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Year 1

Practice of letters with ascenders

I can form the letters with ascenders correctly.

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New
New
Year 1

Practice of letters with ascenders

I can form the letters with ascenders correctly.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The part of the letter that reaches above the x-height line is called the ascender
  2. The letters b, d, h, k and l all have starting points on the ascender line
  3. The letters f and t have starting points between the x-height line and the ascender line
  4. 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...

Use your body to remind the children visually that the ascenders reach up above the x-height line.
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Supervision

Adult supervision required

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Select the letters with descenders.
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q2.
Select the letters with descenders.
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q3.
Select the correct formation of the letters b and h.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q4.
Select the correct formation of the letter d and k.
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q5.
Select the correct formation of the letters l and t.
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q6.
Select the correct formation of the letter f.
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
A letter which reaches above the x-height line is called an...
x-height letter.
Correct answer: ascender letter.
descender letter.
Q2.
The letters b and h have starting points on the...
Correct answer: ascender line.
x-height line.
descender line.
baseline.
Q3.
The letters f and t start between which two lines?
Correct answer: ascender line
descender line
baseline
Correct answer: x-height line
Q4.
Select the letters which reach the ascender line.
Correct answer: d
p
Correct answer: l
Correct answer: h
a
Q5.
Select the true statements regarding letters with ascenders.
Part of the letter reaches below the baseline.
Correct answer: Part of the letter reaches above the x-height line.
Ascender letters are x-height letters.
Q6.
Match the letter type with the correct letters.
Correct Answer:x-height letters,a, c, o, e, i, m, n, r, s, u, v, w, x and z
tick

a, c, o, e, i, m, n, r, s, u, v, w, x and z

Correct Answer:ascender letters,b, d, h, k, l, f and t
tick

b, d, h, k, l, f and t

Correct Answer:descender letters,g, j, p, q and y
tick

g, j, p, q and y

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