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Cursive J: How to Write Uppercase J and Lowercase j

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A big model of cursive J and j with step-by-step directions, plus practice pages for lowercase j, uppercase J, joins and j words.

Download the Letter J worksheets

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these letter J worksheets

This is cursive J and j in modern cursive: joined lowercase letters with simple capitals. How to write lowercase j: start at the dashed midline. Pull straight down below the baseline, loop back to the left and come up to the baseline, ending with a flick. Lift and add the dot last. How to write uppercase J: start at the top line. Pull straight down and curve back to the left at the baseline.

Lowercase j loops below the baseline and swings back up into the next letter, so jjj and words like jam are written without lifting the pencil. In the usual teaching order, j is learned with the undercurve letters (i, t, u, w, e, l, b, h, f, k, r, s, j, p).

The four worksheets below start with a large chart of J, j and jjj, then give a page each for lowercase j, uppercase J, and joins and words such as jam, jet, jog, juice, jump and jar.

Standards

  • Texas TEKS Grade 2 (handwriting)develop handwriting by accurately forming all cursive letters using appropriate strokes when connecting letters
  • Texas TEKS Grade 3 (handwriting)write complete words, thoughts, and answers legibly in cursive leaving appropriate spaces between words

How to use them

  1. Start with the chart page. Read the steps aloud while your child traces the big j with a finger, then writes it on the rows below.
  2. On the lowercase page, trace each single j, then the joined jjj, then write your own on the blank rows.
  3. Use the uppercase page for J and names like Jan, Jo and Jake.
  4. Finish with the words page: the joins, the words jam, jet and jog, and the sentence “Jan jumps for joy.”

Teaching tips for J

  • Lowercase j: Start at the dashed midline. Pull straight down below the baseline, loop back to the left and come up to the baseline, ending with a flick. Lift and add the dot last.
  • Uppercase J: Start at the top line. Pull straight down and curve back to the left at the baseline.
  • Watch for a j tail that curves to the right. It curves back to the left, under the letter.
  • Print at actual size (100%). The gray letters are solid, so they copy cleanly, and each row has a black model at both ends for left-handed writers.

Questions about letter J

How do you write a cursive j?

Start at the dashed midline. Pull straight down below the baseline, loop back to the left and come up to the baseline, ending with a flick. Lift and add the dot last.

How do you write a capital J in cursive?

In modern cursive: start at the top line. Pull straight down and curve back to the left at the baseline. Capitals don't join to the next letter, so write the J, then start the lowercase letters close by.

How does cursive j join to other letters?

The j loops below the baseline and swings back up to the baseline, then keeps going into the next letter without a lift, as in ja, je and ji.