# Lesson 3: Understanding capital and lowercase letters

✍️ WRITING (40 Lessons) • 🟢 A. Getting Started with Writing

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## Objective

I can tell the difference between capital and lowercase letters, and use capitals for sentence starts, names, and the word I.

## Materials

- Short, sharpened pencil
- Eraser
- Ruled paper (primary lines preferred)
- Tracing Pad (below)
- Alphabet strip or chart (with capitals and lowercase letters)

## Mini-lesson — Capital and lowercase letters

In writing, we use two kinds of letters: capital letters and lowercase letters. They are partners. They show the same sound but look different.

1. Capital letters

- Capital letters are the big forms, like A B C.
- We use capitals at the start of a sentence.
- We use capitals for names of people and places, like Mia or Paris.
- We write the word I as a capital when it stands alone, like "I am six."

2. Lowercase letters

- Lowercase letters are the smaller forms, like a b c.
- We use lowercase for most of the letters in a word.
- Lowercase letters still sit on the line and follow our neat letter rules.

3. Letter partners

- Each letter has a capital partner and a lowercase partner: A a, B b, C c.
- The partners look different but still belong together.
- We can read a word even when the letters change size, like cat and Cat.

4. Using capitals carefully

- Do not use capitals in the middle of a word for no reason.
- Do not write a whole word in capitals unless a grown-up tells you.
- Use capitals only where they belong: sentence starts, names, and the word I.

Ask yourself: "Did I use a capital to start my sentence? Did I use capitals for names and I? Are the other letters lowercase?"

Picture strip: "Capital and lowercase partners"

## Guided Practice — Capital and lowercase partners

Use this routine to match capital and lowercase letters and to practice using capitals in the right places.

1. Warm up with partners: On the Tracing Pad, choose pairs like Aa, Bb, or Cc. Trace a row slowly. Say the sound as you trace each partner.
2. Check the shapes: Look at an alphabet chart. Make sure your capital and lowercase shapes match the chart. Fix any letters that look very different.
3. Practice the word I: On the pad, choose I and trace a row of the capital letter I. Say, "I is always a capital when it is by itself."
4. Move to paper: On your paper, write three short words: cat, sun, pen. Then write them again with a capital at the start: Cat, Sun, Pen.
5. Write a name: Write your own name with a capital first letter and lowercase letters after, like Emma or Leo. Check that only the first letter is capital.
6. Make a sentence: Write a short sentence, like I see the sun. Check: capital at the start, capital I, lowercase in the middle, and a period at the end.

You can repeat this routine with different names and sentences to help capital and lowercase rules feel natural and easy.

Tracing Pad
Lines
Trace
Pen

## Drag & Drop — Build and write capital and lowercase rules

First, build each short sentence. Then copy it onto your ruled paper.

Step 1 (on the device): Drag the words into the correct order. Release inside a slot to drop.

Step 2 (on paper): Write each finished sentence on your paper with the correct capitals and lowercase letters.

Match each capital with its lowercase .
Use a capital to start names .
Use a capital to start sentences .
Use lowercase letters in the middle .
Do not mix big and small .

## Quick Check — Capital and lowercase letters

Answer each question about capital letters, lowercase letters, and when to use capitals. This is a gentle 10-question check.

#### What are capital letters?

The tiny letters inside words The big letter forms like A B C Numbers like 1 2 3

#### What are lowercase letters?

The smaller letter forms like a b c Only the first letter of a sentence Just the letter I

#### What should you use at the start of a sentence?

A lowercase letter A number A capital letter

#### Which word needs a capital?

cat mia (name) and

#### How should you write the word I in a sentence?

As a capital I As a small i As iii

#### In the middle of a word, most letters should be…

All capitals All different sizes Lowercase

#### Which is the best way to write the word cat at the start of a sentence?

CAT Cat cAt

#### What is true about A and a?

They are capital and lowercase partners They are different letters Only A is a letter

#### Why do we use capital letters?

Just to make writing look fancy To make every word huge To show sentence starts and names clearly

#### After you write a sentence, you should…

Change all letters to capitals Check that capitals and lowercase letters are in the right places Erase the sentence

## Assessment (parent/teacher)

Can point to and name capital and lowercase forms of several letters Starts sentences with a capital letter Uses capital letters for names and the word I Keeps most other letters in words as lowercase

## Exit ticket (student)

😀 I know when to use capital and lowercase letters. 🙂 I need more practice with capital and lowercase rules. 😅 Capital and lowercase letters still feel tricky.

#### I will practice…

Using capitals at the start of sentences Using capitals for names and I Keeping other letters lowercase
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