Capitalization Rules

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.

Guidelines	Benchmark
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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