National Handwriting Association
Charity promoting good practice in handwriting
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 […]
