There is a widely held belief that uppercase letters should be taught first because they are easier to write. This assumption is often repeated in early education, yet it deserves closer examination. When we look carefully at how letters are formed, how children read and write, and how motor patterns develop, the case for teaching lowercase letters first becomes clear.
To provide the best instructional outcomes for students, handwriting instruction must be guided by how the brain and body learn movement patterns most efficiently. Research on foundational letter formation consistently shows that instructional sequence matters, not just for legibility, but for long term fluency, automaticity, and cognitive efficiency.
Are Uppercase Letters Really Easier to Write?
The idea that uppercase letters are easier is usually based on simplified assumptions that they are bigger, straighter, and start in the same place. A closer analysis of letter formation reveals a more complex and more instructive picture.
Letter Size
Uppercase letters are often described as easier because they are larger. However, size is not an inherent property of letter type. Lowercase letters can be written just as large by increasing line height, while still reinforcing the correct motor patterns needed for fluent writing.
Motor difficulty is determined by stroke sequence, continuity, and lift demands, not letter size. Writing a large lowercase a still builds the same efficient motor plan required for automatic handwriting.
Starting Points
It is true that uppercase letters are commonly described as all starting at the top. However, while they all begin on the top line, uppercase letters do not share a single, consistent starting location.
In practice, uppercase letters begin from three distinct starting points along the top line:
- Top middle: A, I, J, T
- Top left: B, D, E, F, H, K, L, M, N, P, R, W, V, X, Y, Z
- Below the top, to the right: C, G, O, Q, S
Because uppercase letters still require multiple motor entry points, simply compressed onto the same line, the instructional benefit of a single starting rule is significantly diminished.
Lowercase letters also begin from three distinct starting locations, but these are functionally grouped and teachable, supporting motor planning rather than rote memorization:
- Top left: b, h, k, l
- Middle left: m, n, p, r, u, v, w, x, y, z
- Below the middle, to the right: a, c, d, g, o, q, s
- Exceptions: e, f, i, t
This structure allows students to reuse movement patterns across letters, reducing cognitive load and supporting faster motor learning.
Pencil Lifts
Pencil lifts require precise visual monitoring and motor control to accurately reposition the pencil for the next stroke. Each lift increases task demands and interrupts motor flow.
Seventeen uppercase letters require two or more pencil lifts, compared to only seven lowercase letters.
For example, uppercase A requires three separate strokes with careful placement between each. Lowercase a, by contrast, is formed with one continuous movement. Fewer lifts reduce motor complexity and support smoother, more automatic writing.
Letter Strokes and Motor Complexity
Letters are built from basic strokes that develop in a predictable order: vertical lines, horizontal lines, circles, and finally diagonal lines. Diagonal strokes are the most complex.
It is true that uppercase letters include more straight-line-only forms. Six uppercase letters (E, F, H, I, L, T) are composed entirely of straight strokes, compared to three lowercase letters (l, i, t). This gives uppercase a numerical advantage in this area.
However, straight-line simplicity is not exclusive to uppercase, and it does not eliminate the need to learn curved and diagonal strokes for functional writing. In fact, eleven uppercase letters require diagonal strokes, compared to only seven lowercase letters, increasing overall motor complexity in uppercase writing.
Lowercase Aligns More Closely With Reading and Writing
Lowercase letters make up approximately 95 percent of the letters children read and write in connected text. Teaching lowercase first allows students to apply handwriting skills directly to meaningful reading and writing experiences.
Lowercase letters such as b, d, p, g, and q share visual similarities that often cause confusion. When handwriting instruction is aligned with reading instruction, students build stronger differentiation skills through repeated visual motor exposure. This alignment is particularly beneficial for students who learn best through kinesthetic and multisensory input.
Lowercase words are also easier for the brain to process. Ascenders and descenders create distinctive word shapes, while uppercase text forms uniform rectangular blocks that are slower to read.
The Cost of Teaching Uppercase First
When students learn uppercase letters first, strong motor patterns are established for those letter forms. Later, when lowercase letters are introduced, students must override those existing motor plans and devote additional working memory to learning a new system.
This transition is similar to learning to type using the hunt and peck method. While it may feel functional at first, it becomes inefficient over time and difficult to unlearn. Lowercase first instruction avoids this unnecessary cognitive detour and supports earlier automaticity.
What Research and Experts Say
Experts in handwriting development consistently emphasize the advantages of teaching lowercase first.
Educational font designer Dave Thompson notes that lowercase letters require fewer pen lifts, share more consistent stroke patterns, and support continuous movement through retracing rather than repeated lifts.
Educational psychologist Virginia Berninger has shown that lowercase letters should be taught first because they appear more frequently in text and support earlier automaticity. She recommends limiting extended writing demands until lowercase formation is functional.
Researcher Steve Graham reinforces this position, noting that teaching lowercase letters is more economical and efficient for developing fluent writing.
Implementation: What This Looks Like in Practice
Teaching lowercase first does not mean eliminating uppercase letters. Instead, it means prioritizing lowercase instruction until students develop legible, automatic formation. Uppercase letters can then be introduced strategically for names, sentence beginnings, and specific instructional purposes.
This approach reduces cognitive load, supports reading alignment, and accelerates writing fluency without sacrificing accuracy.
Conclusion
Teaching lowercase letters first is not a matter of preference or tradition. It is a decision grounded in motor efficiency, reading alignment, and long-term writing success. When instruction reflects how children actually read and write, students build stronger foundations that support fluent, confident communication.
Uppercase First vs Lowercase First
| Argument Supporting Uppercase First | Argument Supporting Lowercase First |
|---|---|
| Uppercase letters are larger and often easier for young children to copy. | Lowercase letters can be written just as large by increasing line height while preserving correct motor patterns. |
| Uppercase letters are uniform in size and placement. | Lowercase letters vary in height, supporting visual discrimination and spatial awareness. |
| Six uppercase letters are formed using only straight lines (E, F, H, I, L, T), which can reduce early motor demands. | Three lowercase letters are also formed using only straight lines (l, i, t), so straight line simplicity is not exclusive to uppercase. |
Uppercase letters are often described as all starting at the top, but in practice they begin from three distinct starting locations along the top line:
These multiple entry points reduce the functional benefit of a single starting rule. |
Lowercase letters begin from three predictable, teachable starting point groupings that support motor planning:
|
| Eleven uppercase letters require diagonal strokes, increasing motor complexity. | Only seven lowercase letters require diagonal strokes (v, w, x, y, z, q), reducing early motor load. |
| Seventeen uppercase letters require two or more pencil lifts, interrupting motor flow and increasing task demands. | Only seven lowercase letters require two pencil lifts, supporting smoother, more automatic writing. |