✏️ WritingLevel 1Lesson 7
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Spacing Between Words

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Leave a finger space between every word when writing a sentence
  • 2Check that spaces are consistent so sentences are easy to read
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Mini Lesson

Imagine reading a book where all the words were squashed together: Icanseeadog. Confusing, right? Spaces between words are what make writing possible to read!

Why spaces matter

  • Spaces show the reader where one word ends and the next begins.
  • Without spaces, even short sentences are impossible to understand.
  • Correct spacing is one of the first things readers notice.

The finger-space trick

  • After you write a word, place your pointer finger on the paper.
  • Start writing the next word just after your finger.
  • That gap is the perfect finger space.

Not too wide, not too narrow

  • Spaces should be about one finger wide — consistent every time.
  • Too wide looks like the sentence is falling apart.
  • Too narrow looks like the words are joined together.

Check your spacing

  • Run your finger under the sentence when you finish.
  • Can you feel a clear gap between each word? Good!
  • If two words touch, add a space caret ( ∧ ) and fix it.
  • The period at the end goes right after the last word, with no space before it.
No spaces versus correct spacingTwo versions of the same sentence on ruled lines: a bad example "Ilikecats" with no gaps marked with a red X, and a good example "I like cats" with finger-space markers between each word marked with a green check.Spaces Matter!no spaces — hard to readIlikecats.correct spacing — easy to readIlikecats.yellow bars = finger spacesSame words — spaces make all the difference.
"Ilikecats" (no spaces) vs "I like cats" with a finger space between each word.
The finger-space trickA hand with the pinky finger placed on a writing line as a spacing guide, next to the sentence "My cat is big." being written word by word with proper gaps.The Finger-Space TrickMypinkyspaceplace fingeron the linecatisbig.Place your finger after each word,then write the next one just after it.One finger = one space, every time.
Pinky finger placed on the line as a spacing guide between words.
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Ask yourself: "Is there a finger space between every word in my sentence?"

Vocabulary
Finger space
The width of one pointer finger — the correct gap between two wordse.g. leave a finger space between "my" and "cat"
Space caret
A small ∧ mark used to show where a missing space should be addede.g. my∧cat → my cat
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