fluency.

Within Early Years settings, the process of explicit teaching of letter formation appears through adult directed sessions and is regularly modelled as part of discrete phonic teaching. Scaffolding extended opportunities to practise within continuous provision supports the longer term goal of success in handwriting legibility and fluency. The use of scaffolds, such as phonic charts, should be a staple within an accessible learning environment so that learners are provided with support to independently rehearse and refine writing goals.

In this blog, we have looked at physical development as a pre-cursor for writing success in year 1 by exploring some concrete examples of how this has been incorporated within a Reception classroom at MCPA. In part 2, continuing with a writing focus, Hannah Heron will explore the role executive function plays in year 1 readiness.

References

EEF EYFS Evidence store:

Early Literacy – ​‘Teaching mark making and letter formation’

Physical development – ​‘Teaching the skills needed for mark making and letter formation’

EEF ​‘Teaching the skills needed for mark making and letter formation’ summary

EEF ​‘Preparing for Literacy’ guidance report