✏️ Tracing lines worksheets (pre-writing practice)
Before children write letters, they need to move a pencil in a steady line. On these pages a child starts at a picture on the left (a car, a bee, a fish, a squirrel…) and follows the dotted path to a picture on the right. There are 8 basic patterns: vertical, horizontal, slanted, bridges, wavy, zigzag, circles and spirals, plus square waves and loops. On the easy level the path sits inside a light gray band with big dots; on the medium level only the dots remain; on the hard level the lines get thinner and closer together, and the child draws the last row alone.
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⬇ Tracing lines pack (10 pages) (PDF, 366 KB)Frequently asked questions
In what order should I teach the lines?
Most teachers start with vertical and horizontal lines, then move on to slanted lines, bridges, waves and zigzags. Circles and spirals come last. The pattern list on this page follows that order.
What if my child goes outside the line?
That is completely normal at this age. On the easy level the path is shown inside a gray band. Encourage your child to stay inside the band, and instead of correcting mistakes, try the next row together.
How many pages a day?
One page a day is plenty at age 4 and one or two pages at age 5–6. Short, happy sessions work better than long, tiring ones.
Do I need to print in color?
No. Every page is black and white with gray tracing dots, so it looks the same on any printer.