Practice of letters with ascenders
I can form the letters with ascenders correctly.
Practice of letters with ascenders
I can form the letters with ascenders correctly.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The part of the letter that reaches above the x-height line is called the ascender
- The letters b, d, h, k and l all have starting points on the ascender line
- The letters f and t have starting points between the x-height line and the ascender line
- The letters with ascenders are b, d, h, k, l, f and t
Keywords
Ascender - the part of a letter that extends above the level of the top of an "x"
Ascender line - the line above the x-height line which most letters with ascenders reach up to
X-height line - this is the line that x-height letters go up to
Baseline - this is the line that most letters sit on
Starting point - starting point is the place where we begin to write a letter or shape, usually at the top or left side.
Common misconception
That the letters h, b, d and k are x-height letters.
Modelling through the lesson that although parts of the letter are x-height, they are not x-height letters because they have ascenders.
To help you plan your year 1 english lesson on: Practice of letters with ascenders, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 1 english lesson on: Practice of letters with ascenders, 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.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
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 Writing lower case letters in print unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Starter quiz
6 Questions
























Exit quiz
6 Questions
a, c, o, e, i, m, n, r, s, u, v, w, x and z
b, d, h, k, l, f and t
g, j, p, q and y