Tips by Sheridan Sharp

I am covering this with 2 year 5 boys at the moment. I focus on the correct letter formation with lots of hand writing practice on paper and in the sand/salt tray. We do it eyes open and then have games on how well they can write it with eyes closed. 

Every time the child writes the letter they have to say the letter name and sound. The mnemonic we have been using is the word "puppy". We talk about the shape of the letter resembling the puppy's head, i.e. the descender being the floppy ears and the "face" , being ......the round bit!! ( sorry my memorydeserts me at this time of day) "puppy" always looks towards the next letter because as we know puppies love to meet new friends. Puppies also like you to "stroke"(write) their ears first ( - they droop below the face/ line) then around their face.

Other activities include the "Strike" card game by Crossbow; find the odd one out; match the pairs; Circle 'p' in words ( I noticed the one boy chose to circle the letter using the 'p' shape yesterday which I hadn't thought of before); adding 'p' to complete words; Listening for 'p' in words and writing it in the correct box etc. Colouring a hollow 'p' by writing the shape inside with lots of different colours so it resembles a rainbow - this way they write 'p' loads of times. Making 'p' out of plasticine - pink or purple if you can get it.

The confusion with bdp nu etc suggests weakness in visual skills - discrimination - memory so I tend not use the computer for letter confusion. I have found the multisensory - "hands on" approach more effective. I do think the computer programmes are good revision/ reinforcement activities.