A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Tasmania has revealed significant insights into how children learn to use capitalization in English. Published on November 3, 2025 by the Society for Research in Child Development, the findings suggest that the seemingly simple rules of capitalization may not be as easily mastered by students as previously thought.
Over one-third of the global population uses writing systems that incorporate both uppercase and lowercase letters. In English, the rules for capitalization include identifying proper nouns and the starting position of words in a sentence. While these rules are typically introduced in early education, the research indicates that many children may not fully grasp them by the time they reach higher grades.
To investigate this issue, the study examined the capitalization skills of 236 English-speaking students from southeastern Australia, spanning Grades 3–6, 7–12, and post-secondary levels. Participants were primarily female, with 95% identifying as white. Researchers assessed their capitalization skills through exercises where students filled in missing words from pre-written sentences, focusing on both the context of the words and their roles in sentences.
The results showed that while older students generally demonstrated a better understanding of capitalization rules, younger students in Grades 3–6 struggled more, particularly when only one clue was present. For instance, they were more likely to capitalize a word when it was both a proper noun and at the beginning of a sentence, but made errors when these clues were not as clear.
One notable finding was that younger students capitalized words more effectively when required to focus on the sentence as a whole rather than on individual words. This suggests that teaching methods which encourage students to consider both sentence structure and word meanings could improve their capitalization skills significantly.
Emilia Hawkey, one of the authors of the study, remarked on the surprising nature of the findings. She pointed out that despite the straightforward rules of capitalization, students in Grades 3–6 do not consistently apply what they have learned. Instead, their understanding seems to develop gradually through reading and exposure to written language, rather than through direct application of the rules.
The research calls for educators to incorporate ongoing reminders and exercises related to capitalization throughout elementary education. This could include opportunities for students to revise the rules and understand their application better, particularly in the crucial years of Grades 3–6.
Parents and caregivers can also play a vital role in supporting their children’s understanding of capitalization. For example, they can highlight capitalization clues during everyday activities, such as reading or discussing road signs, thereby reinforcing the concepts in a practical context.
The study acknowledges some limitations, including the relatively small number of test words used, which may not fully represent broader writing practices. Future research is planned to explore how students employ capitalization in more natural writing scenarios and to further assess the effectiveness of targeted interventions.
Overall, this research emphasizes the importance of not only teaching rules but also fostering a deeper understanding of language structure among young learners. As educators and parents work together, they can help students build the confidence necessary to apply capitalization rules accurately in their writing.
Further details about the study can be found in the article titled “Capital Gains: Effects of Word Class and Sentence Position on Capitalization Use Across Age,” by Ms. Emilia Hawkey, Dr. Matthew A. Palmer, and Dr. Nenagh Kemp.
