Tracing Worksheets for Teachers

Explore free letter tracing worksheets and other printable tracing activities created by teachers for teachers to make tracing practice fun and engaging in your primary grade classroom.

From tracing letters to numbers, the printables in this elementary school teaching resource collection are all designed to help young learners develop their fine motor skills as they work on letter and number formation, as well as learn to write their own names. Cursive tracing worksheets are also included for middle grade students who are learning the next step of handwriting.

New to teaching students and curious what the research says about tracing, or just looking for some fresh ideas to make this activity more fun and effective? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!

What Does Tracing Letters Do for Kids?

Handwriting is a key to communication — yes, even in the digital age! And for most students, it all starts with simple tracing exercises, following dotted lines over letters, numbers and shapes, which serve as a scaffold for these young learners.

The pre-drawn lines on a tracing worksheet allow students to follow along the given paths, receiving guidance and support from us — their teachers — as needed.

For pre-K and kindergarten students whose hand muscles are still developing, this practice is an important part of learning to hold and control a pencil or other writing utensils, unlocking the door to better letter formation and legibility of their handwriting.

But the benefits of tracing the alphabet or sitting down to trace numbers don't stop there!

Carefully moving a pencil over the dotted lines on a simple worksheet allows young learners to work on hand-eye coordination, building their ability to track and control their hand movements in relation to their visual focus.

How to Teach Pencil Grip

In order to be successful at tracing, students need to learn how to grip their pencils correctly. So how do you help your students grasp the proper grip technique? Let's start with the correct way to hold a pencil!

The Tripod Grip

Known as the tripod grip because it involves using three fingers, the most common way to hold a pencil approved by occupational therapists involves four basic steps:

1. Position the pencil — A student should hold their pencil in the dominant hand, resting it on the side of the middle finger.
2. Position the thumb — Once the pencil is in position, the student should place their thumb on the side of the pencil, opposite the index and middle fingers.
3. Position the fingers — Next, have your student curl their index and middle fingers slightly and place them on top of the pencil.
4. Apply pressure — Students should maintain a moderate but relaxed grip on the pencil, avoiding excessive pressure that will tire out the hand.

Tips for Teaching Pencil Grip

Teaching kids how to hold the pencil just right involves a lot of practicing — much like many of the skills they will learn in primary school. But these strategies can put them on the path to success in no time!

Model the Proper Technique

This may seem obvious, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention from the start that it's important to model how to hold a pencil so your students can imitate you!

Start With Bigger Writing Utensils

Pencils are thin and can be hard for younger students to manage as they are still building their fine motor muscles. Thick crayons and markers can be helpful as a starting point and allow students to get a feel for different grips.

Employ a Guided Hand-Over-Hand Approach

It can help to physically guide a child's hand to hold the pencil correctly. This way your student can feel the correct grip and develop muscle memory through repetitive practice.

Don't Be Afraid to Add Supports

Plenty of adaptive tools are out there to help students struggling to hold a pencil. Specialized pencil grips provide additional support and promote the tripod grip.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Activities that promote fine motor skills, such as coloring, drawing and — of course, tracing — can help reinforce the correct grip over time.

Be Flexible

While the tripod grip is best for most students, it does not work for every child. Remember, the key is really for students to find a grip that allows them to write legibly and comfortably.

Tracing Ideas for the Early Years Classroom

This collection is full of printables that you can add to your lesson plans, including fun animal worksheets your students are sure to love, but we didn't stop there! Read on for some fine ideas for tracing in the classroom from our teacher team!

1. Make Rainbow Letters — Have students use different colored markers or pencils for tracing practise to create a colorful result that looks like a piece of art, making the worksheet more fun!
2. Use Cotton Swabs and Watercolors — Give each student a set of watercolors, some water and cotton swabs, and allow them to trace the alphabet by painting each letter from a to z with a cotton swab "paintbrush."
3. Highlights — For a quick and easy tracing activity, write a letter, number or word with a bright-colored highlighter marker, then have students trace over it in pencil.