Letter X Handwriting Practice

Start by having the child draw an X in the air or with a finger in a tray of salt, then move to the solid letters on the page. Trace each solid X, then the dashed ones, then the dotted ones. Keep it short, about eight minutes, since there are only two strokes. Leave the last lines for writing without help. Playing a game of tic-tac-toe afterward turns the new skill into something to do.

X is two diagonal strokes that cross in the middle. Children usually find it fairly easy once they cross at the right spot, but beginners often start both strokes at the same corner or let the lines meet near the top. Crossing is the key skill here, and it is the same skill needed later for t, f and the plus sign. Lowercase x is the same cross at half height. X comes after V and W in diagonal difficulty.

Large lines are ideal for a preschooler, because a cross is easiest to judge when it has room. Try Medium for a child who already writes a few letters. If you set Style to Cursive, expect a different look, with two small curved strokes. Printing both a Large and a Medium sheet gives a cheap way to see progress across a week.

Which stroke of X do I teach first?

Top left to bottom right, then top right to bottom left. Both go down, which keeps the movement consistent for a young hand. Say the directions aloud while the child traces the solid examples.

Why does my child's X look crooked?

The crossing point drifts when one stroke is drawn too short or slanted. Aim the child at the middle dashed line as the place where the strokes meet, and trace the dotted rows slowly.

Is X worth practicing when it is rarely used?

Yes. The crossing motion carries over to t, f, k and the plus sign in math, and X shows up in words like box, six and exit, so it earns its place.