Pre-Writing Tracing Lines
Seven rows of strokes, in the order occupational therapists and preschool programs usually teach them: straight down, straight across, slanted, zigzag, waves, bumps and loops. Each row shows one bold model, then dashed repeats, and every stroke has a green dot marking where the pencil starts. These are the movements letters are built from; a child who can trace a loop row is ready for e and l.
Seven stroke families, straight to loops.
Ready-made PDFs
One-click downloads.
FAQ
What age are pre-writing strokes for?
Roughly ages 3 to 5, before or alongside the first letters. If a child is holding the pencil with a fist or pressing through the paper, start here rather than with letter tracing.
In what order should the rows be done?
Top to bottom. Vertical and horizontal lines come first, diagonals and zigzags next, curves and loops last, which is the developmental order most children follow.
Can my child practice on a tablet instead of paper?
Yes. The Practice online mode puts a pen tool over the exact same page, so kids can trace with a finger or stylus, clear, and try again without burning through paper.
Why the green dots?
Stroke direction matters more than accuracy at this stage. Letters are written top to bottom and left to right, and the dot trains that habit before any letter shape is involved.
Is there a shapes version?
Yes, the shape tracing page has circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, stars, hearts and diamonds in the same format. Switch Pattern in the panel to jump between them.
How do I print this pre-writing worksheet?
Click Download PDF and print at 100% scale. The page is already sized for US Letter with printer-safe margins, so no fit-to-page fiddling is needed.