Looped descenders and break letters
I can correctly form letters with looped descenders and know which letters are break letters.
Looped descenders and break letters
I can correctly form letters with looped descenders and know which letters are break letters.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- In cursive handwriting, letters with descenders use a lead out loop to join with the next letter in the letter string.
- The descenders for y, g, j and f have a loop to aid joining.
- The letter f has a lead in and a lead out loop to aid joining.
- Break letters are letters in the alphabet that do not join to the next letter in the letter string.
- The letters x and z are break letters.
Keywords
Descender - the part of a letter that descends below the level of the baseline
Lead out - the stroke or line that guides us to smoothly finish a letter and join to the next
Loop - a rounded shape made in certain letters
Letter string - a group of letters that are written together in a word
Break letter - a letter which doesn't join to the letter after it in a letter string
Common misconception
Some children might think the break letters don't join to any letters at all.
Model and frequently re-visit the concept that break letters do join to the letters before them but don't join to the letters after them. Over exaggerate when modelling that you lift your pencil after the break letter.
To help you plan your year 2 english lesson on: Looped descenders and break letters, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 2 english lesson on: Looped descenders and break letters, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 english lessons from the The four joins and break letters, with no lead-ins unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
