Frequently asked questions

Below are frequently asked questions about Penpals. If you have a question that we haven't answered, please email it to kmagill@cambridge.org.

1. How will I make time for this? When can I do it?
2. Why handwriting? Why do I need to focus on that when there are so many other important things to do?
3. What about the new SATs?
4. What about joining? When do you start joining?
5. I’ve heard that some schools teach joining from the very beginning and get better results. Why don’t you do that?
6. Are there links with other parts of the curriculum?
7. How is the work differentiated?
8. What about assessment and record keeping?
9. We use Searchlights for Spelling – are there any links?
10. We use Nelson – what are the similarities and differences between that and Penpals?
11. What do you mean by Sassoon font?
12. What would I need for an adoption?
13. How would you advise me to adopt Penpals?
14. Question for Junior schools
15. I have an Apple Macintosh. Can I use Penpals for Handwriting CD-ROMs?
16. Can the CD-ROMs be used without an interactive whiteboard?
17. Are the CD-ROMs designed for use with a particular type of interactive whiteboard?
18. Do I need to have the CD-ROM in the computer after I have installed the software?
19. Does the software have to be installed in order to use it?
20. Do I need a site license?
21. Do I need a network license?
22. I can't open the teacher's notes, handwriting patterns and homework sheets
23. Can I store the words the children have written on the whiteboard?
24. Does the software run on an RM CC3 network?
25. Are the Penpals for Handwriting CD-ROMs Windows Vista compatible?

1. How will I make time for this? When can I do it?

The recommendation is that handwriting happens outside of the Literacy Hour but Penpals has provided a Literacy Hour type model for your convenience. You may decide that it’s worth allocating one Literacy Hour per week to handwriting. We have written it with a 15min whole class session in mind followed by a 15–20 minute independent activity session.

Furthermore, we’ve tied it in as closely as possible with phonic and spelling work so that you’re making best use of your time and reinforcing other relevant work from that term.

2. Why handwriting? Why do I need to focus on that when there are so many other important things to do?

Handwriting is an area that can improve the presentation of the work in your school and improve overall writing standards including SATs results. Furthermore, it has been shown to be hugely beneficial for self-esteem. The great thing about handwriting is that it isn’t related to academic performance – even strugglers can succeed!

Even if you are teaching handwriting it could well be that the next teacher is teaching an entirely different handwriting style. OFSTED frequently identify the lack of a whole school handwriting policy as a weakness even in otherwise successful schools.

3. What about the new SATs?

It’s fine – there will be a maximum of 3 marks (out of 40) for handwriting across both the long and the short pieces of writing. The marks are awarded on the basis of a few lines of writing chosen to represent the child’s best performance. Penpals is about teaching handwriting and then sustaining that teaching in real contexts – and that’s what the SATs assessment is doing.

4. What about joining? When do you start joining?

Penpals sets out to establish a solid foundation of gross and fine motor skills, pattern making and correct letter formation before it approaches joining. However, in line with the recommendations in DEW (Developing Early Writing) we introduce some basic joins that fit with the phonic teaching in Year 1. It makes sense to join ch for example – it’s taught as two letters one sound (a digraph) so it makes sense to write it as one unit. We also think it makes sense to introduce the joins in Year 1 but not necessarily expect children to remember them all (they won’t anyway!). So, we treat each lesson as a new focus so that (a bit like good letter formation) we can expect good joining on the target join. In Year 2 we expect children to start using the joins they have learned all the time – transferring them to new situations and words.

5. I’ve heard that some schools teach joining from the very beginning and get better results. Why don’t you do that?

Yes, some schools do opt for joining from the very beginning along with writing each letter with an entry stroke and joining all letters. Our research and consultants suggested that this is not what the majority of teachers want for the following reasons –

• Entry strokes distort letters – yes it’s easy to know that each letter begins in the same place but that alone doesn’t ensure that the formation of the actual letter is any easier – in fact some letters are more difficult. Take b and d – knowing that they start in different places can help to distinguish them. If you are starting both at the same place it doesn’t actually help, it just adds on an artificial bit to both!
  
  
• Entry strokes produce letter forms that we don’t normally see in the real world and we need to be teaching children a real and not contrived form.
  
  
• Some teachers tell us that because the basic letter formation is not secure this causes problems with joining and speed writing later on.
  
  
• The rationale of Penpals is that children need much more physical practice (gross and fine motor skills) before they start formal handwriting. Many children find it difficult to sustain the flow of writing one letter or one digraph and will find it even harder to sustain the movement across whole words. It’s fine to take a break and most children need it. Our final style breaks at g, j, y and f as well as x and z. We think that this represents a sound rationale and is in tune with Nelson.

6. Are there links with other parts of the curriculum?

Yes, we have cross-referenced to both PIPs (Progression in Phonics) and Spelling Bank. This link is evident from the contents pages, the Big Book and Practice Book pages and is explicitly cross-referenced on the Teacher's Book pages.

