Be Careful How You Teach Your Child

Be Careful How you Teach Your Child

Important Information for Parents – Please Read

Walk into any department store in Australia, and you’ll likely find an educational section filled with products claiming to help your child’s education. Discount stores also stock write-on boards featuring alphabets and various activity books.

But here’s what these stores don’t tell you:

• You may be teaching your child the wrong way to form letters and numbers.
• The educational materials you’re buying don’t match the letters or numbers taught in Australian schools.

Take a closer look at the products. Many, like the book pictured above, even come with a free pen to encourage your child to form their alphabet incorrectly, repeatedly. These products often have labels like “3+” to suggest you start teaching your child immediately.

The Consequences of Learning Incorrectly

If you use these materials, your child may enter school at a disadvantage compared to peers who haven’t even learned to write yet. Why? Because they’ll need to unlearn incorrect habits and relearn the proper methods taught in Australian schools.

Imagine how your child might feel:

• Confused – “Why would Mum teach me the wrong way?”
• Disheartened – They believed they were doing well, only to find out they were mistaken.
• Inadequate – Struggling to catch up can make a child feel less capable, which can harm their self-esteem.

Unfortunately, this scenario happens all too often. It’s not your fault—department stores and discount retailers don’t explain the differences in handwriting styles used in Australian schools.

The Problem with Imported Educational Materials

Many of the products sold in stores are imported and use a font called "Bat and Ball" (or "Stick and Ball"), which is not taught in any Australian school. Labels like “Trusted by teachers” can mislead you into thinking these materials are appropriate when they’re not.

Over the years, countless parents have told us, “But my child’s school writes like this!” Unfortunately, this confusion stems from a lack of clear information about Australian handwriting styles.

Choose Materials That Follow Australian Standards

Writeboards guarantees 100% accuracy with handwriting materials designed specifically for Australian schools. Our worksheets and flashcards use the best Australian fonts, ensuring your child learns the correct way from the start.

We also back this with our ironclad 100% money-back guarantee.

Take the First Step Today

If you want to know the correct handwriting style for your child’s State or Territory, visit our Worksheets for Australian Children page.

A Note from the Field

While researching this blog, I spoke to an employee who had worked in a department store’s educational section for five years. She was shocked to learn that the materials were inaccurate—she had even purchased them for her own child.

To learn more about handwriting in Australian schools, visit our blog: Teach Your Child the Right Australian Font.

Until next time, keep smiling and happy learning!

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