Japanese Writing – Hiragana さ to と

💡Tips for Parents

▸ Why It Matters This second worksheet covers the さ row and the た row, and it teaches something the first page couldn't: two characters here, し and つ, are single, deceptively simple strokes, and kids who handled more complicated shapes last time often rush through these, assuming a "one-line" character can't really be gotten wrong. It can — a lazy stroke turns し into a flat line and つ into a stiff check mark instead of the soft curves that define them, so simple-looking characters deserve just as much care as complicated ones. さ also closely resembles き from the first worksheet, and comparing the two is a lesson in itself: hiragana is built from a small set of components — hooks, loops, crossing strokes — recombined again and again, so one tiny stroke can separate two characters. Spotting that distinguishing stroke now makes every future row of look-alike hiragana less overwhelming. ▸ Getting Started Begin with し, the simplest character here — one smooth curve from top to bottom — but insist your child draw it slowly, since speed is exactly what flattens the curve into a straight line. Once し feels steady, move to す, せ, そ together, tracing them side by side so the pattern shows: せ is essentially す with one small loop added near the top, not a new shape to memorize from scratch. Then introduce た, ち, つ, て, と, pointing out that つ, like し, is a single curved stroke deserving the same unhurried treatment. Keep a relaxed pencil grip throughout — tension makes short curved strokes harder to control than long straight ones. ▸ If They Get Stuck When さ and き get swapped, skip comparing their overall outline and count strokes together out loud instead, since き has one extra stroke crossing through it that さ doesn't have. If つ keeps coming out as a straight, angular check mark, have your child set the pencil down and trace a printed つ slowly with a fingertip, feeling the gentle curve before trying it again with the pencil — the same trick helps し whenever it starts looking like a plain vertical line. If a whole row feels overwhelming, isolate one troublesome character and repeat it five or six times on scratch paper before returning to the full page. ▸ Praise Points Praise the decision to slow down on characters that looked easy, not just a neatly finished page: "し looks like just one simple line, but you still took your time to curve it carefully instead of rushing — that's exactly the habit that keeps handwriting readable." You might also name the さ-き comparison directly: "You noticed き has one extra line that さ doesn't — that's how you'll tell hiragana apart from now on." Naming that kind of noticing, not just the finished tracing, builds real judgment for every hiragana row still ahead.

🎯What This Worksheet Builds

This worksheet covers the さ row and the た row, where two deceptively simple single-stroke characters, し and つ, teach your child that precision still matters even in the "easiest-looking" letters. さ also closely resembles き from the previous group, reinforcing how one small hook changes an entire character.

👉Next Step

Once さしすせそたちつてと feel comfortable, continue to the next worksheet's な-to-ほ group, which introduces の — the loop shape many kids already recognize — alongside へ, the single simplest stroke in all of hiragana.