Why the Lead-in Stroke should be Abolished?
Many people strongly believe that the lead-in stroke (also called the entry stroke) should be abolished from handwriting instruction. On 1st April 2021, the Department for Education (DfE) made an important announcement:
“At first, children should not be taught to join letters or to start every letter ‘on the line’ with a ‘lead-in’, because these practices cause unnecessary difficulty for beginners.”
— DfE, October 2021
What is a ‘lead-in’ stroke?
Also known as an entry stroke, pre-cursive, continuous cursive, initial flick, in-stroke, or whoosh-in, the lead-in stroke refers to the small upward flick at the beginning of each letter. This style is often introduced when children first learn to write, with the aim of making it easier to transition into joined-up handwriting.
However, handwriting is already a complex skill for young learners, and many parents, teachers and educators now question whether this additional stroke adds any real value. On the contrary, it is often seen as unnecessary, confusing, and difficult to master and should be abolished.
Arduous, messy handwriting taught with the lead-in stroke
Why We Don’t Use the Lead-in/Entry Strokes at Magic Link
1. It Makes Letters Hard to Form
Some educators appreciate the concept of having a consistent starting point for each letter. But this often leads to confusion—particularly with o, r, v, and w, where children must navigate two types of strokes (entry and exit) within a single letter. Many end up creating loops or flicks that compromise legibility. Teaching cursive without the entry stroke has been shown to be simpler and more effective..
2. It Complicates Simple Letters
Letters that should be straightforward become unnecessarily complex. For example, the letter c in the Magic Link method begins at ‘12’ on a clock face and curves smoothly toward ‘9’ and ‘6’. Without the entry stroke, children can focus clearly on this directional movement. Adding a flick beforehand distorts this process and adds difficulty.
3. It Slows Down Writing
Speed is critical, particularly in timed classroom activities and exams. The entry stroke is an extra, unneeded movement that slows children down significantly. This delay can frustrate pupils and may even result in lower academic performance due to reduced writing output.
4. It Undermines Confidence
Children often become discouraged when they can’t form letters correctly. The entry stroke introduces a layer of difficulty that can affect confidence and make handwriting feel like an insurmountable task. In contrast, the Magic Link method is simple and structured, building confidence early on.
The 15 Magic Link Letters of the Alphabet
5. It Serves No Purpose and Causes Fatigue
The flick at the start of each letter adds no meaningful value in terms of content, meaning, or neatness. It’s purely decorative and leads to unnecessary repetition, resulting in tired hands and reduced stamina for writing longer passages.
6. It Reduces Enjoyment
Writing should be fast, fluent and enjoyable. The added effort required to produce the entry stroke often makes writing feel laborious and uninspiring. Without the stroke, children tend to write with more ease and pleasure.
Expert Insight
Dr Angela Webb, former Chair of the National Handwriting Association, cautions against the imposition of continuous cursive handwriting, particularly on young learners:
“Many have found that the teaching of continuous cursive, with its florid letterforms and its baseline ‘entry’ and ‘exit’ strokes, whilst achievable by some children, leaves many struggling to write.”
— Read full article
She further notes that forcing children—especially those with motor coordination difficulties—to join letters too early may create unnecessary problems and lead to a general aversion to writing.
Conclusion: A Simpler Alternative with Proven Results
The DfE no longer recommends using the lead-in stroke or teaching cursive from the outset. The disadvantages are clear: it slows writing, confuses children, and undermines both neatness and confidence.
The Magic Link handwriting programme eliminates the flicks and curls, focusing instead on a clean, logical system. Thousands of pupils, parents, and teachers have witnessed improved fluency, speed, and legibility through Magic Link’s approach. It is taught in many schools across the UK, with outstanding results.
Don’t just take our word for it – Magic Link has hundreds of 5-star reviews on TrustPilot and Google.
Removing the entry stroke is not only simpler – it’s the key to better handwriting success. Click here to see the short video demonstration
