Teachers use Letter Layers in a variety of ways to support the development of cursive handwriting and sound/symbol recognition: on interactive white boards, desktop or laptop computers.

Teachers use Letter Layers as a teaching aid in the Literacy Hour.

Teachers use Letter Layers in whole class settings and in small groups to demonstrate the individual pen strokes that form a letter and the sound that the letter makes.

Children are then prompted to practise writing individual cursive letters on their own white boards, layer by layer, emulating the pencil strokes drawn by Letter Layers on the computer screen.

Children can use Letter Layers on a PC or laptop to help consolidate cursive letter formation and sound symbol recognition. When the child has constructed the letter on the computer screen, the child then writes the letter on a white board. This process is repeated by the child until the letter set is completed. Letter Layers is rules-based. It prompts the child to form the letter in the correct sequence and provides voice feedback and encouragement to the child at key stages in the formation of the letter.

The child can use Letter Layers supported by a parent or carer or, due to its rules based approach, independent of adult support.

The design philosophy is to provide a fun learning environment but also to ‘keep it simple’ using a step by step approach that gives the child confidence in using a mouse to form the letters by assembling the individual layers. Letter Layers has been used successfully since early 2004 by children of all ages at an infant school in South London.

Letter Layers software is divided into two sets of letters with three levels of difficulty.

Alternative letter sets are available if your school forms certain letters such as the letter ‘f’ different to the Letter Layers standard letter sets.

Nursery

In Nursery children can ‘play’ on the programme individually, in pairs or in small groups using a PC or Interactive White board. Letter Layers introduces children to letter recognition, sound/symbol correspondence letter formation and supports Synthetic Phonics. Letter Layers encourages and supports children’s emergent writing and mark making in the early years. Adults in the Nursery can refer to Letter Layers and how letters are written when modelling writing for children.

Activity Ideas for linking sounds and letters

• For example, when writing a child’s name, the adult or child may refer to the fact that there is an ‘a’ in the name. The adult will model writing ‘a’ using the Letter Layers spoken format. E.g. “How will we write an ‘a’? How does Magic do it? Starting with the tail on the line go up and over, back round and up to the top, straight down and finish with a tail”.
• Focus letters scattered around carpet area or garden. (Letter Layers Letter Set 1). Set of boxes on table. Each box has a focus letter attached to it. Children have to find letters and sort into right box. Class Teacher/Teaching Assistant (CT/TA) and children discuss character names and special sound of letters as they put them into right boxes. Children then go and ‘play’ with Letter Set 1 on interactive white board or PC.

Reception

In Reception the class teacher can use Letter Layers as part of Literacy to introduce or help to consolidate focus letters (e.g. Letter Set 1). Letter Layers links letters to sounds and supports Synthetic Phonics. It supports children’s learning by helping them to distinguish: one letter from another, one sound from another; it familiarises children with the individual pen strokes that make up each letter and helps to consolidate basic handwriting skills.

Letter Layers can be used on an Interactive White Board or PC. Children can watch the CT drag letters across or be invited to drag the layers across themselves to make the letter. Children can be asked to write the layers along with Magic on their individual white boards.

In Reception children can ‘play’ on the programme individually, in pairs or in small groups using a PC or Interactive White Board. Adults in Reception can refer to Letter Layers and how letters are written when modelling writing for children. In doing this they are consolidating previous learning from the Nursery.

Activity Ideas for linking sounds and letters

• When writing a word, for example ‘cat’ , the adult will model writing each letter sound using the Letter Layers spoken format. E.g. “How will we write a ‘c’? How does Magic do it? Starting with the tail on line go up and over, back round and stop at the bottom with a tail’.” This is then repeated with the other letters in the word.
• Letter Layers on interactive white board or PC. Letter Layers shows focus letter set. Children and CT/TA play ‘Pass the Parcel’. Each layer contains picture of an object. The objects name starts with one of the focus letters. Each child gets a turn to take off a layer and collect a picture. Children listen for initial sound. They put their hand before their mouths so that they can feel the sound coming out of their mouth. CT/TA asks child to find corresponding letter on Letter Layers and drag the letters over to form the letter. CT/TA helps children to write initial sound on individual whiteboards.

