Activity 01
Finger Spacing Friends
Pupils use their index finger as a 'spacing friend' to place on the page after each word they write. This provides a consistent, physical measure for the space needed between words, making the abstract concept of spacing concrete.
Explain why we leave spaces between words.
Facilitation TipYou can also provide pupils with a decorated lollipop stick to use as a physical spacer tool if their fingers vary in size.
What to look forObserve pupils during a writing activity. Use a simple checklist to note their pencil grip, use of finger spaces, and whether letters are correctly sized and placed on the line.
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Activity 02
Sky, Grass, Ground Writing
Use specially lined paper or draw lines on a whiteboard representing the 'sky', 'grass', and 'ground'. Model how ascenders reach for the sky (b, d), most letters stay in the grass (a, c), and descenders dig into the ground (g, p).
Identify the 'tall' letters, like b, d, h, and 'tail' letters, like g, j, p.
Facilitation TipEncourage pupils to use their arms to make big 'sky, grass, ground' letters in the air first to warm up.
What to look forPupils use a traffic light system to assess their own sentence. They colour a green circle if they are confident they used finger spaces, amber if they tried but are not sure, and red if they forgot.
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Activity 03
Sentence Menders
Provide pupils with a simple sentence where all the words are squashed together (e.g., 'thecatisblack'). Pupils must rewrite the sentence on a whiteboard or paper, adding the correct finger spaces to make it readable.
Compare a sentence with correct spacing to one with no spacing.
Facilitation TipStart with a very simple three-word sentence and gradually increase the complexity as pupils become more confident.
What to look forAsk pupils to copy a simple sentence from the board (e.g., 'The big dog can jump.'). Assess the copied sentence for clear and consistent finger spaces, correct letter sizing, and placement on the baseline.
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Activity 04
Play-Dough Letters
Pupils use play-dough to form letters, paying close attention to their relative size and shape. This is an excellent kinaesthetic activity for reinforcing the difference between tall letters, small letters, and letters with tails.
Explain why we leave spaces between words.
Facilitation TipProvide laminated mats with baselines so pupils can place their play-dough letters correctly 'on the line'.
What to look forObserve pupils during a writing activity. Use a simple checklist to note their pencil grip, use of finger spaces, and whether letters are correctly sized and placed on the line.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Begin with whole-body movements like air writing to establish correct letter formation. Use memorable analogies like 'sky, grass, ground' to teach letter height and provide physical tools like lollipop sticks for spacing. Consistently model these techniques during any shared writing activities to reinforce expectations.
By the end of these activities, pupils will be able to write simple sentences with correctly sized letters and consistent spacing, making their work significantly neater and easier to read.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
All letters should be the same size.
Letters come in different sizes. Some are small and stay on the line, some are tall and reach up (ascenders), and some have tails that go below the line (descenders). Using these different sizes makes our writing easier to read.
Spaces between words don't matter as long as the letters are correct.
Spaces are like taking a little breath between words. They show the reader where one word ends and the next one begins, which is very important for making sure our sentences make sense.
Letters can float anywhere above the line.
Most letters need to sit firmly on the baseline, just like we sit on a chair. This keeps our writing neat and tidy and stops the words from floating away.
Methods used in this brief