Automaticity and practice analogies

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Episode 258: Handwriting has quietly slipped into the shadows of reading and phonics, yet the new Writing Framework (July 2025) places it firmly back in view. It expects teachers to model good handwriting across the curriculum, not just in a weekly handwriting slot, and asks leaders to take responsibility for getting it right. But what does that actually look like in real classrooms, with real children and very real workload?

In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Kieran is joined by handwriting specialist Nicky Parr to explore why handwriting still matters, how it connects to the new Writing Framework, and what schools can practically do for pupils who find writing physically and emotionally hard.

Drawing on her experience as a teacher, a parent of a neurodivergent child, and a consultant working in schools, Nicky unpicks the hidden complexity of handwriting. She explains why it is not a simple “neat or messy” issue, but a demanding motor and cognitive skill that draws heavily on attention, posture, paper position, pen hold and practice habits. Along the way, she tackles common assumptions, including the idea that typing has made handwriting obsolete, and the quiet shame many adults carry about their own handwriting.

Across the conversation they discuss:

• How Nicky’s journey with her son’s coordination and attention needs led her into specialist handwriting work

• Why so many children become reluctant writers because handwriting is painful, effortful or a source of embarrassment

• What the 2025 Writing Framework actually says about modelling handwriting and leadership responsibility

• The key things Nicky looks for when she walks into a classroom: pen grip, paper and book position, posture, use of lines and the children who are quietly hiding

• Why we have “pitched handwriting and typing against each other” and what a more balanced, research-informed view looks like

• How schools can build simple, sustainable routines that support handwriting without overwhelming staff

If you are a literacy lead, class teacher or school leader wondering how to respond to the new Writing Framework, or you have a nagging sense that handwriting is holding some pupils back from showing what they can do, this episode offers both reassurance and clear next steps.