I used to try very hard to teach joined handwriting to children who had not been taught how to hold the pen when younger and could not understand the necessity of using the correct grip so the finger and thumb work like a pantograph. But, with the introduction of the literacy hour and all the rest of the curricular innovations, there wasn't time. I did it with exercises to music (Scott Joplin worked really well) to get a rhythm going (like they used to teach typing) and it worked. But time was driven from the day.

Stupid.