Letters on the Baseline

Goal: Teaching students to print their letters so they rest on the baseline (bottom line)

Notes: For neat printing, we only like ‘sticky’ letters (letters that sit on the baseline). During all printing tasks, please encourage your child or students to print using ‘sticky’ letters. After they have finished a printing task, have them check their work and fix any mistakes (e.g. flyers and sinkers)

Helpful Strategies:

• Provide a visual to help the student remember by highlighting / darkening the baseline.

• Always provide a baseline. For things like visual journals or worksheets that don’t have lines, draw a baseline for the student/child.

• Allow them to use a pipe cleaner or a wiki stick (wax covered string) as a ‘sticky letter checker’. Have them hold it over the baseline to see if their letters are sticking.

• Encourage quality (neatness) over quantity to avoid students rushing. As printing neatly becomes more automatic, their speed should improve.