National Handwriting Association
Charity promoting good practice in handwriting
Michelle Stone, specialist teacher and co-vice chair of the NHA, will take you through how to teach handwriting. We will explore the most effective way to teach handwriting adhering to the National Curriculum and EYFS. Delegates will receive a copy of the NHA S Factors PDF and any materials relevant to the session. £15 for members, […]
Sue Smits of Morrells Handwriting and Michelle Stone, specialist teacher and co-vice-chair of the NHA will present a twilight based on the return to school. They will cover what educators need to be aware of at the start of a new academic year and also update attendees on national changes for the Writing Framework, handwriting […]
Join Caroline McHugh, occupational therapist and vice-chair of the National Handwriting Association, for a practical session designed to empower educators, parents and caregivers with the tools, techniques and confidence to create nurturing spaces and environments that support children’s handwriting development. This remote session will explore how to build an enabling environment that is stimulating, inclusive, and tailored […]
We are delighted to offer this hugely popular online webinar course via Zoom again.Price for each day is £80 for members, £90 for non-membersAttendees must purchase individual day ticketsMembers: please log in to have your discount automatically appliedThe provisional schedule for each day is as follows:Day 1 – The Foundations of Effective Practice for the Whole SchoolWednesday 4 […]
Join us for an overview of handwriting difficulties in children at our upcoming twilight event via Zoom on Monday 12th May 2025. It will be delivered by Dr Mellissa Prunty, NHA Chair.£15 for members, £20 for non-members.MEMBERS: PLEASE LOG IN TO HAVE YOUR DISCOUNT APPLIED AUTOMATICALLY
Stationers' Hall, Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7DD All Welcome! This event is free of charge, and lunch is provided. Please book your free ticket below.9am-9.30amRegistration & tea/coffee9.30am Welcome addressNHA Chair, Dr Mellissa Prunty9.45am-10.30amKeynote Address 1Exam provision for students with literacy difficulties: Challenges and opportunitiesDr Emma Sumner, Edge Hill University10.30amAn evidence statement on handwriting complied by the Mind […]
Our first Twilight webinar of the new year will be presented by Sue Smith of Morrells Handwriting and the NHA's deputy chair, Michelle Stone. About the topic:What does the word cursive mean, and why did the government phase out the pre-cursive and continuous cursive script with an entry/lead-in stroke? This informative session will examine the […]
Presented by Specialist Teacher and former NHA Chair (2021–22), Amanda McLeod, this webinar will provide you with the knowledge needed to help the left-hander in class or at home. The webinar will be practical so get ready to participate with pen, paper, samples of writing and questions! It is open to all, including teachers, parents, and occupational therapists.Although predominantly focused […]
Join us for an overview of the teaching steps for successful handwriting at our upcoming twilight event via Zoom on Monday 25th November 2024. It will be delivered by Michelle Stone, NHA Advisory Teacher and co-vice-chair.£20 non-members, £15 membersMembers: Please log in to obtain your member discount.
This is Day 3 of the NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists9:30-9:45 Introduction9:45-10:45 What Can Go Wrong and Ways of Helping10:45-11:00 Break11:00-12:00 Supporting Children with DCD 12:00-1:00 Lunch1:00-2:00 Supporting Autistic Children to Develop Handwriting Skills2:00-2:15 Break2:15-3:15 Executive Functioning OR Handwriting Readiness3:15-3:30 Discussion and Close£80 for members, £90 for non-membersMembers please log in to have your discount applied automatically
This is Day 2 of the NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists9:30-9:45 Introduction 9:45-10:45 Targeted Assessment: Speed and Legibility in KS2 10:45-11:00 Break11:00-11:30 Strategies for Developing Skills in EYFS/KS111:30-12:00 Left Handers12:00-1:00 Lunch1:00-1:30 Targeted Intervention and Ways of Helping 1:30-2:00 Keyboarding as an Accommodation2:00-2:15 Break2:15-3:15 Teaching Typing – a practical session 3:15-3:30 Discussion and Close £80 for members, £90 for non-membersMembers please log in to have your discount applied automatically
This is Day 1 of the NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists9:30-9:45 Introduction9:45-10:45 Essential Understandings in Handwriting10:45-11:00 Break11:00-12:00 Curriculum Requirements, Assessment and Policy12:00-1:00 Lunch1:00-2:00 Warm Ups, P Checks and S Factors 2:00-2:15 Break2:15-3:15 Practical Implementation of S Factors (How To Teach Handwriting)3:15-3:30 Discussion and Close £80 for members, £90 for non-membersMembers please log in to have your discount applied automatically
