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Leaving spaces between words

There are lots of things to think about and practise when you are learning to write such as finger spaces, capital letters and full stops.

Spaces are really important in writing. Without them, it is hard to see when one word ends and the next one starts. This can make reading very tricky.

You can put the tip of a pencil between your words to make sure they are spaced out enough. You can also use your finger to do this, creating a finger space.

Watch: Basics of handwriting

Watch the video to discover some more top tips for your writing. You will need a pencil and some lined paper to join in.

Activity 1

Let’s look at spaces!

Have a look at one of your finger tips. That is how big a finger space should be.

Now, read the sentences below and decide if the finger spaces are the correct size.

If the finger spaces are not the correct size, explain what could be changed to fix them.

Activity 2

Let’s add some finger spaces in!

Here are some sentences that don't have any finger spaces.

Read the sentence and point to where the finger spaces should be.

Then, re-write the sentences on a piece of paper making sure the words are spaced out properly.

1. Thedogishappy.

2. Iamsix.

3. Helikesplayingfootball.

4. Whatisyourname?

5. Whatfunwearehaving!

You can check your answers using this

Activity 3

For this activity you will need some small counters.
You could use small sweets or pieces of cereal.

Imagine that you are introducing yourself to a new child in your class.

Write three sentences about yourself. Don’t forget to use finger spaces!

After you have written your sentences, check if you can place your counters between your words.

If you can, your spaces are perfect!