New
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Year 2

Pre-cursive formation of o, g and q

I can form the pre-cursive letters o, g and q.

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New
New
Year 2

Pre-cursive formation of o, g and q

I can form the pre-cursive letters o, g and q.

Link copied to clipboard

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The pre-cursive letters o, g and q all have a lead in which starts at the baseline
  2. The pre-cursive letter o has a lead out at the x-height line
  3. The pre-cursive letter g has a loop at the end of its descender as the lead out
  4. The pre-cursive letter q has a diagonal line from the descender line to the baseline as the lead out

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

  • Descender - the part of a letter that drops below the baseline

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

Common misconception

The lead out on the pre-cursive letter g and q can be challenging for children at first.

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


To help you plan your year 2 english lesson on: Pre-cursive formation of o, g and q, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

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

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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6 Questions

Q1.
Select the correct formation of the lower case letter o 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 g in print.
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q3.
Select the correct formation of the lower case letter q in print.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q4.
Select the correct formation of the pre-cursive letter c.
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
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 a.
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q6.
Select the correct formation of the pre-cursive letter d.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q4 image 1 Correct pre-cursive c Q4 image 2 incorrect pre-cursive c Q5 image 1 incorrect pre-cursive a 2 Q5 image 2 incorrect pre-cursive a Q5 image 3 Correct pre-cursive a Q6 image 1 incorrect pre-cursive d Q6 image 2 Correct pre-cursive d Q6 image 3 incorrect pre-cursive d 2

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