Formation of u, y and j
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can form the letters u, y and j.
Key learning points
- The letter u is an x-height letter.
- The letter u is formed by going down, around, back up, down and finish with a flick.
- The letter y is like a u but goes under the baseline to the descender line and curls up.
- The letter j is formed by going down, curls up and finishes with a dot at the top.
- The letter j and y have descenders.
Keywords
Tripod grip - a special way of holding the pencil with three fingers (thumb, index, and middle fingers) that helps us write smoothly and with control
X-height letter - letters that reach the middle height on the line
Ascenders - the part of a letter that extends above the level of the top of an "x"
Descenders - the part of a letter that descends below the level of the bottom of an "x"
Baseline - this is the line that most letters sit on
Common misconception
Confusion on the direction for the 'curl up' on the y and j.
Be consistent with wording and modelling. Left direction is 'curl up' whereas 'flick' is when the direction is to the right.
Teacher tip
Use consistent actions to support children's understanding and recall of key words. For example reaching up for ascenders and reaching down for descenders.
Equipment
Pencil and paper
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
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 letter i on the tramlines.
Q2.Select the correct formation of the letter l on the tramlines.
Q3.Select the correct formation of the letter t on the tramlines.
Q4.Select the letters u and j.
Q5.Select the letter y.
Q6.Match the word to the definition.
Letters that are formed in a similar way.
Lines used as a guide to form letters at the correct size.
Parts of the letter that go above the x-height line.
To help you plan your 1 English lesson on: Formation of u, y and j, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 English lesson on: Formation of u, y and j, 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 primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.