Handwriting Resource Links: State by State
The following list was compiled by handwriting and keyboarding expert, Noella Mackenzie, as part of her sell-out PETAA course, Teaching Handwriting and Keyboarding in the 21st Century.
ACT and New South Wales use the same font
NESA Writing
https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/english-year-10/special-needs-in-english-guide/writing
Handwriting – a guide-for parents (PDF)
https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/en/home/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/literacy-and-numeracy/teaching-and-learning-resources/effective-reading/phonics/Handwriting-a-guide-for-parents.pdf
Queensland
Queensland Handwriting Handbook (1984)
https://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/file/7dfae909-95bf-3c0b-6bac-45972898a788/1/Handbook.pdf
Queensland handwriting resource for lower primary (2013)
https://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/file/6ec3c227-4ee7-9d60-91cc-1eb43021a9d4/3/pages/resources.html
Queensland font information
https://www.australianschoolfonts.com.au/font-info/qld-font-info/
Queensland Cursive resource (2013)
https://learningplace.eq.edu.au/cx/resources/file/6ec3c227-4ee7-9d60-91cc-1eb43021a9d4/3/index.html
South Australia
“Children should be taught handwriting explicitly and have time to practise so that they are able to develop a fluent and legible style, which will support their work in other curriculum areas. The main stages in teaching children handwriting at primary school generally are:
- teaching grip, posture, letter shapes and movements;
- teaching linking;
- increasing speed and endurance without loss of quality.
Individual practise should follow the demonstration. During modelled whole-class and shared writing the teacher provides a strong handwriting model, articulating the process. Small group, individual writing and guided writing creates opportunities for specific instruction. During such times a small group approach provides the opportunity for the teacher to facilitate, guide, respond to and extend the learners thinking as they write. (Handwriting in the SA Curriculum 2nd Ed, 2006”.
https://www.australianschoolfonts.com.au/assets/resources/handwriting-2nd-ed-2007-sa.pdf
Mackenzie, N.M. (2018) Handwriting and keyboarding: skills for writing, South Australian Department for Education (SA DoE internal http://tiny.cc/BestAdviceLit)
Handwriting Program South Australia
https://www.education.sa.gov.au/docs/sa.gov/handwriting-program.pdf
Handwriting fonts South Australia
https://www.australianschoolfonts.com.au/assets/resources/handwriting-2nd-ed-2007-sa.pdf
Tasmania
Department of Education documents require a Tas DoE sign in
The Northern Territory uses the same font as Victoria and WA.
Victoria
The Victorian English Curriculum specifically addresses the development of both handwriting and keyboarding. Handwriting skills are outlined in the outcomes set for all levels from Foundation to Level 7. Students begin learning “letter formation patterns” in their first year of schooling and work towards developing a “personal handwriting style that is legible, fluent and automatic and supports writing for extended periods” in Level 7 (VCAA, 2017). In conjunction with learning to handwrite is the expectation that all students will learn how to create texts using software programs. For example, Foundation students are required to “construct texts using software including word processing programs” while the Level 10 outcome states students must “use a range of software, including word processing programs, confidently, flexibly and imaginatively to create, edit and publish texts” (VCAA, 2017). Further information available at the following site. Specific outcomes are not listed.
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/literacy/writing/Pages/litfocushandwriting.aspx
Victorian Resources for Writing: Handwriting Literacy Teaching Toolkit
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/literacy/writing/Pages/litfocushandwriting.aspx
Includes Guides: Handwriting Terminology, Letter Formation, Joining letters, Monitoring and assessment, legible writing, paper placement, pen grip, writing systems of the world, Resources for writing (includes paper) Victorian Modern Cursive.
Western Australia
WA K-10 outline
https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/p-10-curriculum/curriculum-browser/english/overview/glossary/handwriting
WA Handwriting guidelines revised (requires a WA login)
http://det.wa.edu.au/curriculumsupport/primary/detcms/school-support-programs/primary/news/handwriting-guidelines-revised.en