Joining Letters

English · Handwriting & Transcription · ages 6-10

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Mia writes the word 'of'. Which stroke should join the o to the f?
- A big loop under the word
- A line straight across the top
- A dot between the letters
What is a joining stroke?
- A dot above a letter
- A line that crosses out a mistake
- A little line that links the end of one letter to the start of the next
Which stroke connects the letters in the word 'un'?
- A diagonal line
- A dot
- A big loop
Every single letter pair should always be joined, no matter what.
Circle one: True False
Mia is writing 'but'. She tried joining the b to the u, but the join looked tangled and the u was hard to read. Why might she leave a gap after the b instead?
- Leave b unjoined to keep the word clear
- Because b can never be followed by any letter
- Because leaving a gap makes her writing look bigger
Sam is writing the word 'him' in joined letters. When should he dot the i?
- Before he writes any letters
- Right after the i, then he keeps writing
- After the whole word is written
In the word 'they', which letter dips below the bottom line?
- t
- e
- y
How many letters dip below the bottom line in the word 'gym'?
Answer: ______________
Leo leaves a small gap after the b in 'bat' instead of joining it. What does his pencil do at that gap?
- It stays down and slides across the gap
- It lifts off the paper, then starts the a
- It presses down harder on the paper
Ben wants to write 'box' in joined letters. He tried joining the b into the o, but the join looked tangled and the o was hard to read. What is the neatest plan?
- Join every letter, including b into o
- Leave a small gap after the b and join the rest
- Leave gaps between all the letters

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Joining Letters W1-mt_02DH7sGXCi-s1

A line straight across the top · The letter o finishes high, so the join after it runs straight across the top.
A little line that links the end of one letter to the start of the next · A joining stroke is the little line that links the end of one letter to the start of the next.
A diagonal line · A small diagonal stroke links the u to the n so you don't lift your pencil.
False · Some joins are left as a small gap when the join looks tangled and the next letter is hard to read.
Leave b unjoined to keep the word clear · Mia's join looked tangled and the u was hard to read, so a small gap keeps the word clear.
After the whole word is written · In joined writing, you write the whole word first, then go back to dot the i.
y · The letter y has a tail that dips below the bottom line.
2 · Both g and y have tails that dip below the line, so the count is 2.
It lifts off the paper, then starts the a · A gap means there is no joining stroke, so the pencil comes off the paper and starts the next letter.
Leave a small gap after the b and join the rest · Ben's b to o join looked tangled and the o was hard to read, so a small gap after the b keeps the word clear, and the other letters can still join.