We are delighted to offer this hugely popular online webinar course via Zoom again. Price for each day is £80 for members, £90 for non-membersAttendees must purchase individual day ticketsThe provisional schedule for each day is as follows:Day 1 – The Foundations of Effective Practice for the Whole School9:30-9:45 Introduction9:45-10:45 Essential Understandings in Handwriting10:45-11:00 Break11:00-12:00 Curriculum Requirements, Assessment and Policy12:00-1:00 Lunch1:00-2:00 Warm Ups, P […]
You are invited to our AGM to be held on Zoom, with the following presentations:Doing the ‘write thing’: handwriting and typing support in secondary schools in England – Emma SumnerNeural correlates of linguistic and motor processes in handwriting – Olivia Afonso. It is free to members and £10 for non-members. When you sign up you […]
Join the NHA's vice-chairs Caroline McHugh and Michelle Stone at our upcoming twilight event via Zoom on 9 September 2024 as we delve into the latest insights on handwriting. We will explore key findings from this year's publications, including 'Telling the Story: English Report 2024' and 'Children and Young People’s Writing in 2024' by the Literacy Trust. […]
This is Day 3 of the NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists9:30-9:45 Introduction9:45-10:45 What Can Go Wrong and Ways of Helping10:45-11:00 Break11:00-12:00 Supporting Children with DCD12:00-1:00 Lunch1:00-2:00 Supporting Autistic Children to Develop Handwriting Skills2:00-2:15 Break2:15-3:15 Executive Functioning OR Handwriting Readiness3:15-3:30 Discussion and Close£80 for members, £90 for non-membersMembers please log in to have your discount applied automatically
This is Day 2 of the NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists9:30-9:45 Introduction 9:45-10:45 Targeted Assessment: Speed and Legibility in KS2 10:45-11:00 Break11:00-11:30 Strategies for Developing Skills in EYFS/KS111:30-12:00 Left Handers12:00-1:00 Lunch1:00-1:30 Targeted Intervention and Ways of Helping 1:30-2:00 Keyboarding as an Accommodation2:00-2:15 Break2:15-3:15 Teaching Typing – a practical session 3:15-3:30 Discussion and Close£80 for members, £90 for non-membersMembers please log in to have your discount applied automatically
This is Day 1 of the NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists9:30-9:45 Introduction9:45-10:45 Essential Understandings in Handwriting10:45-11:00 Break11:00-12:00 Curriculum Requirements, Assessment and Policy12:00-1:00 Lunch1:00-2:00 Warm Ups, P Checks and S Factors 2:00-2:15 Break2:15-3:15 Practical Implementation of S Factors (How To Teach Handwriting)3:15-3:30 Discussion and Close £80 for members, £90 for non-membersMembers please log in to have your discount applied automatically
We are delighted to offer this hugely popular online webinar course via Zoom again. Please note that these June dates replace the April dates previously advertised.Price for each day is £80 for members, £90 for non-membersAttendees must purchase individual day tickets - click the individual day links below to purchaseThe provisional schedule for each day is […]
Why do people think left-handers always have messy writing?Why do people think teaching left-handers is difficult?How is the left-hander’s body involved in handwriting, including pencil grip and posture? How can the writing implement and paper position affect writing fluency and efficiency? What alternative letter forms should be considered to help the left-hander establish greater legibility at speed?Presented by Specialist […]
Here you can book for Day 3 of our hugely popular NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists See also: Day 1: The Foundations of Effective Practice for the Whole School Day 2: Handwriting: Taking a Closer Look Day 3 Schedule 9.30–9.45 Introduction to Day 3 9.45–10.45 Session 1: What Can Go Wrong and Ways of Helping – […]
Here you can book for Day 2 of our hugely popular NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists See also: Day 1: The Foundations of Effective Practice for the Whole School Day 3: Working with Children with Handwriting Difficulties Day 2 Schedule 9.30–9.45 Introduction to Day 2 – Michelle Stone 9.45–10.45 Session 1: Whole School Policy – Michelle […]
Here you can book for Day 1 of our hugely popular NHA 3-Day Course for Educators, Therapists and Psychologists See also: Day 2: Handwriting: Taking a Closer Look Day 3: Working with Children with Handwriting Difficulties Day 1 Schedule 9.30–9.45 Introduction to the Course – Michelle Stone 9.45–10.45 Session 1: Essential Understandings in Handwriting – Michelle Stone […]
