Grade by Grade
B. Foundations of Language · Printing, Spelling and Sentences

Printing Neatly and Smoothly

D2.2About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can print every letter starting in the right place, with the right size.
  • I can sit my letters on the line and leave even spaces between words.
  • I can print smoothly and quickly enough to keep up with my ideas.
  • I can check my printing so a reader can read it easily.

Words to know

legible
Neat enough for someone else to read.
fluent printing
Printing smoothly, without stopping to think about how to make each letter.
baseline
The bottom line that letters sit on.
spacing
The space between letters and between words.

Remember from Grade 1

In Grade 1 you learned to print every capital and lowercase letter, starting at the top. You learned about tall letters, small letters and tail letters, and you used a finger space between words.

In Grade 2, the goal is to print neatly and smoothly. When your hand knows the letters by itself, your brain is free to think about your ideas and your spelling!

tallsmalltailb d f h k l ta c e m n o r sg j p q y
Tall letters touch the top line. Small letters fit between the middle line and the baseline. Tail letters hang below the baseline.

The 4 S's of neat printing

  1. Start in the right spot. Most letters start at the top.
  2. Size: tall letters are tall, small letters are small, tails go below the line. Capitals are tall too.
  3. Sit on the line. Every letter sits on the baseline (only the tails go below).
  4. Space: letters in a word are close together. Words have a small, even space between them, about the width of the letter o.
Neatletters sit on the line, even spacesspacespaceMessyfloating letters, no spaces
In the neat line, every letter sits on the baseline, small letters stop at the dotted middle line, and there is an o-sized space between words. In the messy line, letters float and the words crash into each other.
Letter familyHow it startsLetters
Magic c lettersStart like a c, at the middle linea, c, d, g, o, q
Tall stick lettersStart at the top line and pull downb, h, k, l, t (t starts a little lower)
Bump lettersPull down, then go back up and overm, n, r, h
Tail lettersGo below the baselineg, j, p, q, y
Letters that start the same way are easier to practise together

b or d?

b and d get mixed up a lot.

  • d starts like a c (magic c), then goes up tall and back down.
  • b starts with a tall stick, then goes down and makes a bump.

Think: "c comes before d in the alphabet", so d starts with a c.

Worked example

Let's print a sentence

Print: The geese fly south.

  1. T is a capital: tall. Start at the top line: pull down, then cross at the top.
  2. h and e: h is a tall letter, e is small.
  3. Leave a space the size of an o. Then geese: the g has a tail that hangs below the line. The e, e, s, e are small.
  4. Space. fly: f and l are tall, y has a tail.
  5. Space. south. t and h are tall. Put the period on the baseline, right after the h.
  6. Check: Did every letter sit on the line? Are the spaces even?

The sentence is easy to read: right sizes, letters on the line, even spaces, and a period at the end.

Getting faster (but staying neat)

Fluent printing means your pencil moves smoothly. You don't stop to think "How do I make a g?" Here's how to build fluency:

  • Print a little every day, even just one sentence.
  • Hold the pencil loosely, between your thumb and pointer finger, resting on your middle finger. Don't squeeze!
  • Sit tall with your feet flat. Hold the paper with your other hand.
  • Copy a short sentence, then try to copy it a little faster while keeping it neat.
Just for fun

Funny but true: the little dot on top of a lowercase i or j has its own name. It's called a tittle! ✏️

Looking ahead

Later on you will learn cursive (joined-up writing). Good printing habits now, like starting letters in the right place, will help you then too.

Hands-on activity

Printing warm-ups

You need: lined paper (or draw your own lines with a ruler), a pencil, a timer.

  1. Warm up your hands: squeeze a ball of play dough 10 times, then wiggle your fingers.
  2. Letter families: print a row of magic c letters: c a d g o q. Then tall letters: b h k l t. Then tail letters: g j p q y.
  3. Copy a sentence: Six maple leaves fell on the grass. Check the 4 S's.
  4. Speed challenge: set a timer for 1 minute. Copy the sentence again. Count how many words you printed neatly. Try again tomorrow and see if you can print one more word.
  5. Make it fun: write in snow with a stick, in sand, or with chalk on the driveway.

Your turn

1

Name 3 tall lowercase letters.

2

Name 3 tail letters.

3

Where do most letters start: at the top or the bottom?

4

How big should the space between words be?

5

Print your full name. Check: capital letters at the start of each name, and every letter sits on the line.

6

Copy this sentence neatly: We skate on the pond.

7

What does legible mean?

More practice: warm-up

1

Which letter starts like a magic c: d or b?

2

Print the small letters a, c, e, o.

3

Is p a tall letter or a tail letter?

4

Print the capital letters of your initials.

5

Where does a period go: on the baseline or the top line?

More practice: on your own

1

Print the word jelly. Which letters are tall, and which have tails?

2

A friend printed Thedogranfast. What's wrong?

3

Why does fluent printing help your writing?

4

Copy neatly: My big puppy jumps high.

5

Print b, d, b, d. Say how each one starts.

Challenge

1

Time yourself copying The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. (This sentence uses every letter of the alphabet!) Then check the 4 S's.

2

Look at something you wrote last week. Find one word you could print more neatly. What would you change?

3

Explain to a grown-up how to print g, step by step.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which letter is a tail letter?

2.

Where do most letters start?

3.

Which shows good spacing?

4.

What does legible mean?

5.

Which letter starts like a c?

6.

Why practise printing every day?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 2 students build on Grade 1 letter formation to print legibly and fluently, with correct formation, size, placement on the line and spacing. In the 2023 Ontario Language curriculum this is part of Strand D (Composition, D2.2); it is included here because printing is a foundation for spelling and writing. Fluent printing frees working memory for spelling and composing, which research links to longer, better writing.

How to help at home:

  • A few minutes a day beats one long session.
  • Check pencil grip: a relaxed tripod grip (thumb and pointer finger, resting on the middle finger). Pencil grips from a dollar store can help.
  • Use paper with a dotted middle line until size and placement are steady.
  • Praise neat letters by name: "Your g has a perfect tail!"

Common difficulties:

  • Starting letters at the bottom. Watch your child print, not just the result. Gently redirect to start at the top.
  • b/d reversals. Still common at age 7. Use the "d starts with c" trick.
  • Letters floating above the line, or no spaces. Use a finger, a craft stick or a small paper strip as a space holder.
  • Tired hands. Build strength with play dough, Lego, scissors and drawing.
  • If printing seems very difficult or painful after lots of practice, mention it to your child's teacher.