Preschool - Writing

Preschool Trace Lines and Curves Worksheet

6 printable versions - Building Confidence - About 5 minutes each

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Trace Lines and Curves

Preschool - Writing - Building Confidence

Worksheet 1

  1. Start at the dot. Trace the line to the star.

    Read aloud: Find the little dot. Put your pencil there, follow the dots, and stop at the star.

    A handwriting line with 3 models of a line stroke to trace and space to write.Ruled writing lines. The first 3 cells show a line stroke as a dotted model with a dot where the pencil starts and a star where it finishes. The remaining space is blank to write in.

  2. Trace the curve. Turn slowly at each bend.

    A handwriting line with 3 models of a curve stroke to trace and space to write.Ruled writing lines. The first 3 cells show a curve stroke as a dotted model with a dot where the pencil starts and a star where it finishes. The remaining space is blank to write in.

  3. Which picture has this same shape in it?

    Read aloud: Trace the dotted path with your finger. Now point to the picture that has that same shape in it.

    A ruled writing line carrying a dotted path to trace, with a start mark, an end star, and blank space to write in.Ruled writing lines. The first 2 cells show a curve stroke as a dotted model with a dot where the pencil starts and a star where it finishes. The remaining space is blank to write in.

  4. Trace the line once more. Stay on the path.

    A handwriting line with 3 models of a line stroke to trace and space to write.Ruled writing lines. The first 3 cells show a line stroke as a dotted model with a dot where the pencil starts and a star where it finishes. The remaining space is blank to write in.
PencilGopencilgo.ai

About this worksheet

Before letters come strokes. Every capital in the alphabet is built from a straight line, a slant, a curve or a circle, so a child who can steer a pencil through those four movements has already done most of the work of writing an L, a C or an A. On this page each path is drawn as a dotted model with a dot where the pencil goes down and a star where it stops, and the last space on the line is left blank for a try of their own. Preschoolers usually stare at the pencil tip rather than looking ahead, and they tend to swing straight through a bend instead of slowing for it. Both smooth out with repetition, not with erasing. A wobbly first trace is normal and worth keeping. Say the movement out loud while it happens - down, around, across - because words give the hand something to follow when the eyes get tired.

What your child will learn

  • Put the pencil down on the marked start dot
  • Follow straight, slanted, curved, wavy and zigzag paths
  • Slow the hand at a bend instead of swinging past it
  • Recognize a traced shape again inside a picture

Worked example

Put the pencil on the dot at the left of the wave. Move slowly along the dotted path, looking a little ahead of the point, and lift the pencil when you reach the star.

Common mistake

Racing from the dot to the star in one swipe, so the pencil leaves the path at the first bend.

Helpful hint

Look just ahead of your pencil point, not at the pencil itself.

Hold the PencilRead and Write Left to Right

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with trace lines and curves?
Racing from the dot to the star in one swipe, so the pencil leaves the path at the first bend.
How can I help my child with trace lines and curves?
Look just ahead of your pencil point, not at the pencil itself.
Are these preschool writing worksheets free to print?
Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

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