Letter D Handwriting Practice

Run the sentence: down the line, then back to the top and curve around to the bottom. Have the child trace the largest D first while saying the words aloud. A pencil with a bright sticker on the stick end helps remind which side is which. Do a short row twice, once in the morning and once before bed. If a child gets tired, end with a drawing of a dog, door or duck.

Capital D has the stick on the left and the bump on the right, which is the opposite of how some children want to draw it. Lowercase d is the worry: its bowl comes first, then the stick goes up on the right. Many children read the lowercase as b for a year. Learn the capital shape cleanly first, because it shows where the straight line belongs. D also leads common sight words: did, dad, day, do.

Start on Large and make the bowl round with no pointed corners. If the curve ends up too tiny, stay on Large a little longer. Medium is the stage for drawing the stick and curve in a single smooth move. Pair the D page with a B page printed side by side so that the child can decide which way the belly faces.

Is there a quick trick for telling b from d?

Make two fists with thumbs up. The left hand with the thumb forms a b shape, the right hand forms a d. Pair that with the word bed: b, bump, d. Many classrooms use this trick.

Should my child learn capital D before lowercase d?

Yes, nearly always. The capital has a clear stick on the left and a belly on the right, so there is nothing to flip. Lowercase d follows once the capital is steady.

How many times should D be traced in a day?

Two short rows spread over the day beat a long sitting. Five to eight traces with full attention are worth more than a full page done while the child is tired.