Writing the letter a
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Learning text on the topic Writing the letter a
How to Write the Letter a – Introduction
You know and can spot the letter a already, well done! The letters you can see here are printed. Sometimes we write them like this, however, sometimes we write them differently. This text will teach you how to write the letter a with a lead in and an exit stroke to prepare for joined up writing later.
Today we are going to be practising our handwriting and learning how to form the letter a.
Get ready to write
Before we start we need to make sure we are ready to write.
1️⃣Make sure you are in a comfortable seating position
2️⃣Make sure you are holding your pencil with the correct grip.
3️⃣Make sure you have your lined paper.
Letters Similar to the Letter a
The letter a falls into the group of curly letters along with c, g, q, o, e, f, s and d, because they all follow a similar pattern.
Forming the letter a
Let’s have a look at how we form the letter a.
We can see we start with our whoosh to the top (lead in) and then form a curly c shape. We then join back up at the top and do a straight line down. Finish with a small flick (exit stroke)!
Step-by-Step Instructions – Forming the Letter a
| Step | Instruction | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start on the black line |  |
| 2 | Whoosh to the blue line. |  |
| 3 | Form a curly c shape. |  |
| 4 | Join back up to the top with a straight line. |  |
| 5 | Come straight back down and finish with a small flick. |  |
Practising Forming the Letter a
Can you practise forming the letter on your own with a pencil and paper?
Words with the letter a
Let’s have a look at some words with the letter a in them.
Can you practise writing these words? You could print this image out and use the lines to help you. Can you think of any more words with a in them?
Writing the Letter a – Summary
Key Learnings from this Text:
Today we learnt how to form the letter a. To form the letter, follow these steps:
| Step | Instruction | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start on the black line | |
| 2 | Whoosh to the blue line. | |
| 3 | Form a curly c shape. | |
| 4 | Join back up to the top with a straight line. | |
| 5 | Come straight back down and finish with a small flick. | |
To continue your practice, have a look at our video on the letter a and practise with the problems that follow. You can also continue with your handwriting practice, have a go at writing the letter o next!
Tips and Tricks
Writing the letter a exercise
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Where do we start writing the letter 'a'?
HintsWe start writing the letter 'a' on the left.
We always start with a whoosh, where does the whoosh start?
Where do you put your pencil first when you are going to start writing this letter?
SolutionThis is where we start writing the letter 'a'.
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Which handwriting family does 'a' belong to?
HintsWhen we write a letter 'a', do we make a curly c shape?
Here we can see the first three steps of writing the letter 'a'. What kind of shape can you see?
SolutionThe letter 'a' belongs to the curly letter group.
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Can you find the letter?
HintsRemember, 'a' is a curly letter with a curly 'c' shape in it.
Here we can see the steps to forming the letter 'a', can you find this letter in the words?
There are 4 letters to highlight.
SolutionHere we can see each letter 'a' highlighted in green.
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How do you form the letter 'a'?
HintsAlways start writing on the line at the beginning of the whoosh, or lead-in stroke.
Whoosh to the top and then make a curly 'c' shape.
Join the letter back up before coming back down and making a flick.
The final step is the completed letter 'a'.
SolutionHere we can see the steps in the correct order.
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Can you find the correctly written letter 'a'?
HintsWe start writing 'a' on the line and then whoosh up, which letters show that?
Here we can see the first three steps of writing the letter 'a'. What kind of shape can you see?
The letter 'a' is shorter than 'd'.
SolutionThis is a correctly written letter 'a'.
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Can you find and write each word?
HintsUse your phonics skills and listen to the sounds being said.
One of the words is a tricky word.
Listen carefully to the first sound of each word to help you find matching pairs.
SolutionHere are the four words written out.
- tap is spelt t a p
- band is spelt b a n d
- ball is spelt b a l l
- any is spelt a n y
