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Some letters are called long ladder letters because they have a long straight line in them.

For example:

l, i, t, u, j and y

Watch the following clip to learn more about these letters.

When joining long ladder letters to other letters, you have to think about where you will finish writing one letter and how you will link it to the next.

Top tip!

• l is joined by drawing the long line down and then curling the end to join to the next letter.
• t is the same but you go back at the end of the word to add the cross.

Curly caterpillar letters always start with the curl being drawn first.

For example: c, o, a and s

Some curly caterpillar letters have long ladders in them too. You always start with the curve before drawing the long ladder.

For example: d, g, q and f

Top tip!

With the letter f, you draw the curve and long line first.

Then take your pen off the paper to cross the f.

When you are joining up your writing, the cross joins onto the next letter.

• Sit comfortably on a chair with both feet on the floor.
• Turn your paper slightly so it is on an angle.
• Keep your back up straight and look down with your head.
• Write using a pen or pencil.
• Copy over the example letters first to see and feel how the join is.
• It is ok to take a break if your hand is hurting. Do lots of stretching of your fingers to help make it feel better.

Take this quick quiz and see what you can remember.

Practise your long ladder letter joins by writing the words on the list on the right on lined paper.

Write each word in the list to the right on lined paper four times.

• letter
• lettuce
• yellow
• lolly
• lullaby

Now try combining what you have learnt about long ladder letters and curly caterpillar letters.

Make your handwriting as neat as you can and see if you can join up some of your letters.

• coal
• dog
• fantastic
• lovely
• silly

Challenge

Choose two words from the list. Write a sentence that uses both of them. Can you keep your handwriting neat?

Copy this short tongue twister out on lined paper.

Use what you have learnt about long ladder letters and curly caterpillar letters.

Try to make your handwriting as neat as you can and join each letter carefully.

Lilly the lemon loving lemur loved licking lemons
All day she would lick lovely lemons from dawn until dusk
One day Lilly lost all her lovely yellow lemons
So now she licks limes instead.

You’ve worked really hard practising your handwriting today, now have some fun!

How many times can you say the tongue twister above without making a mistake?

Maybe you could challenge your friends and family to a tongue twister competition?