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Joined Handwriting: Learn the Joins with Loopy the Pencil

Joined Handwriting: Learn the Joins with Loopy the Pencil

Learn joined handwriting with diagonal and horizontal joins, which letters stay unjoined and how to write neatly, by tracing joins on screen.

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What you'll learn

  • How to make a diagonal join from the bottom of a letter
  • Why o, r, v and w join with a flat, horizontal stroke
  • How to join right up to the top of tall letters
  • Which letters are best left unjoined, including g, j, y and capitals
  • How to keep downstrokes parallel and evenly spaced
  • How to space lines so ascenders and descenders don't touch

Chapter by chapter

  1. Diagonal joins: from the bottom to short and tall letters Free to try

    Years 3–4 english · 1

  2. Horizontal joins: o, r, v and w across the top

    Years 3–4 english · 1

  3. Letters best left unjoined: tail letters, x, z and capitals

    Years 3–4 english · 1

  4. Legible writing: parallel, evenly spaced downstrokes

    Years 3–4 english · 2

  5. Consistent writing: letter size and line spacing so ascenders and descenders don't touch

    Years 3–4 english · 2

  6. Handwriting champion quiz (8 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Years 3–4 english: Use the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined
  2. Years 3–4 english: Increase the legibility, consistency and quality of their handwriting

About this adventure

Joined Handwriting is an interactive game that teaches children aged 7–9 how to join letters with diagonal and horizontal strokes, which letters are best left unjoined, and how to make their writing neat and easy to read. It follows the Year 3 and 4 handwriting objectives in the national curriculum in England.

Children trace each join with a finger or mouse while Loopy the pencil talks them through it. Diagonal joins slant up from the bottom of a letter. Horizontal joins run flat across the top after o, r, v and w. Children also practise leaving a small gap after tail letters and capitals.

Later activities focus on legibility. Children learn to keep downstrokes parallel and evenly spaced and letters a consistent size. They also learn to space lines so ascenders (the tall parts of letters) and descenders (the tails) never touch.

Questions and answers

What is joined handwriting?

Joined handwriting is writing where small joining strokes link the letters, so the pencil moves from one letter to the next without lifting. In England, children are expected to use joined handwriting throughout their independent writing in Years 3 and 4.

What are diagonal and horizontal joins in handwriting?

A diagonal join slants up from the bottom of a letter such as a, i or n to the start of the next letter. A horizontal join runs flat across the top from letters that finish high, such as o, r, v and w.

Which letters should not be joined in handwriting?

Letters with tails below the line, such as g, j and y, are usually left unjoined to the next letter. So are x, z and capital letters. Some schools also leave b, p and q unjoined, so children should follow their own school's style.

What age is this joined handwriting game for?

The game is designed for children aged 7 to 9, matching Years 3 and 4 of the national curriculum in England. An optional warm-up on tall, short and tail letters helps less confident writers get started.

How long does the joined handwriting game take?

Playing everything takes about 35 minutes, and children can start with any chapter. The game includes an optional warm-up, five chapters of tracing and sorting activities, and an eight-question champion quiz at the end.

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