Recommended Age: 4 years and onwards
Purpose: this exercise prepares the child for writing on lined paper and further cements correct letter formation
Level of Parent Involvement: Medium, the adult must facilitate the exercise for the first time, once shown the child may practice independently
Prerequisites
- The child has been presented to all sandpaper letters
- The child has begun writing letters on a chalk board and on paper
- The child has practiced sorting letters in relation to where the letter begins (letter formation)
Materials
- A chalk board OR paper with ruled lines (dotted thirds)
- Writing pencil or chalk
- Ruler if using a chalkboard
- Sand paper letters (or paper version if doing this exercise from home)
Preparation
- None
Steps
- Invite the child together bringing the materials to the table
- Let the child know that they will be practicing writing letters on a line
- If you are using a chalk board, take the ruler and rule four lines approximately 2 centimetres apart
- Take a sand paper letter
- Model how to trace the letter
- Let the child know that you will now write the letter in relation to the lines
- For example, if you are demonstrating how to write the letter ‘b’, begin by taking the chalk and starting the letter at the top line, the body of the letter sits on the third line, then curves up to the second line (refer image)
- Rub out the letter
- Rule the lines again
- Invite the child to have a turn writing ‘b’
- Do a few more examples with the child then leave the child to practice independently
- Once the child has had sufficient experience with the chalk board, rule some lines on paper and the child may practice in the same way on paper
Variations
- None
