Capital letters are big. Every capital starts at the top line and reaches the baseline. We begin with the six made of straight lines only: E, F, H, I, L and T.
- Make the line down first.
- Then the lines across, from the top down, each one going left to right.
- E and F have a middle bar on the middle line. E has a bottom bar; F doesn’t.
Key idea
Down first, then across from top to bottom, each line left to right.
Why it works
The same order every time lets your hand learn the letter. Going top to bottom means your hand never covers what you still have to line up.
Worked example: Write E
In what order do the four lines of E go?
- 1: a line down from the top line to the baseline.
- 2: across the top.
- 3: across the middle line (a little shorter).
- 4: across the bottom.
Answer: Down, then top, middle, bottom.
Common mistake
Putting the middle bar of E or F too high or too low. Check: it sits on the dotted middle line.
For the grown-up. Capitals come at the start of names and sentences. Writing your child’s own name is a good first capital practice. See Start at the Top for why lines go down.