Printing - Primarily Learning

Printing … explicit direction for correct letter formation
HANDWRITING
Avoid stick and stone letter formation.
Provide direct instruction for printing letters.
Suggested activity for explicit direction regarding correct letter formation
(Focus on up to three letters per handwriting session.)
Give everyone a blank piece of paper.
Ask each child to put his/her name on the page.
Optional…depending on each child’s level of development…… ask the
children to draw a line across the page.
Show the children the letter that represents the sound you will be practicing.
Instruct the children to: “Put your pencil in the air. Using the voiced directions
provided, “air write” the letter together. Note: the teacher must scribe as a
mirror image.
Ask the children to repeat the instructions to you as you print the letter(s) on
the chalkboard, whiteboard, or overhead page.
Instruct everyone to record the letter(s) that make the sound. The children
are encouraged to voice the directions as they write. There is no...”I’m done.
I’m finished. I’m through.” Suggestions to those who finish quickly, “Add a
new line or a new page is you need to. Work on formation so that the letter
may be easily read by a friend. “
Monitor and assist students with the correct formation of the sound. Some
children will record three letters…others will record twenty. Some will be
perfectly formed… others will struggle with the formation. Some will use
lines… others will need one page per sound. You may need to repeat the
directions. “This is a … Start at the top….”
After 30 seconds or so, (when they are ready) instruct the children to, “Put
your pencils down.”
You may wish to comment, “Well done! You have just recorded what sound?
How did we write it?”
Begin a new letter.
Extensions: Read and record words with letters that have been taught.
Read and record sentences with tricky words that have
been taught.
Letter Voiced Directions Word Samples
c This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Make a caterpillar /c/ sitting on the line
k This is a tall letter
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
Lift your pencil, Slide in /Slide out
a This is a short letter.
a
Start at the top
Make a caterpillar /c/ sitting on the line
Slide up /Bounce down to the line
t This is a tall letter
at
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
Lift up your pencil and cross it!
Explicit printing instructions of the main 42 sounds in our language.
With words to read and write that contain the sounds that have been taught.
Created by Laurie Fyke.

i
p
n
s
ck
e
h
r
m
d
g
o
u
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
Lift up your pencil and dot it!
This is a hang-down letter
Start at the top
Slide down below the line
Bounce back up and swing around to the line
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
Bounce back up and swing around to the line
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Make a small caterpillar /c/ and swing back
onto the line
*** Short word. short vowel ending in /c/ … ck is
usually at the end of the word.
This is a short letter but it doesn’t start at the
top!
Slide to the end of the line
Then make a caterpillar /c/ sitting on the line
This is a tall letter
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
Bounce back up and swing around to the line
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
Bounce back up and swing around … then stop!
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
Bounce back up and swing around to the line
Bounce back up and swing around to the line
again
This is a tall letter
Start in the middle
Make a caterpillar /c/ sitting on the line
Slide up tall
Bounce down to the line
This is a hang-down letter
Start at the top
Make a caterpillar /c/ sitting on the line
Slide up
Bounce back down and swing around
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Make a caterpillar /c/ sitting on the line
And close it!
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Slide down to the line and swing back up
Then bounce down to the line
it
pat
pit
nap
pin
can
sit
pins
sack
stick
step
nest
insect
hen
hint
hiss
* short word, short vowel
double /ff/, /ll/, /ss/, /zz/
ran
rest
crisp
man
stamp
mint
dad
hand
drink
get
drag
grass
* short word, short vowel
double /ff/, /ll/, /ss/, /zz/
dogs
mom
smock
hugs
ducks
drum
must
Explicit printing instructions of the main 42 sounds in our language.
With words to read and write that contain the sounds that have been taught.
Created by Laurie Fyke.

l
f
b
ai
j
oa
ie
ee
or
z
This is a tall letter
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
This is a tall letter
Start at the top
Curve around and slide down to the line
Lift your pencil up
Cross it
This is a tall letter
Start at the top
Slide down to the line
Bounce back up halfway and swing around
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
This is a hang-down letter
Start at the top
Slide down below the line and curve around
Lift your pencil up and dot it!
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
This is a short letter but it doesn’t start at the
top!
Slide to the end of the line
Slide down on an angle
Slide back across the line
plum
limp
split
doll
* short word, short vowel
double /ff/, /ll/, /ss/, /zz/
fell
gift
frost
flip
from
off
* short word, short vowel
double /ff/, /ll/, /ss/, /zz/
black
scrub
but
bump
pain
train
afraid
snail
mail
jail
jump
just
soap
road
float
toast
tied
pie
lie
feet
green
sleep
tree
corn
sport
forget
zip
zigzag
jazz
* short word, short vowel
double /ff/, /ll/, /ss/, /zz/
Explicit printing instructions of the main 42 sounds in our language.
With words to read and write that contain the sounds that have been taught.
Created by Laurie Fyke.

w
ng
v
Oo/oo
y
x
ch
sh
Th/th
q
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Slide in towards the line
Slide up to the middle
Slide in towards the line
Slide up to the middle
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Slide in towards the line
Slide up to the middle
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
This is a hang down letter
Start at the top
Slide in towards the line
Slide up to the middle and bounce back down
below the line
This is a short letter.
Start at the top
Slide in towards the line
Lift up your pencil
Slide back towards the line
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
This is a hang-down letter
Start at the top
Make a caterpillar /c/ sitting on the line
Slide up
Bounce back down and slide up
west
week
twist
long
ring
spring
strong
van
vest
seven
look
stood
zoo
moon
yes
yet
yelp
wax
fox
next
chat
cheer
chain
crunch
ship
sheep
splash
brush
this
them
path
tooth
thing
Explicit printing instructions of the main 42 sounds in our language.
With words to read and write that contain the sounds that have been taught.
Created by Laurie Fyke.

qu
ou
oi
ue
er
ar
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
** Print this digraph using the correct formation
of these two letters so that they are close
together but not touching.
Underline the digraph in the words.
A digraph is two letters that make one sound.
quick
queen
quit
ouch
mouth
shout
ground
oil
boil
moist
joint
glue
clue
blue
true
her
fern
sister
monster
car
barn
shark
farmer
Explicit printing instructions of the main 42 sounds in our language.
With words to read and write that contain the sounds that have been taught.
Created by Laurie Fyke.