Mark-making and my name
English · Early Years · The School
Marks before letters
Before writing letters, hands need to practise the moves letters are made of. Draw big straight lines down a page. Draw round-and-round circles. Draw pointy zigzags like mountains. Every letter you will ever write is built from these three moves, so big confident marks now mean neat letters later.
Holding the pencil
Pinch the pencil with your thumb and first finger, and let it rest on your middle finger — grown-ups call this the tripod grip. If it feels wobbly, try a chunky crayon first. Draw slowly. It is not a race: control beats speed every single time.
The most important letter
The first letter of YOUR name is the most exciting letter in the alphabet. Ask a grown-up to write your name in big letters. Point to the first one. Trace it with your finger, then copy it with your crayon — as big as you like. That letter belongs to you.
Take the name AMIR. Say each letter as you make it: A — two slanted lines and a bar across. M — down, up, over, down, up, down. I — a line and a dot. R — down, round, kick out. Four separate letters, each with its own start and finish, rather than one squiggle copied from a card. Now cover the card and write it again from the letters you named.