From School Ready to Writing Confidently: Building the Foundations for Learning

Founder of Learn with Aleks Education Group | Qualified Primary Teacher | Handwriting Specialist | Creator of
Scribble the Squirrel®

When we think about getting children ready for school, it is easy to focus on the things we can see.
Can they write their name?
Do they know their numbers?
Can they recognise some letters?

And once they start school, our attention often moves just as quickly to reading, spelling and handwriting. But as a primary teacher, I have learnt that some of the most important foundations for learning actually begin long before a child sits down with a pencil. They begin with movement. With confidence. With independence. With learning to listen, follow an instruction, coordinate the body and, perhaps most importantly, being willing to have a go. And those foundations don’t suddenly stop being important once a child walks through the school gates. They continue to support everything that comes next, including learning to write.

Before the classroom: becoming school ready

Being “school ready” doesn’t mean arriving in Reception already knowing how to read, write and count.
School readiness is much bigger than that. A child who can put on their own coat, listen to a simple instruction, wait for a turn, communicate what they need and confidently attempt something new is developing skills that will support them every single day in the classroom.

Physical development is an important part of this too.
Children need opportunities to climb, balance, push, pull, reach, manipulate objects and use their hands in different ways. These experiences help develop coordination, body awareness and the gross and fine motor control needed for everyday classroom tasks. Even seemingly simple things such as sitting comfortably at a table, opening a lunchbox, using scissors or controlling a pencil ask a lot from a young child. This is why I believe preparing children for school shouldn’t mean bringing formal learning earlier and earlier. It should mean giving children plenty of opportunities to move, play, explore, communicate and become increasingly independent.

Then comes the pencil…
Once children start school, the expectations change surprisingly quickly. Suddenly, we ask them to hold a pencil, remember how a letter is formed, control its size, place it correctly on a line, leave spaces between words, think about spelling and remember the sentence they wanted to write in the first place. That’s quite a lot for one little hand and brain to manage! This is also why handwriting difficulties aren’t always simply about handwriting. A child might know exactly what they want to say but find getting those ideas onto paper physically demanding. Another might rush because writing feels like hard work. Some children grip their pencils tightly, struggle with letter formation or sizing, or simply begin to believe that they are “not good at
writing”.

And that last part matters enormously. Because once a child loses confidence, getting them to practise more and more of the thing they find difficult isn’t always the answer. Sometimes we need to change how we practise.

Handwriting doesn’t have to mean pages of tracing
If you have come across Scribble the Squirrel®, you will probably already know that I don’t believe children need endless worksheets to become confident writers. Handwriting is a physical skill as well as an academic one. We can develop the foundations for writing through movement, games, large- scale mark making, fine motor activities and multisensory experiences before transferring those movements onto paper. And yes, we still practise our letters! We work on pencil control, formation, sizing, spacing and eventually fluency. But we do it in a way that allows children to understand the movements behind writing rather than simply copying a page of letters. Most importantly, I want children to leave feeling:
“I can do this.”

Because confidence changes the way a child approaches learning.

Two stages. Two programmes. One philosophy.
This September, I am delighted to be bringing two of my programmes to The Little Gym Chiswick. Both programmes have been created from my experience as a qualified
primary teacher and from years of working with children with different strengths, needs and learning styles. The Little Gym Chiswick provides a wonderful environment in which I can
bring together movement, play and learning while supporting children at two different stages of their educational journey.

School Readiness Programme | Ages 3–5
The School Readiness Programme is for our younger learners who are beginning to prepare for the transition into school. Rather than trying to recreate a classroom before children even get there, sessions focus on building the foundations that will help them feel more confident when they do. Through movement, games and playful learning, we work on:

• listening and following instructions
• independence
• confidence
• gross and fine motor development
• coordination
• attention and participation
• early pencil and mark-making skills

The aim isn’t to make children grow up faster. It is to help them walk into their next stage feeling capable, curious and ready to participate. There are 12 places available for the September term. Places are booked for the full term, so once all 12 have been taken, bookings will close for the remainder of the term. Find out more and book the School Readiness Programme:

SCHOOL READINESS BOOKING LINK Little Gym Member get 25 % off – use
code LHF344 at checkout
Scribble the Squirrel® Handwriting Adventure Club | Reception– Year 3

For children who have already begun their school journey, Scribble the Squirrel’s Handwriting Adventure Club takes those foundations and develops them further. This isn’t a sit-down-and-copy handwriting class. Children move. We play. We create. We practise. And yes, Scribble the Squirrel comes along for the adventure too.
Through fun, structured and multisensory activities, children work on:

• pencil control
• letter formation
• letter sizing and positioning
• spacing
• writing fluency
• fine motor skills
• confidence and enjoyment of writing

The goal isn’t “perfect” handwriting. It is handwriting that becomes increasingly comfortable, legible and automatic, so that children can concentrate less on controlling the pencil
and more on what they actually want to say. There are 10 places available for the September term. Once all 10 places have been taken, the club will be closed to new bookings for the remainder of the term.

Find out more and book Scribble the Squirrel’s Handwriting Adventure Club:
HANDWRITING CLUB BOOKING LINK Little Gym Member get 25 % off – use code LHF344 at checkout

Which programme is right for my child?
If your child is aged 3–5 and preparing for the routines, expectations and independence of school, the School Readiness Programme is designed for that stage of their journey. If your child is in Reception to Year 3 and would benefit from developing their pencil control, letter formation, handwriting skills or confidence with writing, Scribble the Squirrel’s Handwriting Adventure Club may be the better fit. They are two different programmes because children need different things at different stages. But the philosophy behind them is the same. Movement before pressure. Confidence before perfection. And learning that still feels like childhood. Because whether a child is preparing to walk into their first classroom or beginning to fill pages with their own ideas, we want them to approach that next challenge believing:
“I can have a go.”

About Aleks

Aleks is a qualified primary teacher, tutor and founder of Scribble the Squirrel®, an educational handwriting programme designed to help children develop their handwriting skills through movement, play and multisensory learning. With more than a decade of experience working with primary-aged children, Aleks has taught children with a wide range of learning styles and needs and believes strongly that confidence, movement and enjoyment should remain at the heart of learning.
This September, Aleks will lead both the School Readiness Programme and Scribble the Squirrel’s Handwriting Adventure Club at The Little Gym Chiswick.

Places are intentionally limited to keep the groups supportive and engaging.
School Readiness Programme | 12 places
SCHOOL READINESS BOOKING LINK Little Gym Member get 25 % off – use code LHF344 at checkout
Handwriting Adventure Club | 10 places
HANDWRITING CLUB BOOKING LINK Little Gym Member get 25 % off – use code LHF344 at checkout

Learn more about Aleks and Scribble the Squirrel®:
www.learnwithaleks.com
Follow Scribble the Squirrel® on Instagram:
@scribblethesquirrelhq