WIREDGOV

Supporting children as they learn to write is one of the biggest challenges faced by teachers. The Show-me® Bubble Handwriting Scaffold Drywipe Boards are an effective and engaging tool designed to build confidence and consistency in early writing. As Rob Bogan, Headteacher at Itchen Abbas Primary School, explains: ‘Bubble writing is so easy to use and has transformed the teaching of handwriting across the school! The children and parents love this approach, and we have received incredible feedback!’.

The Show-me® Bubble Handwriting Scaffold Drywipe Boards guide the formation of letters or words using “bubble” shapes placed above and below the line. These bubbles act as visual guides, showing children how to form letters correctly. Instead of writing on an empty line, pupils trace or write around the bubbles, helping them understand spacing, proportion and letter structure.

The scaffold can be easily adapted depending on ability and used effectively in many educational settings including 1:1 support, small group interventions & whole-class teaching. In Reception and Key Stage 1, bubbles support individual letter formation and the transcription of simple words. As children progress into Key Stage 2, the bubbles encourage more independent writing while still offering subtle guidance. Eventually, the scaffold can be removed as confidence and skill increase.

One key benefit of the bubble handwriting scaffold is that it reduces cognitive overload. Writing involves multiple skills at once - letter formation, spelling, spacing and motor control. The bubble format supports these elements, allowing children to focus on one aspect at a time. This is especially helpful for those who may struggle with fine motor skills or lack confidence.

Another major advantage is improved letter formation and consistency. The visual boundaries of the bubbles help children form letters of uniform height and width, while also supporting even spacing between words. Over time, this leads to neater, more legible handwriting.

Engagement is also a significant factor with many children finding bubble writing fun and approachable, increasing motivation and willingness to practice - particularly for reluctant writers who may feel overwhelmed by traditional methods. The Show-me® Bubble Handwriting Scaffold Drywipe Boards allow children to practice repeatedly without the pressure of making mistakes on paper. Pupils can trace, wipe and try again, building muscle memory and confidence in a low-stakes environment. Teachers also benefit from the flexibility of modelling writing and giving immediate feedback.

Using a double-sided design to support KS1 & KS2 learning, these boards are a practical and adaptable strategy that supports children at every stage of primary education, helping them to develop strong handwriting foundations and confidence in their abilities. Further to this, it has been shown that once pupils start to write independently into exercise books the formation of individual characters, legibility and consistency is significantly improved.

Bubble writing can be used as a stand-alone scheme, or as part of an existing program, aided by a wide variety of resources including worksheets, exercise books, whiteboards as well as PowerPoint presentations and fonts.

Created by Steve, a primary school teacher in Surrey, UK.