Reception · English
Curly caterpillar letters
NameDate
Trace the grey letters, then copy them on the line.
c c c c c
a a a a a
d d d d d
o o o o o
g g g g g
e e e e e
s s s s s
cat dog sad
English worksheets · Reception, Year 1
Letter formation worksheets
Printable tracing and copying practice for forming lower-case letters correctly, grouped by the movements children use.
Printable letter formation worksheet
Printable sample · Reception
Curly caterpillar letters
Trace the grey letters, then copy them on the line.
Tracing and copying practice has no fixed answers. Check that letters start in the right place, sit on the line and match the grey models.
Need blank lines too? Print handwriting paper or lined paper at the size that suits your child.
Letter formation
Letter families
Many schools teach letters in families that share a starting movement: curly caterpillar letters (c, a, d, g, o, q, e, s, f), long ladder letters (l, i, t, u, j, y), one-armed robot letters (r, n, m, h, b, k, p) and zig-zag letters (v, w, x, z).
Grouping letters this way means one good movement supports several letters.
Letter formation
Starting in the right place
Correct formation matters more than neatness at this stage. A letter started in the wrong place becomes hard to join later. Watch the first stroke and gently correct it.
For extra practice, print PaperKind Printables handwriting paper with a dashed midline and wide bands.
Year-group applicability
Which years practise letter formation?
Designed around primary-school skill progression; your school's order may differ.
Last reviewed: 24 September 2026
Questions