Joining Letters
Begin to join letters using diagonal and horizontal strokes, understanding which letter pairs are best left unjoined, forming letters of correct size relative to one another
What a learner can do afterwards
- Join 'in', 'un', 'it' with a diagonal stroke connecting the letters
- Leave letters like 'b' unjoined when followed by certain letters, explaining why
- Write with consistent letter sizing on lined paper, ascenders and descenders in proportion
The lesson
When you write letters close together, you can join some of them with a little connecting line. That line is called a joining stroke. It goes across or diagonally, linking the end of one letter to the start of the next, so your pencil never has to lift.
Mia writes the word "in." She finishes the down-stroke of the i, then draws a small diagonal line up into the n. Her pencil stays on the paper the whole time, so the two letters flow together.
Not every letter pair joins neatly. Letters like b often finish high up, so joining them straight into the next letter can look tangled. Many people leave a tiny gap after letters like this instead, and the writing still looks neat.
Keep your letters the right size next to each other. Tall letters like l, h, and t reach up to the top line. Letters with tails, like g and y, dip below the bottom line. The rest stay small and sit evenly between the lines.
Join most letters with a smooth stroke, leave tricky pairs unjoined, and keep every letter sized right on the line.
Watch it
Where it sits
This opens up
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.