- Define and explain Lowercase and Uppercase in your own words
- Use key terms such as baseline accurately
- Apply what you have learned to new examples and questions
- Avoid the common mistakes learners make with this topic
This lesson focuses on Lowercase and Uppercase: practise small letters and capital letters, and know when to use each.
Practise small letters and capital letters, and know when to use each.
Key ideas
Letters belong in families
Letters that share shapes are easier to learn together. Round letters like c, a, d and g all start the same way. Practising one family at a time means fewer shapes to remember.
Start at the top
Almost every letter starts at the top and travels down or around. Starting letters in the right place keeps them neat and makes joining them later much easier.
Key term — baseline: The line that letters sit on. Round letters like a, c and o rest on the baseline.
When do you use a capital letter?
At the start of a sentence and for names of people and places.
Answer: At the start of a sentence and for names of people and places.
- Writing letters in different sizes Use the lines to guide you: tall letters reach the top line, small letters stay between the lines.
- Starting letters at the bottom Nearly all letters start at the top. Bottom-up letters are slow and hard to join later.
Practice
b and h.
p and y.
Resting on the baseline.
Holding the pencil with the thumb and first two fingers.
Quick check
Which of these best defines "baseline"?
How big should the space between words be?
- Lowercase and Uppercase: practise small letters and capital letters, and know when to use each.
- Letters belong in families: Letters that share shapes are easier to learn together.
- ascender: The tall part of a letter that rises above the rest, such as the top of b, d, h and k.
- Watch out for: writing letters in different sizes