You are invited to our AGM with presentations by Michelle Stone and Caroline McHugh. It will be held on Zoom, and is free to members and £10 for non-members. When you sign up you will be sent a Zoom link. The sessions are as follows: 1.00pm S Factors presentation: Supporting handwriting in the Key Stage […]
The NHA's comprehensive 2-day training course is being offered at Brunel University. It's possible to book for the whole course or for each day separately. The outline for the 2 days is as follows: Day 1: The Foundations of Effective Practice for the Whole School 9.30–9.45 Introduction to the Course – Michelle Stone 9.45–10.45 Session 1: Essential […]
We’ll be looking at the science of how we learn to write, why the entry/lead-in stroke has been phased out including dispelling the myths surrounding cursive handwriting, and why there’s been a recommendation to delay the teaching of cursive/joined-up handwriting. With Sue Smits of Morrells Handwriting and the NHA's Michelle Stone. Cost is £15 for […]
We are pleased to offer the NHA's comprehensive 3-day online course, open to members and non-members. The timetable for each of the days is as follows. Day 1: The Foundations of Effective Practice for the Whole School Wednesday 30 November 2022 9.30–9.45 Introduction to the Course – Michelle Stone 9.45–10.45 Session 1: Essential Understandings in Handwriting – […]
"At first children should not be taught to join letters or to start every letter 'on the line' with a 'lead-in', because these practices cause unnecessary difficulty for beginners." DfE, October 2021 Presented by Sue Smits, Specialist Handwriting Consultant and Advisor, this webinar aims to expose the truth about the entry/lead-in stroke. It will address […]
We’re delighted to announce that this year’s NHA Members’ Day and AGM will be held on Friday 8 July. The event will once again take place via Zoom, providing easy access to everyone, no matter where they live. The timetable for the day is as follows: 10.00am Introduction by NHA Chair, Dr Mellissa Prunty 10.15am […]
Online Zoom webinar Why do people think left-handers always have messy writing? Why do people think teaching left-handers is difficult? How is the left-hander's body involved in handwriting, including pencil grip and posture? How can the writing implement and paper position affect writing fluency and efficiency? What alternative letter forms should be considered to help the left-hander establish greater […]
NHA is delighted to present our next Twilight in conjunction with Megan Baker House. Megan Baker House runs services for adults and children with neurological motor disorders using the method of Conductive Education (CE). CE is a holistic educational movement approach where the participant is actively involved in their learning and can transfer the skills […]
How is our whole body involved in handwriting, including pencil grip and posture? How can muscle control, such as stabilisation of the wrist, affect writing fluency and efficiency? Why is visual perception and visual-motor integration important for handwriting? Presented by Paediatric OT and former NHA Vice-Chair, Catherine Elsey, this webinar will provide a basic introduction to the functional […]
In today’s classrooms the emphasis on student achievement through written expression is at its highest. Current research on writing defines written expression as “the complex self-directed process that involves the higher order cognitive skills of idea generation, planning, organizing, translating, and revising ideas into a written product which communicates meaning.” At The Handwriting Collaborative we […]
How fast is fast enough? What are the benefits of touch typing? Which letters should you start to learn first? Is it best to learn on a standard keyboard, or is a smaller laptop keyboard OK? How far from the screen should you sit? What is the best chair height? And, is it a good […]
How fast is fast enough? What are the benefits of touch typing? Which letters should you start to learn first? Is it best to learn on a standard keyboard, or is a smaller laptop keyboard OK? How far from the screen should you sit? What is the best chair height? And, is it a good […]
Coming in April! Apologies, but due to a keynote presenter becoming unavailable, the NHA’s next 3-day course will now take place in Spring 2022. Specific dates and more information about this hugely popular course will follow soon. When bookings open, we will notify all NHA members by email. Broadly, the course will cover: […]
This year our Members' Day is via Zoom. We will have two presentations about research projects, followed by presentations from some of our corporate members, and finally our AGM. The Members' Day is open to all members and is free of charge. Members should log in and register for the event here. 11am: Researching handwriting […]
