TapLearn
Letter Formation: Trace and Write with Squiggle the Snail

Letter Formation: Trace and Write with Squiggle the Snail

Learn letter formation: where each letter starts and which way to go. Trace, then write lower-case and capital letters with a friendly snail.

Play now

What you'll learn

  • Where each letter starts, and which way the pencil moves
  • Letter formation families: ladder, curly caterpillar, robot and zigzag letters
  • How to form capital letters, always starting at the top
  • How to tell b and d apart by how they are formed
  • Which letters are tall, which are small and which have tails
  • Why we say a sentence out loud before writing it

Chapter by chapter

  1. Writing has two jobs: say your idea, then form the letters

    Reception english · 1

  2. Lower-case letters: long ladder letters l, i, t, u, j and y

    Reception english · 2 Reception english · 3

  3. Lower-case letters: curly caterpillar letters c, o, a, d, g, q, e, s and f

    Reception english · 2 Reception english · 3

  4. Lower-case letters: one-armed robot letters r, n, m, h, b, p and k

    Reception english · 2 Reception english · 3

  5. Lower-case letters: zigzag letters v, w, x and z

    Reception english · 2 Reception english · 3

  6. Capital letters: starting at the top and forming them correctly

    Reception english · 2 Reception english · 3

  7. Recognisable letters: the right way round, the right size and on the line

    Reception english · 3 Reception english · 1

  8. Letter forming challenge (10 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Reception english: Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing)
  2. Reception english: Form lower-case and capital letters correctly
  3. Reception english: Write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed

About this adventure

Letter Formation with Squiggle the Snail is an interactive handwriting game that teaches children aged 4–5 to form lower-case and capital letters correctly, starting in the right place and moving in the right direction. It follows the Reception year of the EYFS.

Children watch a pencil demonstrate each letter, then trace it with a finger or mouse on writing lines, first with arrows and a green start dot, then with fewer dots, then on their own. The game notices common slips, such as starting at the bottom, curling the wrong way or drawing the stick of d first, and gently shows the start again.

Letters are taught in letter formation families, which group letters made with the same first movement. Children also practise saying a sentence out loud before writing it, and check their letters face the right way, are the right size and sit on the line.

Questions and answers

Where should children start when forming letters?

Most letters start at the top and move down, and every capital letter starts at the top. Curly letters such as c, a and d start near the top and curl back round to the left. The exception is e, which starts in the middle and goes across first.

What are letter formation families?

Letter formation families are groups of letters made with the same first movement. Long ladder letters (l, i, t, u, j, y) go straight down, curly caterpillar letters start like c, one-armed robot letters go down, back up and over, and zigzag letters (v, w, x, z) use slanting lines.

How can I stop my child mixing up b and d?

Teach b and d as two letters formed in different ways, not as mirror images. The letter b starts with a tall stick, like a bat, and then adds the ball. The letter d starts with a c-shaped curl, then goes up tall and back down.

What age is this letter formation game for?

This game is for children aged 4 to 5, matching the Reception year of the EYFS in England. By the end of Reception, children are expected to write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed. The game also suits older children who need a refresher.

What does the letter formation game include and how long does it take?

The game has seven chapters, a ten-question challenge, a finger warm-up and a letter workshop for practising any of the 52 lower-case and capital letters. Playing everything takes about 50 minutes, and children can stop and come back to any chapter from the garden map.

More to explore

See all