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      The second join: ck, ch, nk, lk with no lead in

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can correctly form the second join.

      Key learning points

      1. The letters are formed by following the right starting point and direction.
      2. Cursive letter joins refer to how the letters connect together.
      3. The pencil does not lift when forming the join.
      4. The second join goes from the baseline to the ascender line.

      Keywords

      • Cursive - style of handwriting where the letters are joined together in a flowing and connected manner

      • Join - how things connect

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

      • Baseline - this is the line that most letters sit on

      • Ascender line - this is the line that letters with ascenders reach up to

      Common misconception

      Children will often want to take their pencil off to form the join.

      Emphasise the flowing motion of cursive writing. The letters need to be joined together so the pencil needs to stay on the page.

      Teacher tip

      Give the children a visual of the letters being joined together by holding hands. If you lift your pencil then you are breaking the connection and they can't hold hands.

      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.
      True or false? Tramlines help to keep our letters the correct size.

      Correct Answer: true, True

      Q2.
      Order the tramlines from the top to the bottom.

      An image in a quiz
      1 - ascender line
      2 - x-height line
      3 - baseline
      4 - descender line

      Q3.
      Cursive letter joins refers to...

      how big the letters are.
      Correct answer: how the letters connect together.
      how important the letters are.

      Q4.
      How can you prepare your hands for handwriting?

      Correct answer: exercise your hands and fingers
      run up and down the stairs
      Correct answer: exercise your wrists
      Correct answer: draw handwriting patterns
      drink lots of water

      Q5.
      Select the capital letters.

      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 lower case letters.

      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

      To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: The second join: ck, ch, nk, lk with no lead in, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...