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      Pre-cursive formation of e, s and f

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can form the pre-cursive letters e, s and f.

      Key learning points

      1. The pre-cursive letters e, s and f all have a lead in and a lead out
      2. The pre-cursive letter f has a loop as the lead in and a loop as the lead out
      3. The letters e and s are x-height letters
      4. The pre-cursive letter f has an ascender and a descender

      Keywords

      • Lead in - the stroke or line that guides us into starting a letter

      • Lead out - the stroke or line that guides us to smoothly finish a letter

      • X-height letter - letters that sit between the baseline and the x-height line

      • Loop - rounded or curving elements that contribute to the overall shape of a letter

      Common misconception

      The two loops on the pre-cursive letter f can be challenging for children at first.

      Lots of modelling and opportunities to trace the grey examples will support correct formation.

      Teacher tip

      Using a visual of the f 'looping their hands around' to join the next letter can help remind children to form the loop.

      Content guidance

      Risk assessment required - physical activity

      Supervision

      Adult supervision required

      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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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Select the correct formation of the lower case letter e in print.

      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz

      Q2.
      Select the correct formation of the lower case letter s in print.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz

      Q3.
      Select the correct formation of the lower case letter f in print.

      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 pre-cursive letter o.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz

      Q5.
      Select the correct formation of the pre-cursive letter g.

      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 pre-cursive letter q.

      An image in a quiz
      Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz
      An image in a quiz

      To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Pre-cursive formation of e, s and f, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...