Letter H Handwriting Practice

Start with the left stick, then the right stick, then the crossbar in the middle. Say the three words as the pencil moves. If the child has trouble keeping the sticks parallel, let them trace a Large row first. Then do a Medium row. Finish by writing the word hat or hop on the blank lines. Ten minutes is a full session for H, and it makes a good warm-up for lowercase n.

H trains parallel lines and the sense of the middle of the letter. Children often slant one stick, place the bar too high or low, or start the crossbar outside the letter. Lowercase h is a taller stick with a small arch on the right, and it gets confused with n and b. Both are made with the same arch-and-stick. The easy test: does it reach the top line? If so, it is h.

On Large, aim for sticks that are the same height. If the crossbar rides high, show that it should touch both sticks at the halfway mark. Move to Medium when three rows come out neat. A teacher can print this page alongside the N page and point to the difference when both are placed next to each other.

Why does my child's H lean to one side?

The two sticks are probably being drawn without checking where the first one stopped. Trace the Large row, stopping each stick at the bottom line, and the leaning improves quickly.

Which feature separates lowercase h from n?

Height. Lowercase h has a tall stick that rises to the top line, while n stays short. Hold two pencils side by side to show the difference.

Where does the crossbar of H go?

Halfway between the top and bottom lines, touching both sticks. Some children like to find the dotted midline on the paper and draw along it, which keeps the bar level.