Grade: Kindergarten Subject: English Language Arts Unit: Handwriting & Sentences SAT: StandardEnglishConventions ACT: English

Forming Letters

Learn how to write letters the right way! Good handwriting starts with learning how to form each letter correctly.

Why Is Letter Formation Important?

Good Handwriting Helps Us Communicate!

When we write letters correctly, other people can read what we write. Good letter formation makes your writing neat and easy to read!

Remember: Just like learning to walk before you run, you need to learn to form letters correctly before writing words and sentences!

How to Hold Your Pencil

The Tripod Grip

Before we write letters, let's learn the best way to hold a pencil!

1
👍

Thumb on top - Rest your thumb on the side of the pencil

2
👆

Pointer finger on top - Your pointer finger goes on top of the pencil

3
✌️

Middle finger underneath - Your middle finger supports from below

4
✋

Other fingers tucked - Ring and pinky fingers curl into your palm

Tip: Hold the pencil gently - not too tight! If your hand gets tired, you might be squeezing too hard.

Sitting the Right Way

Good Posture Helps You Write Better!

🪑
Feet Flat

Keep both feet flat on the floor

🧍
Back Straight

Sit up tall with your back straight

📄
Paper Tilted

Tilt your paper slightly to the side

💪
Arm on Table

Rest your writing arm on the table

Understanding Writing Lines

The Three Lines

Writing paper has special lines to help us write letters the right size!

Top Line - Tall letters touch here
Middle Line - Short letters stop here
Bottom Line - All letters sit on this line

Letter Sizes

Letters come in different sizes. Some are tall, some are short, and some have tails that go below the line!

Three Types of Letters

b d f h k l t
Tall Letters
Touch the top line
a c e m n o r s u v w x z
Short Letters
Stay in the middle
g j p q y
Tail Letters
Go below the bottom line

Letters That Start the Same Way

Many letters are formed in similar ways. Learning these groups makes it easier!

⭕ Circle Starters

These letters start with a circle or curve:

c
o
a
d
g
q

Start at the top of the circle, go around to the left

⬇️ Line Starters

These letters start with a straight line down:

l
i
t
j
p

Start at the top, pull straight down

🌊 Hump Letters

These letters have a hump shape:

n
m
h
r

Start with a line, then make a hump

↗️ Slant Letters

These letters have slanted lines:

v
w
x
y
k

Use diagonal lines that slant

How to Form Letters

Let's look at how to form some important letters!

Letter A

A
Uppercase A
  1. Start at the top, slant down left
  2. Go back to top, slant down right
  3. Draw a line across the middle
a
Lowercase a
  1. Start below the middle line
  2. Make a circle going left
  3. Pull straight down

Letter B

B
Uppercase B
  1. Start at top, pull straight down
  2. Go back to top, curve around
  3. Curve around again at bottom
b
Lowercase b
  1. Start at top line
  2. Pull straight down to bottom
  3. Go back up, circle around right

Letter C

C
Uppercase C
  1. Start below the top line
  2. Curve around to the left
  3. Keep curving to the bottom
c
Lowercase c
  1. Start below middle line
  2. Curve around to the left
  3. Stop before closing

Letter Formation Chant

Start at the top, that's the rule,
Forming letters is so cool!
Pull down straight, don't be slow,
Left to right is how we go!
Circles start at two o'clock,
Go around - don't you stop!

Practice Time!

Trace These Letters

Practice tracing these letters. Start at the dot!

A
B
C
D
E

Get some paper and practice writing these letters!

Write Your Name

Practice writing the letters in your name!

?
?
?
?

Ask a grown-up to help you practice the letters in your name!

Question 1: Which letter is a "tall letter"?

Question 2: Which letter has a "tail" that goes below the line?

Question 3: Which is the correct way to start most letters?

Question 4: Which letter starts with a circle?

Fun Activities

Sky Writing

Practice forming letters in the air!

  1. Stand up and stretch your arm out
  2. Use your pointer finger to "write" a letter in the air
  3. Make the letter BIG so your whole arm moves
  4. Say the letter name and the strokes as you write
  5. Try writing your whole name in the sky!

Finger Tracing

Trace letters with your finger!

  1. Put sand, salt, or shaving cream on a tray
  2. Use your finger to write letters in it
  3. Smooth it out and try again!
  4. This helps your muscles remember the letter shapes

Rainbow Letters

Make your letters colorful!

  1. Write a letter in pencil
  2. Trace over it with a red crayon
  3. Trace again with orange, then yellow, green, blue, purple
  4. Now you have a rainbow letter!

Letter Hunt

Find letters around you!

  1. Pick a letter to look for
  2. Walk around your room or house
  3. Find that letter on signs, books, or boxes
  4. Point to it and say the letter name
  5. Try to find 5 of the same letter!

Good Handwriting Checklist (Click to check!)

I hold my pencil correctly
I sit up straight
I start my letters at the top
My letters sit on the bottom line
I make tall letters touch the top line
I take my time and write neatly

What We Learned

✏️

Pencil Grip

Use the tripod grip with thumb, pointer, and middle finger.

🪑

Good Posture

Sit up straight with feet flat on the floor.

⬆️

Start at the Top

Most letters start at the top and go down.

📏

Use the Lines

Tall, short, and tail letters have different sizes.

👥

Letter Families

Letters that start the same way are easier to learn together.

🎯

Practice Makes Perfect

The more you practice, the better your handwriting gets!

Keep Practicing! Good handwriting takes time and practice. Don't worry if your letters aren't perfect yet - keep trying and you'll get better every day!

Next Steps

  • Practice forming all 26 letters, uppercase and lowercase
  • Work on the letters in your name first
  • Try the sky writing and finger tracing activities
  • Ask a grown-up to watch your pencil grip
  • When you're ready, move on to Writing Simple Sentences!