Flying with Formation: Pre-Writing Slides and Pattern Tracks
Before we expect children to form letters, let's give them plenty of opportunities to explore the movements behind them!
Up, down, side to side, zig zag, round and round!
We know how important those early mark-making movements are, but does practising them always need to mean sitting at a table with a pencil and a yellow highlighted letters?!
Absolutely NOT, darling!
I've created Flying with Formation to help bring those pre-writing movements to life through modelling, movement, play and hands-on experiences in provision.
What's included?
1. Pre-Writing Movement Slides
A series of visual slides exploring different movements, including straight lines, zig zags, circles, spirals and more!
Each slide provides a simple visual prompt to help adults model the movement and give children language to describe what they're doing.
Display them on your interactive board, use them for little movement sessions, or print them out as prompts for children to explore independently.
Get those arms moving, fingers dancing and magic wands swirling!
2. Printable Pre-Writing Pattern Tracks
A complementary collection of pattern tracks that can be downloaded, printed and laminated, ready to pop straight into your continuous provision.
And this is where we can have some FUN!
Whiteboard pens: Follow the tracks, wipe clean and have another go.
Pom poms and tweezers: Pick up and place objects along the patterns, offering opportunities to practise hand control and coordination.
Pinchy fingers: Transport small objects along the different pathways.
Toy cars: Drive along the tracks, around the bends and through the zig zags.
Loose parts: Use buttons, counters or other suitable resources to follow and recreate the patterns.
The same pattern, explored in lots of different ways!
Why I created this
Because developing early writing skills involves so much more than putting a pencil in a child's hand.
Children need opportunities to explore direction, movement, coordination and control. They need to experience different shapes and pathways, repeat movements and build confidence through meaningful experiences.
And importantly, they don't all need to be doing the same thing, sitting at the same table, holding the same pencil!
These resources are designed to support adults in modelling those early movements while offering children playful ways to revisit them throughout their provision.
Use them alongside your existing physical development, mark-making and writing opportunities.
Less pressure to produce perfect patterns on paper. More opportunities to move, explore, play and practise!
That's what Flying with Formation is all about. 💚
Created by Mr MAC for EYFS and Reception practitioners who want to make foundational writing experiences more playful, practical and purposeful.
Digital download. Print, laminate and reuse!
