Letter-join offers a wealth of handwriting resources including interactive features for IWBs, PCs and tablets as well as worksheets that use your pre-selected letterforms. Letter-join's downloadable fonts for MS Word are included in school subscriptions as well as a series of Lesson Planners for all year groups.
Summary list of all features >
A Letter-join school subscription includes:
Whole class teaching resources
Letter-join is ideally suited for displaying on IWBs for whole class teaching. The web site is easy to use with all resources easily accessible: animations, IWB tracing activities and access to all of the worksheets.
Interactive animations
Letter-join includes animations of all the letters of the alphabet with a spoken commentary on how to write each letter. Patterns, letters and words can all be watched and traced on-screen. Magic Patterns allows children to trace pre-cursive patterns and fun shapes on a variety of ‘magic’ backgrounds and with Magic Words they can trace over their own words on different backgrounds on IWBs or tablets. Word Animator lets you input your own words, replay the video and trace over the words for IWB practice.
Handwriting Lesson Planners: Modules 1 to 7
To suit your school’s handwriting policy, Letter-join’s Lesson Planners offer two routes into teaching handwriting. Teachers can choose to start teaching handwriting with either printed or cursive letters in Early Years and Key Stage 1.
There are 7 modules in each section (print or cursive) which cover Early Years through to Year 6.
The Lesson Planners can be downloaded by subscribing schools by logging into a classroom account and choosing the 'Info' button.
Module 1 - EYFS
Module 1 Print for teaching handwriting using the printed method. Resources supporting the printed font include all animations, lowercase letters and words, phonics, games and activities and KS1 worksheets.
Module 1 Cursive covers pre-cursive patterns and continuous cursive, lower case letters with or without lead-in lines. At the end of this module children should be able to form and join all lowercase letters.
Module 2 - Year 1
Module 2 Print to Cursive for teaching how to correctly write capital letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols, and uses of printed letters. Pre-cursive patterns and cursive letters are then introduced in preparation for Module 3 when children are required to start joining their handwriting.
Module 2 Cursive for teaching how to write capital letters, printed letters, numbers and symbols alongside cursive handwriting using Letter-join’s on-line and printed resources.
Children will practise their fine and gross motor skills, learn how to sit correctly for handwriting using the tripod grip and will be introduced to the different letter families.
See Module 2 sample pages >Children will practise their fine and gross motor skills, learn how to sit correctly for handwriting using the tripod grip and will be introduced to the different letter families.
Module 3 - Year 2
Module 3 Starting Cursive introduces children to cursive letters and how to join them. They will have regular practice in letter formation and joining their handwriting.
Module 3 Cursive 90 lessons to improve letter formation and orientation of letters through regular practice.
Worksheets include high frequency words, joining practice, dictation exercises and SPaG practice in readiness for KS1 SATs.
See Module 3 sample pages >
Module 4 - Year 3
Module 4 contains 60 lessons to improve legibility, consistency and quality of handwriting.
It is targeted at Year 3 children in lower KS2 where pupils should be using joined handwriting throughout their independent writing.
It is designed to improve quality of handwriting through resources which link handwriting to other topics.
Module 5 - Year 4
Module 5 focuses on using handwriting practice to support other subjects in the curriculum and, at the same time, builds on fluency and consistency.
Learners will continue to build on producing legible handwriting through the regular practice offered in this module’s lessons.
Module 6 - Year 5
Module 6 continues to build on combining fluent handwriting with other subjects across the curriculum.
By the end of this module, children should be producing cursive writing automatically, enabling them to focus on the content of their work rather than the process of writing.
Module 7 - Year 6
The aim of Module 7 is to ensure that handwriting is neatly presented and clear in readiness for KS2 SATs and is the expected standard of handwriting for Year 6.
Learners will consolidate the stamina and skills required to write at length, with accurate spelling and punctuation. They will develop more of a personal handwriting style as they write with automaticity and will learn to write at different speeds with different attention to neatness, depending on the task.
KS2 Handwriting Recovery Programme
Designed for pupils in upper Key Stage 2 and above who require extra handwriting support.
Handwriting Assessment Tracker
Letter-join’s Handwriting Assessment Tracker Pack has been designed in line with National Curriculum targets for handwriting. It provides a complete scheme for assessing pupils’ progression in handwriting skills from Early Years to Year 6.
Pupil Login
Included with every School Subscription is a login for pupils to use Letter-join at school and at home on their PCs and tablets. Pupils all use the same login details and then choose their class name from a list to access the same fonts that their class teacher has chosen to use at school.
Children can use all of Letter-join’s animations and worksheets to watch and practise how letters are formed and joined together. They can also use all the online games and activities which are fun way to reinforce handwriting and spelling.
Using Letter-join at home is particularly good for new joiners where parents may be unfamiliar with how letters are correctly formed when learning cursive handwriting.
