Show students how to trace on top of dotted lines that you have previously drawn on the chalkboard. Show examples of how to correctly trace over the lines and then incorrectly do it.
Pass out printable worksheets from the Donna Young website that teach students how to form sticks, curves and circles. The worksheets require students to trace over shapes and go through a maze to strengthen skills for making straight lines, zigzags and forming rounded curves and circles.
Show students letters in the alphabet that are formed from circles, sticks and curves. For example, the lower case "a" is a circle with an attached stick on the right side, the lowercase "l" is a basic stick and the lower case "h" is a stick with an attached curve on the right side. Write these letters on the board with no lines.
Explain how that each letter lives in a certain spot on the lined paper. Draw a basic house shape on the board next to lines and explain that some letters live only in the "downstairs," or lower half the line, some live in the "upstairs," or top half the line, and only a few letters go down into the basement. For example, a lower case "a" lives only in the downstairs. The capital "B" lives in both the downstairs and upstairs, and the lower case "g" lives in the downstairs and the basement.
Assign students to practice writing letters on the correct place on the lines. Point out which letters only live in certain spots of the house and correct students writing on practice papers.
Give kids hints on how to form more complicated letters. For example, the capital "G" is basically a large "C" with a line across the middle of the house, and the capital "M" is two sticks with a large "V" or zigzag shape that connects the two sticks together.
Assign practice papers with dotted letters where students must trace over practice letters and then try to write the letters for themselves.