We have also tried wherever possible to tie in our exemplars with the text type range and this is particularly the case in the Y5/6 project work.

7. How is the work differentiated?

Basically, if children aren’t ready for the age appropriate work then they should be working from an earlier book or at the very least, the homework should be from an earlier book. Differentiation in handwriting is rather different from in other subjects since it isn’t necessarily related to ability – a child who is struggling in literacy and numeracy may actually be able to shine in handwriting.

The consistent elements of the Practice Book page make it easy for teachers to select the parts that are most appropriate for certain children.

8. What about assessment and record keeping?

The penultimate unit of each Big Book and Practice Book deals with assessment – with a heavy focus on take over self-assessment.

Each Teacher's Boook offers a ‘beginning of year assessment’ which can be used to ensure that children are ready to begin the new years work. It acts as a baseline assessment. Additionally the Teacher's Book highlights ‘common errors’ in the early years so that teachers and TAs are alerted to the possible and most typical errors.

The best record of work will be in the pupil’s handwriting book itself.

9. We use Searchlights for Spelling – are there any links?

Yes, Searchlights also follows Progression in Phonics and Spelling Bank so naturally Penpals will link in content in many instances. Also, we use the Sassoon font in Searchlights to indicate where children should copy out words. The font used throughout Penpals is Cambridge Sassoon (a customised version of Sassoon) so the children will recognise the similarities. The differences are very few and very refined.

10. We use Nelson – what are the similarities and differences between that and Penpals?

See pdf document.

11. What do you mean by Sassoon font?

Rosemary Sassoon is a leading handwriting expert who has spent her life researching handwriting styles and how and what to teach. She has published extensively on the subject. As a result of her research she developed a font which has become the most widely used font in classrooms and in electronic software. Many teachers will recognise it.

12. What would I need for an adoption?

We advise 1 Teacher's Book and Big Book/OHT Set per teacher and 15 copies of the pupil books. For Foundation 2 we suggest 3 packs of write-in practice books if you are expecting around 30 children to start school (they’ll mainly need one each but some children may not be ready for formal work immediately). The pupil books are not just ‘nice to have’ but a crucial part of the practice if the effectiveness of the whole class teaching is to be fully exploited. They provide an excellent model for copying for all, whilst copying from a board does not.

13. How would you advise me to adopt Penpals? For example, do I need to start at Foundation, or could I start in Y2 which is where I think they need most help?

There is no doubt that if the school is to adopt Penpals it will need to be taken on board as a whole school policy. It’s really unfair on the children to expect them to change from year to year depending on each class teacher’s preferences. As with any good primary practice the correct foundation work pays dividends later on, so if there is any room for compromise then it should be at the higher levels……

14. I have some pretty poor writers in Y3, could I slot in Y2 level materials as well?

Yes, Penpals takes a developmental approach to the teaching of handwriting so there is an opportunity to start where the children are. However, be aware that the integrated phonic and spelling work will be at the lower level too – probably no bad thing for many children who can never have enough consolidation!

15. I have an Apple Macintosh. Can I use Penpals for Handwriting CD-ROMs?

No - unfortunately we are unable to support Penpals for Handwriting CD-ROMs on Apple Macintosh computers.

16. Can the CD-ROMs be used without an interactive whiteboard?

The CD-ROMs have been designed to be used with an interactive whiteboard, but they can be used effectively with a computer and a data projector or one of the new Microsoft-style XP Tablets.

17. Are the CD-ROMs designed for use with a particular type of interactive whiteboard?

No, the Penpals for Handwriting CD-ROMs will work on any interactive whiteboard, although they have enhanced features when used with the Cambridge Board from Hitachi.

18. Do I need to have the CD-ROM in the computer after I have installed the software?

No - once you have installed the software, you can run the programme without the CD-ROM being present.

19. Does the software have to be installed in order to use it?

Yes.

20. Do I need a site license?

No. The cost of a site license is included in the price.

21. Do I need a network license?

No. The cost of a network license is included in the price.

22. I can't open the teacher's notes, handwriting patterns and homework sheets

The teacher's notes, handwriting patterns and homework sheets are PDF files, so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print them. Acrobat Reader is free to download from the Adobe website.

23. Can I store the words the children have written on the whiteboard?

No. There is no capability within the Penpals CD-ROMs to store words you or the children have written. However, your whiteboard will have a function to allow you to do this should you wish to.

24. Does the software run on an RM CC3 network?

MSIs for easy deployment on your RM CC3 network (or Windows server 2000/2003 network) are now available. If you are an existing customer and you wish to obtain an MSI, please email a request to techsupport@cambridge-hitachi.com with your personal/institutional information, postal address and invoice number. Please specify the Penpals Year CD-ROMs for which you wish to receive an MSI.

Download instructions on how to install MSIs on an RM network. (PDF)

For further information, please contact technical support at techsupport@cambridge-hitachi.com

25. Are the Penpals for Handwriting CD-ROMs Windows Vista compatible?

All components of Penpals for Handwriting are Windows Vista compatible.