Formation of u, y and j
I can form the letters u, y and j.
Formation of u, y and j
I can form the letters u, y and j.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The letter u is an x-height letter.
- The letter u is formed by going down, around, back up, down and finish with a flick.
- The letter y is like a u but goes under the baseline to the descender line and curls up.
- The letter j is formed by going down, curls up and finishes with a dot at the top.
- The letter j and y have descenders.
Keywords
Tripod grip - a special way of holding the pencil with three fingers (thumb, index, and middle fingers) that helps us write smoothly and with control
X-height letter - letters that reach the middle height on the line
Ascenders - the part of a letter that extends above the level of the top of an "x"
Descenders - the part of a letter that descends below the level of the bottom of an "x"
Baseline - this is the line that most letters sit on
Common misconception
Confusion on the direction for the 'curl up' on the y and j.
Be consistent with wording and modelling. Left direction is 'curl up' whereas 'flick' is when the direction is to the right.
To help you plan your year 1 english lesson on: Formation of u, y and j, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 1 english lesson on: Formation of u, y and j, 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.
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Explore more key stage 1 english lessons from the Writing lower case letters in print unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Pencil and paper
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Letters that are formed in a similar way.
Lines used as a guide to form letters at the correct size.
Parts of the letter that go above the x-height line.