Lesson 2: Writing Letters Neatly

✍️ WRITING (40 Lessons) • 🟢 A. Getting Started with Writing

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Objective

I can write lowercase letters neatly on the line, keep letters about the same size, and leave clear spaces between letters and words.

Materials

Mini-lesson — Neat letters on the line

When your letters are neat, other people can read your words easily. Neat writing is not about being fast. It is about being careful and using the lines to help you.

1. Letters sit on the line

  • Most lowercase letters sit on the bottom line.
  • Some letters are tall and touch the top line (like b and l).
  • Some letters have a tail that goes below the line (like g and y).

2. Letters are about the same size

  • Short letters (like a, c, m) should be about the same height.
  • Tall letters are taller, but all tall letters should match each other.
  • Do not let letters be very big and very tiny in the same word.

3. Leave small spaces

  • Leave a tiny space between each letter so they do not touch.
  • Leave a bigger finger space between words.
  • If letters bump into each other, slow down and try again.

4. Go slowly and start in the right place

  • Start most letters near the top of the short space, not at the bottom.
  • Use smooth strokes, not little scratchy marks.
  • It is okay to go slowly. Slow and neat is better than fast and messy.

Ask yourself: "Is my letter sitting on the line? Is it the right size? Can I see spaces between my letters?"

Picture strip: "Neat letter line"

Guided Practice — Neat letter rows

Use this routine to practice neat letters on the line before you write words and sentences.

  1. Choose your letters: Pick one or two lowercase letters to practice, like a, c, or m. Look at an alphabet strip to check the correct shape.
  2. Set up the lines: On the Tracing Pad, choose primary lines if you want to see top, middle, and bottom lines. You can change to baseline or grid later.
  3. Trace slowly: Use light pressure. Start your letter near the top of the short space. Let it sit on the bottom line. Make each letter in one smooth, careful motion.
  4. Check size and spaces: After a row, stop and look. Are your letters about the same height? Do they sit on the line? Is there a small space between each letter?
  5. Try a second row: On your paper, write a row of the same letter, like a a a a a. Circle the row that looks the neatest.
  6. Mix & match: Now choose two letters, like a m a m. Write them in a pattern on the line. Keep the pattern neat and even.

You can use this neat letter warm-up at the start of writing time to get your hand ready for tidy words and sentences.

Tracing Pad
Tracing snapshot for print
Tip: Check each row: letters should sit on the line, be the same height, and have small spaces between them.

Drag & Drop — Build and write grip rules

Write or drag the words into the correct order to build each grip rule.

Letterssit onthe line.
Makeshort lettersthe samesize .
Leavesmall spacesbetween eachword .
Starteach letternear thetop .
Writeslowly andneatly inrows .

Quick Check — Writing letters neatly

Answer each question about letter size, lines, and spacing. This is a gentle 10-question check.

Where should most lowercase letters sit?

Which letters should touch the top line?

In a neat word, short letters should be…

What should be between each letter?

How big should the space between words be?

What is the best speed for neat letters?

Where should the tail of the letter g go?

After you finish a row of letters, you should…

A neat letter is made with…

How should you sit for neat writing?

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

I will practice…

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