Neat handwriting helps everyone read your work. Today we practise our letters and learn when to use capital letters.
Get ready to write
- Sit up straight with feet flat on the floor.
- Hold the pencil between your thumb and first finger, resting on your middle finger.
- Hold the paper still with your other hand.
- Start letters at the top and go down.
Tall, small and tail letters
Some letters are tall (b, d, h, k, l, t). Some are small (a, c, e, m, n, o). Some have a tail that goes below the line (g, j, p, q, y). Keep your small letters the same size.
When do we use capital letters?
- at the start of every sentence: The dog ran.
- for the word I
- for names of people and pets: Keisha, Rover
- for places: Trinidad and Tobago, San Fernando
- for days and months: Monday, August
- for festivals and special days: Divali, Eid, Christmas, Carnival
Ending a sentence
A telling sentence ends with a full stop ( . ). An asking sentence ends with a question mark ( ? ).
TRY ITWrite it neatly
Choose a game. Trace with your finger or a mouse.
Let’s practise
Try each one. Then tap Show answer to check.
1. Fix it: “ravi lives in arima.”
Show answer
Ravi lives in Arima.
2. Which letters have tails below the line? Name two.
Show answer
Any two of g, j, p, q, y.
3. Does “thursday” need a capital?
Show answer
Yes: Thursday.
4. Add the mark: “Do you like rice”
Show answer
Do you like rice?
5. Write your full name with capital letters at the start.
Show answer
For example: Aaliyah Mohammed.
Quick check
1. Name three things that always start with a capital letter.
Show answer
Any three: the start of a sentence, I, names, places, days, months, festivals.
2. Which mark ends an asking sentence?
Show answer
A question mark.
3. Where do we start most letters?
Show answer
At the top.
Words to know
Say these words with a grown-up. Can you use each one in a sentence?
capital letter · small letter · full stop · question mark · sentence · tall letter · tail
Try it at home
- Write a shopping list with a grown-up. Check the capital letters on brand names.
- Practise letters in sand, flour or with a wet finger on a chalkboard.
- Write the names of everyone in your family, each starting with a capital.
For parents and teachers
After this lesson, your child should be able to:
- hold a pencil correctly and sit well for writing
- form upper- and lower-case letters and numbers neatly with the right starting point, direction and size
- use capital letters for sentence starts, I, names, places, days, months and festivals
- end sentences with a full stop or question mark
Short, frequent practice (5 minutes) beats long sessions. Tracing on screen is a warm-up; real pencil-and-paper practice matters most.
Previous: Stories and Poems: Anansi and Friends
Next: Building Sentences
Updates
2026/10/05
– Fixed the answer buttons so capital and small letters show correctly.
© 2026 Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.