Difficulties in producing legible handwriting at sufficient speed can hamper progress and lead to underachievement in secondary school. When difficulties are significant, students may be granted accommodations in normal class work and written examinations, such as allowing typing and use of a word processor. However, little is known about policy and practice in schools regarding […]
This is an online course. The timetable for each of the 3 days is as follows: Day 1: The Foundations of Effective Practice for the Whole School 9.30–9.45 Introduction to the Course 9.45–10.45 Session 1: Essential Understandings in Handwriting 10.45–11.00 Coffee 11.00–12.00 Session 2: The Teaching Steps: The S Factors 12.00–1.00 Lunch 1.00–2.00 Session 3: Warm […]
Many children struggle with low self-esteem as a result of difficulties with handwriting. These children may dislike engaging in handwriting and be difficult to motivate when it comes to writing. This session will present research surrounding handwriting and self-esteem and ideas for motivating children from Key Stage 1 and 2 to engage in handwriting. The […]
This first twilight webinar event is for parents who are currently supporting children’s literacy at home during the Covid-19 lockdown. The session will include a 30-minute presentation on the basic principles of handwriting and typing followed by a 30-minute question and answer session with members of our committee. Hosted by specialist teachers Michelle Stone and […]
Our AGM and presentations for members will be held via Zoom. Presentations will take place from 11am to 1pm, followed by our AGM at 1pm. 11am Presentation: Helping Handwriting Shine (HHS): Experiences from a Randomised Controlled Trial of a School-Led Method of Intervention HHS is a task-oriented, metacognitive approach based on the latest available evidence, […]
PLEASE NOTE THAT NHA HAS POSTPONED THIS EVENT IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT ADVICE AROUND COVID-19. WE HOPE TO RESCHEDULE AS SOON AS THIS BECOMES POSSIBLE. IF YOU HAVE BOOKED ONTO THIS EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A REFUND, AND WE WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS AN ALTERNATIVE DATE HAS BEEN ARRANGED. A comprehensive […]
PLEASE NOTE THAT NHA HAS POSTPONED THIS EVENT IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT ADVICE AROUND COVID-19. WE HOPE TO RESCHEDULE AS SOON AS THIS BECOMES POSSIBLE. IF YOU HAVE BOOKED ONTO THIS EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A REFUND, AND WE WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS AN ALTERNATIVE DATE HAS BEEN ARRANGED. Our annual […]
A chance to explore evidence-based practice in the teaching of handwriting. This session is led by Pam Hulme, who chairs the Inset committee of the NHA and is passionate about the teaching of handwriting. Sessions will explore the rationale for the effective teaching of handwriting with reference to recent research, and appropriate progression of skills […]
NHA and Cambridge University Press are offering a free half-day training course for teachers in Leeds on 4 July. Places are limited, so please book early through Eventbrite.
NHA and Cambridge University Press are offering a free half-day training course for teachers in Brighton on 27 June. Places are limited, so please book early through Eventbrite.
The event is being held at Room W3.01 (3rd floor), 20 Bedford Way (the main UCL Institute of Education building). A campus map can be found here. LAST DATE FOR BOOKING: 5 JUNE 2019. No bookings can accepted after this date. Session 1: Supporting Handwriting in Schools Melanie Burrough and Dr Debbie Kramer-Roy will present […]
Angela Webb, psychologist and former chair of the NHA, joins Ewan Clayton, calligrapher, author and Professor in Design at the University of Sunderland, for a discussion of the past, present and future of handwriting. Accompanies the British Library exhibition Writing: Making Your Mark. Tickets available from the British Library.
Follow the remarkable evolution of writing from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and early printed text, to note-taking by key thinkers to digital tools. Written works from the British Library’s unparalleled collection illuminate the history of writing and lead into reflection on its future.
Day 1: The Foundations of Effective Practice for the Whole SchoolSession 1: Essential Understandings in HandwritingSession 2: The Teaching Steps: The S Factors Session 3: Wonderful Warm Ups & P Checks Session 4: Curriculum Requirements & Statutory Assessments (0 - 11years)Session 5: A Summary of […]
Join us at this exclusive CPD event, delivered by Pam Hulme of the National Handwriting Association. This half day workshop, suitable for headteachers and literacy coordinators, will provide you with the tools you need to teach handwriting successfully. More details and booking
