Developmental Letter Sequence

Letters should be taught in a developmental sequence in groups with similar strokes. Lowercase letters are emphasized in this program since most students have spent more time on upper case letters in preschool and kindergarten. Most first grade students have developed the ability to produce the strokes needed for lower case letter formation. Uppercase letters are also reviewed for each letter.

Letters of the Week

The suggested sequence is as follows:
  • Week 1: c/C, a/A, o/O
  • Week 2: d/D, g/G
  • Week 3: s/S, e/E
  • Week 4: t/T, l/L, i/I
  • Week 5: v/V, w/W
  • Week 6: u/U, j/J
  • Week 7: k/K, y/Y
  • Week 8: p/P, r/R
  • Week 9: n/N, m/M
  • Week 10: h/H, b/B
  • Week 11: f/F, q/Q
  • Week 12: x/X, z/Z

Alphabet Style

A vertical manuscript style with a continuous stroke for as many letters as possible is recommended. If this style is not used by the district, this manuscript style is specifically recommended for children who struggle with handwriting legibility. Research supports the idea that manuscript that closely resembles traditional print decreases errors in letter recognition (Kuyl & Dewitz, 1994).