Which font shall I use?

I think Sans-serif is used in typography for very simple style writing in primary school. There are no fancy bits on the letters.

It depends on taste and preference, but most schools use the Sassoon Primary font. It is important to use and recognise the flicks on letters as this forms the basis for cursive script. I will try to find an example to copy.

When I was still teaching we had to develop new units of work and the Learning Support unit told us that Comic Sans was the one children found easiest to read.
Try printing the same sentence in some of these fonts and compare or try asking at the local primary school if they can advise you.

I agree, Comic Sans is the one we were told to use when I was teaching.

We were also told to use Comic Sans when teaching. We didn't have a license for Sassoon, which was ideal for Primary One and couldn't afford to purchase it!

I don't know any of these fonts, but am quite surprised that your GD doesn't already recognise her name. A lot of pre-school children can at least attempt to write their own names.

You can buy books which have letters and simple words in a dash or dot form which the child can trace and get the feel of forming letters. The DGC enjoyed using them and it gives them a good start for when they begin school:
www.ebay.co.uk/i/391652000834?chn=ps&dispItem=1&adgroupid=46481853114&rlsatarget=pla-327226399882&abcId=1129006&adtype=pla&merchantid=7200824&poi=&googleloc=9045638&device=c&campaignid=861899468&crdt=0

You can also buy them in Smith's who have a good selection and other stationers.

The Works have them too and are probably very reasonable:
www.theworks.co.uk/p/activity-packs/gold-stars-handwriting-practice---ages-4-5/9781474801843

A few ideas:
Use magnetic letters to practice child's first name and once mastered that, add surname.
Trace over letters with finger.
Trace name in sand
Copy name using the letters
If you have Microsoft Word, print out name using outline facility in Word Art and colour in.
Try this site:
www.powerfulmothering.com/free-personalized-my-name-tracing-printable/
Hope this helps

It's a good idea o get them using a pencil or crayon and knowing the correct way to hold it.

You could print out simple names of objects and stick them to the object eg 'door' 'toy' 'chair' 'table' 'bed' etc. so that they learn to recognise these words.

don't try sticking one on the cat or dog though.

Thanks for all your replies. I opted for Comic Sans and showed it to her when I saw her last weekend. She recognised what it said straight away and in fact was able to pick her name out among three similar words starting with the same letter. She is only 3 Ana and left handed to boot. I think her parents are waiting to see how the school teach her to hold her pencil and position the paper, so she does not get conflicting instructions.

I watched someone who was left-handed filling in a form for me the other day and he wrote very rapidly and legibly but was holding the pen in a most contorted way which looked quite uncomfortable. I'm not sure how they are taught these days.

Thank goodness we are living in an enlightened age and she will be given the help she needs at school and not made to write with her right hand.

I think it's right to wait till th school teaches the correct way to hold a pencil. Bad habits are hard to correct.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i4CRw3DG-s
This looks helpful

At three, though, she will want to be drawing and trying to write and it's a good idea for her to learn to hold the pencil correctly from the beginning.

I think that Youtube demonstration is quite helpful, better than others.

I agree Jamila about learning the correct way to hold the pencil now. If parents wait until a child goes to school, any bad habits will be so difficult to rectify.
Video looks really helpful.

I would just encourage her to draw and write using variety of implements, different sized pencils, crayons and paint brushes. I wouldn't bother so much with writing, it will come. Practical things like being able to dress and undress by herself, change her shoes, use a knife and fork and/or access her own packed lunch are great. Every reception teacher says a silent prayer of thanks for the child who arrives able to manage these things.