Letter spacing - tips and advice
- If a child is writing with no spaces between their words, ask them to self-correct their work
using a red pencil slash to indicate where the spaces should be - Give the child a target number of words to fit on the line: LESS than they are currently doing
(If the problem is that spaces between words are too big, give the child a target of MORE
words to fit on a line) - Remind them to put a space between each word by doing practice exercises. Ask each child
to draw a smiley face/use a small rubber stamp etc. after each word to exaggerate the
concept of space. Compare the before and after pieces of writing so that the child can see
how much more readable their work is when correctly spaced out - Use maths paper and remind them to leave a ‘cube/box’ between words
- You could also try using a lollipop stick as a spacer and encourage them to decorate the stick
before it is used to make the activity more motivating - Placing the little finger of the non-writing hand on the page can act as a good indicator of
space. This is a habit that could be encouraged whilst this skill is being consolidated in your
sessions - The action of stopping between words to carry out an activity if repeated regularly will lay
down a memory to ‘break’ between words