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Cursive handwritingGrades 2–4

Cursive S

Prints a cursive S page: a big model, capital and small s to trace, a joined row, and the words sun, sock and seal. For children in grades 2 to 4.

By Paul Gunder. Free to print for home, classroom and office use; see how our printables are made.

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Cursive S: Capital S and Small s2 pages · US Letter

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NameDateScoreCursive S: Capital S and Small sTrace the grey letters, starting each one where the dark model starts. Then practise s joined to itself and in wordsthat start with s.Print: S sWords: sun, sock, sealPrintablePal.com · free cursive worksheetsCursive S: Capital S and Small s · page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2
NameDateScoreCursive S: Capital S and Small sTrace the grey letters, starting each one where the dark model starts. Then practise s joined to itself and in wordsthat start with s.Print: S sWords: sun, sock, sealPrintablePal.com · free cursive worksheetsCursive S: Capital S and Small s · page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2

On this page

What prints

The page opens with a large dark "Ss" and a note, "Print: S s", then sun, sock and seal. Ruled lines follow: capital S twice, small s twice, "sss" joined, and the three words, each repeated across the line with a dark first copy and grey copies after.

Small s

Small s looks unlike its print twin. Start on the baseline, swing up to a point at the midline, curve over a tiny top, come down and back, and finish with a small hook that closes at the baseline and exits upward. It is among the narrowest letters, and many children draw it too wide. Think of a small sail with a pointed tip.

In most school programs s is placed with the "curve forward" lowercase letters but still has a special shape: the exit point sits a little differently to other letters. Hence it is one of the special four with q, r and z on this site.

Capital S

Capital S starts with a little curve at the top, sweeps left, crosses, and ends in a loop or curve at the baseline. D'Nealian differs, and some programs end with a loop. This model is a natural teacher hand rather than a textbook, so check against your classroom's chart when a school uses an official style.

Joining

After the hook at the baseline, the stroke exits low and meets the next letter. In "sun" it enters u, in "sock" it meets o, which means the pencil must rise to the top of o, and "seal" joins s to e on the way. The sss row on the sheet shows the exit stroke clearly, because each copy ends where the next begins.

Mistakes

  • A print-style s, with no start point and hook
  • Making the letter too wide so it overlaps the next
  • Forgetting the closing hook, leaving a gap
  • Capital S done as a print S in two strokes

The settings

  • Practice. One letter.
  • Letter. Starts at S s.
  • Line size. Choose among Large (beginners), Medium and Small; the narrow s rewards a smaller size.

Worked example: Dev writes sock

Dev is nine and his s keeps ballooning. His teacher prints at Line size: Small so the sss row forces a narrow letter. He traces the dark s once with a finger. By the third copy the s is half as wide. In "sock" he lifts only after the k.

The previous page is cursive R and the next is cursive T. A compact view of all the capitals is on the cursive capital letters page.

Sources

  1. Reading Rockets: Writing (handwriting and writing instruction for children) readingrockets.org