This feedback illustrates the practice needed to perfect each letter and to understand the joins - then pick a day when joining is expected - and, yes, insist and support - and it will happen.Dear Debbie
We've been using your handwriting resource (the formation and 'patter') since Easter.
The little lad is coming to the end of Year 4 and has previously had big problems with joined-up writing.
This half term we've kept the reading going, and the vocab work, but really focussed on the joined handwriting.
He's loved the fact that he wasn't allowed to join, till all the letters were mastered, because joining is his bete noir.
Last night was the BIG night: the night we joined up! I was excited, as were his parents.
He was glum.
When I said it was time to join, he quietly chanted "No, I'm not!" over and over again.
I let him carry on for a while, then asked him what he was feeling. He surprised me by answering, "I'm feeling devastation"
I said I could understand his reluctance, if he was experiencing a feeling of devastation. I asked him to tell me about it and he said,
"I'm experiencing trauma"
We then had a Joyce Grenfell conversation: I said I was sorry he felt so bad, but I admired his vocabulary and his ability to name his feelings.
He told me about the playtimes he'd missed, trying to join-up. And about the times he'd cried, at school, because he couldn't do it.
We did some deep breathing exercises, which always helps.
Then I told him that we'd been learning a very special way, and that joining would now be easy. I told him that a special lady called Debbie said so, and I believed her. I told him that Debbie would be right, and his joined writing would be easy and beautiful: he would never, ever again have problems with joined writing, because Debbie said so - and I knew she was right.
He thought about it. And he wrote. And it joined beautifully. It was neat. It was lovely!
His eyes were like saucers and he couldn't believe he could do it! He hugged me, then jumped in the air and cheered. He 'high fived' all of us, then did forward rolls across the room.
And the grown-ups cried.
Debbie, thank you SO MUCH for making your resources available.
Enjoy the warm glow of joy!
Find the free guidance and the patter here:
www.debbiehepplewhitehandwriting.com