The Palmer Method of Business Writing · Lesson 12 · Part 4: First small letters
12. Drill 11: small o
Goal: Your child writes connected small o's one-sixteenth of an inch tall, closing each one at the top, in groups of five.
You'll need
- Wide-ruled lined paper (several sheets)
- A sharp pencil or a smooth gel pen
- The book open at today's page
- A watch, clock or phone timer that shows seconds (only for the optional speed check)
What's in the book
Lesson 12 is drill 11, rows of connected small o in groups of five. It explains the sideways motion, the height of the small letters, the stop at the top, and a conversational count for the teacher.
The lesson, step by step
Warm up
One minute of compact ovals two spaces tall (drill 3), then one line of capital A (drill 6). Ovals come first every time: they loosen the arm.
Look at the model
Open the book page. Look at drill 11: six lines, three groups of five small o's on each. They are tiny, about one-sixteenth of an inch tall, and this height is the measure for all the small letters.
A sideways motion
Capitals moved the arm forward and back. Small o moves it to the right along the line. Very little push is needed: a letter that is too big means too much force. The joining stroke is nearly straight.
Groups of five
Five o's, move the paper, five more, move, five more. Six lines. Close each o at the top with a tiny stop.
Say it like the book while your child writes:
Make it smaller, make it smaller; close it up, close it up; you stop, at the top, you stop, you stop, every time, at the top.
Speed
Ninety in a minute is by no means fast, but, while permitting good form, it is fast enough to force light motion.
Optional speed target: the whole drill, ninety letters, in one minute. Try it only once the o's are small and closed.
Gentle check and finish
Look for o's that are too big, open at the top, or flat. Pick the best group of five. Finish by writing "on" or "too".
Afterwards
From now on, each lesson opens with compact ovals, a line of capital A and a line of small o.
Tip
If the o's look like a's, the joining stroke is curving up from too low. Keep it flatter.