Letter-join's font options
Letter-join offers a printed font and a range of cursive fonts with alternative letterforms for f, k, w, x and z.
Class fontsEach classroom account can choose one of the Letter-join fonts to use for online resources. The Letter-join Print Plus font is in line with the DfE's Phonics Guidance and can be used for Early Years and Year 1. Schools can then choose from a joined or unjoined font, with or without a lead-in line.
Pupil LoginAll online resources, games and activities will be displayed in the chosen class font and when children log in with the Pupil Login, the same font will be used when they select their class name.
Fonts for MS WordThe Letter-join fonts can be downloaded by subscribing schools to create documents in MS Word which is one of the only programmes that can fully utilise joined fonts by using a function called Contextual Alternates.
Fonts for other programmesSystems and programmes that do not have the Contextual Alternates function - such as PowerPoint, Publisher, Google Docs, Smart Notebook (v 15+) and Chromebooks - can use the Letter-join Basic font which replicates Letter-join Plus (fully cursive with lead-in line) as closely as possible.
Download the Font Guide >
Documents can be created using any Letter-join font with Letter-join's Online Word Processor which can be found in the Resources section. How to use the Online Word Processor >
Choice of letterforms
Letter-join offers a choice of alternative letterforms for the cursive letters f, k, w, x and z and the Print Plus letters f and k. Your choices will be used across all of the resources. These include animations of letters and words with associated worksheets, Phonics, Word Animator, Fun activities, Worksheet Generator and the downloadable Letter-join fonts.
The choice of letterforms will be used across all classroom and pupil accounts within a school.
Thousands of printable worksheets
Letter-join contains a huge variety of worksheets and printouts in PDF format to support real handwriting practice. These are printed using your chosen class font and will use your school’s preferred letterforms for f, k, w, x and z.
Find out more >
Worksheets are located in the Resources > Printouts section, through the links in each module of the Lesson Planners or by using the search facility.
Find out more >
Worksheets are located in the Resources > Printouts section, through the links in each module of the Lesson Planners or by using the search facility.
Make your own word animations
The Word Animator is a great new resource allowing teachers to create word animations using Letter-join’s fonts. Custom words can be traced, saved to a classroom word bank, replayed and practised by pupils on IWBs. Word bank words can automatically be made into spelling lists and online word searches.
Handwriting manual
To help get schools started we send all classroom teachers in the UK (overseas schools on request) our 44-page guide to using Letter-join. It has all the information you need on managing your classroom accounts and ideas and suggestions for each of the Key Stages as well as a full list of Letter-join's resources.
Read more about the handwriting manual >
Letter-join Phonics
A new, easy and seamless way to combine phonics with handwriting
Find out more about Letter-join's phonics resources here >
Letter-join phonics resources encompass Phases 1 to 5
Simply choose one of the phases and select a phoneme or grapheme for children to hear and practise the sound. Watch the animation of the phoneme or grapheme and then trace the letters on screen using your chosen Letter-join font and pre-selected letterforms. The phoneme or grapheme is also displayed within a word, which is illustrated and sounded out.
Phonics with your chosen font
Letter-join’s Phonics resource is designed to support your school’s phonics programme, preparing children for learning to read by strengthening their phonic knowledge and skills. Letter-join Phonics will allow you to teach Phases 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 using your chosen Letter-join font. This will build a joined-up approach to teaching handwriting in Early Years and KS1.
Phonics sentences and stories
These worksheets are a great additional resource to support phonics phases 2 to 5 and perfect for combining the teaching of handwriting with phonics.
The phonemes and graphemes related to each phase are highlighted, enabling children to practise reading and writing the sounds within the words of a sentence or short story.
Play SoundMatch
This engaging matching pairs game for Early Years is designed to support Letter-join’s Phase 1 Phonics. Children can have plenty of fun whilst developing their awareness of the sounds of familiar objects and exploring a variety of sounds in their environment.
Play the PhonicsMatch
Letter-join phonics includes a fun matching pairs game where children can test their memory against the clock! There are 4 levels in Letter-join’s PhonicsMatch covering the phonemes and graphemes in phases 2-5.
Play Phozzle
A phonics handwriting puzzle that supports the teaching of phonics with handwriting. Strengthen your pupils’ phonics knowledge, handwriting and reading skills with this great new activity.
Fun section
Letter-join’s fun section is an expanding range of interactive games and activities for promoting neat handwriting.
Magic Words
Children can use Magic Words to type and trace over words on IWBs or tablets using a finger or stylus for fun practice. Neat letter formation is recognised with a star scoring system.
Children can use Magic Words to type and trace over words on IWBs or tablets using a finger or stylus for fun practice. Neat letter formation is recognised with a star scoring system.
