The last seven capitals have shapes of their own: D, G, I, J, L, Q and S. Several look little like print, so they are worth learning well for reading too (the capitals before these).
- I and J: start at the middle line on the left, swing up to the top, then come down. J keeps going into a loop below the baseline.
- L: a little loop at the top, slant down, a little loop on the baseline, out.
- S: swing up from the left to a loop at the top, then down and curl back.
- Q: a curve at the top, down to the left, a little loop on the baseline: it looks like a 2.
- D: slant down, a little loop at the bottom, then a big curve around and up.
- G: a tall curve like C that comes back up on the right, then down and out to the next letter. Last, add a little bar at the middle line, the way you cross a t.
Key idea
I and J swing up from the middle; L and S loop; Q looks like a 2.
Why it works
These capitals are the ones readers stall on. Knowing them makes cursive notes and names easy to read.
Worked example: Read a name
A cursive name starts with a letter that looks like a 2. What letter is it?
- The cursive capital that looks like a 2 is Q.
- So the name starts with Q, like Quinn.
Answer: Q
Common mistake
Not recognizing cursive G, Q, I and J when reading, because they look little like print. Practice reading them as well as writing them.