Before completing a writing assignment, children should proof their work to ensure proper use of capital letters. Every child progresses differently. Incorporating capital letters in writing is a gradual progress. However, many reading programs expect students to use correct capitalization by forth grade. When appropriate, review the following capitalization rules with your child.
| Capitalize the first word in a sentence. Example: My dog is white. | Kindergarten |
| Capitalize the pronoun I. Example: My father and I like to ride our bikes. | Kindergarten |
| Capitalize dates. Example: January 1, 2012 | 1st Grade |
| Capitalize the names of people. Example: George Washington, Mrs. Smith | 1st Grade |
| Capitalize the first word of both the salutation and close of a letter. Example: Dear Connor, Your friend, Emma | 1st Grade |
| Capitalize specific dates, e.g., events & holidays. Example: Fourth of July, Thanksgiving & Wimbledon Do not capitalize seasons, e.g. spring, winter & fall. | 2nd Grade |
| Capitalize trade names (products) and organizations. Example: Crest toothpaste, Dove soap, & Dell | 2nd Grade |
| Capitalize geographic names. Example: United States, Asia, Maryland, New York City | 2nd Grade |
| Capitalize abbreviation and acronyms. Example: US, St., Mrs. & SCUBA | 2nd Grade |
| Capitalize the first word & important words in titles of books, magazines, newspapers etc. Example: Wall Street Journal, War Games Do not capitalize insignificant words, e.g., a, an, the, and & if. | 3rd Grade |
| Capitalize the first word in a direct quotation. Example: She said, “I do not like peas.” | 4th Grade |
| Capitalize the names of races, languages, religions and deity. Example: Caucasian, Spanish, Catholic & God | 4th Grade |
Fry, E.B., Ph.D. & Kress, J.E., Ed.D. (2006). The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists 5th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Montgomery County Public Schools Elementary Integrated Curriculum Framework, September 2010.
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