Magic Patterns
Children will love tracing pre-cursive patterns and fun shapes on a variety of ‘magic’ backgrounds. These are great for practising fine motor skills as a foundation for cursive handwriting.
Children will love tracing pre-cursive patterns and fun shapes on a variety of ‘magic’ backgrounds. These are great for practising fine motor skills as a foundation for cursive handwriting.
PhonicsMatch
Pupils can test their memory powers against the clock with PhonicsMatch, a fun matching pairs game to support the teaching of phonics with handwriting. Select from four levels covering phonics phases 2-5.
Pupils can test their memory powers against the clock with PhonicsMatch, a fun matching pairs game to support the teaching of phonics with handwriting. Select from four levels covering phonics phases 2-5.
Word Searches
Have fun whilst improving spelling with our useful bank of Word Searches designed for iPads and tablets. These can easily be printed for handwriting practice.
Have fun whilst improving spelling with our useful bank of Word Searches designed for iPads and tablets. These can easily be printed for handwriting practice.
Write it Right!
Neat handwriting is rewarded with a picture gallery of children’s handwritten words for them to share with Write it Right! Children can trace words that match pictures with fun sounds and animations encouraging them to play and practise letter shapes.
Neat handwriting is rewarded with a picture gallery of children’s handwritten words for them to share with Write it Right! Children can trace words that match pictures with fun sounds and animations encouraging them to play and practise letter shapes.
LetterMatch
A fun, home learning activity to teach children the names and sounds of the letters of the alphabet. Ideal for children to use at home on iPads and PCs for independent learning.
Listen to the sounds of lowercase letters and names of capitals by clicking on each letter. When the sounds have been learned, play a matching pairs game to reinforce the learning task.
As with all Letter-join activities, a school’s preferred letterforms for f, k, w, x and z will be used, and the font will be as chosen by class teachers.
LetterLotto
LetterLotto is ideal for children to use at home on iPads and tablets for independent learning. Children can practise letter recognition and orientation of letters and hear the sound of the letters whilst having fun matching them with the letters on their Lotto card. The letters are then displayed on a moving screen with a cheer of encouragement!
LetterLotto is ideal for children to use at home on iPads and tablets for independent learning. Children can practise letter recognition and orientation of letters and hear the sound of the letters whilst having fun matching them with the letters on their Lotto card. The letters are then displayed on a moving screen with a cheer of encouragement!
Letter Families activity
Letter Families is a fun activity for improving pupils’ letter formation and for learning which letters belong to each letter family. This activity is perfect for children to use on tablets or it can be modelled by teachers on the IWB.
Children can watch the animations and hear the verbal pathways for the letters in each letter family before tracing them. When completed, the letters they have written are displayed on a moving screen with a cheer of encouragement!
Letter Families is a fun activity for improving pupils’ letter formation and for learning which letters belong to each letter family. This activity is perfect for children to use on tablets or it can be modelled by teachers on the IWB.
Children can watch the animations and hear the verbal pathways for the letters in each letter family before tracing them. When completed, the letters they have written are displayed on a moving screen with a cheer of encouragement!
Write in Time!
The DfE's National Curriculum states that in Key Stage 2, pupils should be taught to write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed.
Letter-join’s handwriting challenge game, Write in Time! provides children with the opportunity to practise fast and fluent handwriting which is neat and legible.
The DfE's National Curriculum states that in Key Stage 2, pupils should be taught to write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed.
Letter-join’s handwriting challenge game, Write in Time! provides children with the opportunity to practise fast and fluent handwriting which is neat and legible.
Remember Write
Develop your pupils’ memory skills while they practice their handwriting and spelling with Remember Write.
Children can choose from five different levels which show pictures and names of colourful objects. The words on the cards range from Key Stage 1 Phonics to Key Stage 2 statutory spellings.
Develop your pupils’ memory skills while they practice their handwriting and spelling with Remember Write.
Children can choose from five different levels which show pictures and names of colourful objects. The words on the cards range from Key Stage 1 Phonics to Key Stage 2 statutory spellings.
When I Grow Up
When I Grow Up is an engaging new handwriting activity from Letter-join for Early Years and Key Stage 1.
Children will have great fun making their own colourful posters for display in the classroom or to take home to show family and friends.
When I Grow Up is an engaging new handwriting activity from Letter-join for Early Years and Key Stage 1.
Children will have great fun making their own colourful posters for display in the classroom or to take home to show family and friends.
Dictation Exercises
A series of fun dictation exercises for Key Stages 1 and 2 covering common exception, high frequency and statutory words. The exercises start with simple CVC words and progress through to longer passages of text to help build stamina and automaticity in handwriting.
See Dictation video >
Editable Handwriting Policy
Letter-join includes a curriculum-based handwriting policy. It is supplied in MS Word format to school subscribers and can be easily edited to quickly produce a personalised handwriting policy for your school.
See sample page >
