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Sitting and holding a pencil
PROCEDURALSit correctly at a table holding a pencil comfortably and correctly; form lower-case letters in the correct direction starting and finishing in the right place
Mastery Evidence
- Hold a pencil with a comfortable tripod or near-tripod grip
- Write all 26 lowercase letters with correct starting points and direction
- Maintain consistent letter size on lined paper
Assessment Prompt
“When [child] sits down to write, do they hold their pencil comfortably and form each letter the right way — starting from the right place and going in the right direction?”
Curriculum Standards2 alignments
Eng_Y1_WH_01The national curriculum in EnglandSit correctly
Sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly.
English · Key stage 1
Eng_Y1_WH_02The national curriculum in EnglandForm lower-case letters
Begin to form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place.
English · Key stage 1
Prerequisites0
No prerequisites — this is a foundational topic.
Unlocks6
- Joining LettershardAges 6—10
- Segmenting words into soundssoftAges 4—7
- Letter Formation FamilieshardAges 5—6
- Forming Capital LettershardAges 5—6
- Simple Stories with Beginning and EndingsoftAges 5—7
- Writing digits 0-9softAges 5—6