Handwriting: O o, H h, L l, G g
Watch each letter get written. Then trace it with your finger.
Learn
When we write, letters sit on three lines, like a trip to space.
Star line
The top line. Tall letters start here: O, H, L, G, h and l.
Moon line
The dashed middle line. Small letters start here: o and g.
Earth line
The bottom line. Letters land here. Little g plunges past it!
Rocket words
Land the rocket ↓
Go straight down.
Thrust forward →
Go across, this way →
Thrust backward ←
Go across, this way ←
Orbit Planet O ↺
Start at the top. Go left and around.
Take off to the moon ↑
Go back up.
Plunge past the Earth ↓
Go down below the bottom line.
Practice
1. Watch, then trace
Pick a letter. Tap Show me. Then trace it with your finger, starting at the green dot.
2. On your own
Tap Hide the gray letter. Can you write it with just the lines?
3. On paper
Get a pencil and lined paper. Try these words:
go · log · hog · Oh!
In the real world
Look for these letters all around you!
- Stop signsS T O P. Find the round O!
- Hospital signsA big H shows where the hospital is.
- Make an LHold up your left hand. Your thumb and pointer finger make an L!
- Round thingsA donut, a wheel, a plate. They're all O shapes.
- Tall and smallh and l are tall like a giraffe. o is small like a mouse.
- Shopping listHelp write the list. Can you spot o, h, l or g in it?
- Write it bigSidewalk chalk, a steamy mirror, or a tray of salt. Say the rocket words as you go.
For grown-ups
The lines and the words
Class uses a space theme for the three writing lines: the star line (top), the moon line (dashed middle) and the earth line (bottom). The rocket words describe each pencil move:
- Land the rocket: a straight line down, usually from the star line to the earth line.
- Thrust forward / backward: across to the right / across to the left.
- Orbit Planet O: a circle that starts at the top and goes counterclockwise (to the left first).
- Take off to the moon: go back up a line you just drew (as in h and g).
- Plunge past the Earth: go below the bottom line (as in g).
Why the order matters
Starting at the top, going left to right, and circling counterclockwise makes writing faster and more consistent later. It also heads off reversals like b and d down the road.
How to help
- Finger tracing on a screen teaches the path. Follow it up with a pencil and lined paper, or a stylus if you have one.
- Pencil grip: pinch with the thumb and pointer finger and rest the pencil on the middle finger. Tilt the paper slightly.
- Say the rocket words out loud while writing. Watch the start point more than the neatness.
- The “How did I do?” stars measure how much of the letter the tracing covers and how much of it stays on the letter. It's a gentle nudge, not a grade, and it can't see direction. Watch that your child starts at the green dot and follows the arrows.