Year 1

In Y1 Letter Layers can be used for handwriting practise with the whole class. It can be used on an Interactive White Board to demonstrate correct letter formation. Children can watch the CT drag letters across or be invited to drag the layers across themselves to make the letter. Children can be asked to write the layers along with Magic on their individual white boards.

Letter Layers can be used as part of the Literacy Hour with those children who are not writing letters independently. Letter Layers links letters to sounds and supports Synthetic Phonics. It supports children’s learning by helping them to distinguish: one letter from another, one sound from another, it familiarises children with the individual pen strokes that make up each letter and consolidates basic handwriting skills. Children should use the programme, each day, to write focus letters.

Activity Ideas for linking sounds and letters

• Word Level. After listening for the sounds in a word the adult will model writing each letter using theLetter Layers spoken format. E.g. CVC words. “How will we write ‘gap’? What is the first sound we can we hear? How will we write ‘g? How does Magic do it? Starting with the tail on the line go up and over, back round and up to the top, down the stick, and round for the tail” . This is then repeated with the other letters in the word.
• Word Level CT/TA holds 2 or 3 of each focus letter. CT/TA holds up focus letter. First child to say sound is given the letter. If a focus letter is not recognised by its sound the CT/TA tells the children its sound and keeps it. CT/TA repeats until all focus letters have been given out. Who has the most? How many did the CT/TA keep? Using Letter Layers on PC or interactive whiteboard, CT/TA and children practise writing focus letters on whiteboards with ‘Magic’.

Year 2

In Y2 Letter Layers can be used for handwriting practise with the whole class. It can be used on an Interactive White Board to demonstrate correct letter formation. Children can watch the CT drag letters across or be invited to drag the layers across themselves to make the letter. Children can be asked to write the layers along with Magic on their individual white boards.

Letter Layers can be used in the Literacy Hour with those children who are not writing independently. Letter Layers links letters to sounds and supports Synthetic Phonics. It supports children’s learning by helping them to distinguish: one letter from another, one sound from another, it familiarises children with the individual pen strokes that make up each letter and consolidates basic handwriting skills.

Children who are not writing independently in Y2 should use the programme, each day, to write focus letters. After completing the first letter with Magic the children then write that letter on their individual white boards. After completing the set of letters they show their written letters to the CT/TA and point to each letter in turn and say the letter's sound.

Travellers

Letter Layers can be used in the Literacy Hour with those children who are not writing independently. Letter Layers links letters to sounds and supports Synthetic Phonics. It supports children’s learning by helping them to distinguish: one letter from another, one sound from another, it familiarises children with the individual pen strokes that make up each letter and consolidates basic handwriting skills.

Children who are not writing independently in should use the programme, each day, to write focus letters. After completing the first letter with Magic the children then write that letter on their individual white boards. After completing the set of letters they show their written letters to the CT/TA and point to each letter in turn and say the letters sound.

EAL

Letter Layers can be used in the Literacy Hour with those children who are not writing independently. Letter Layers links letters to sounds and supports Synthetic Phonics. It supports children’s learning by helping them to distinguish: one letter from another, one sound from another, it familiarises children with the individual pen strokes that make up each letter and consolidates basic handwriting skills.

Children who are not writing independently in should use the programme, each day, to write focus letters. After completing the first letter with Magic the children then write that letter on their individual white boards. After completing the set of letters they show their written letters to the CT/TA and point to each letter in turn and say the letters sound.

SEN

Letter Layers can be used in the Literacy Hour with those children who are not writing independently. Letter Layers links letters to sounds and supports Synthetic Phonics. It supports children’s learning by helping them to distinguish: one letter from another, one sound from another, it familiarises children with the individual pen strokes that make up each letter and consolidates basic handwriting skills.

Children who are not writing independently should use the programme, each day, to write focus letters. After completing the first letter with Magic the children then write that letter on their individual white boards. After completing the set of letters they show their written letters to the CT/TA and point to each letter in turn and say the letters sound.

The child’s IEP (Individual Education Plan) should record that Letter Layers is being used to consolidate sound symbol recognition.

For an online demonstration of the software click here

To order the software or request a free trial (UK schools only) click here