Pre-writing worksheets
The strokes before the letters: lines, waves, loops and spirals to trace.
Examples temporarily replace the input and settings. You can restore your previous work.
Pro keeps the settings you use every week and puts them one click away. See Pro
Free PDFs end with a small “Made with nouplo.com” line Remove limits with Pro
Save to PinterestYour files stay on your device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and you can even turn off your internet connection before you start.
Example
Example: a pre-K tracing pack for 4-year-olds on US Letter
A pre-K teacher wants one pack that goes from easy to hard. Strokes “All of them, easiest first”, Size “Medium — age 4 to 5”, Lines to trace “Dotted”, name and date at the top, title “Pencil Warm-Up”, Paper “US Letter”.
- The ten strokes are shared over 2 pages of 5 rows, spread down each page so that none is squeezed in at the bottom.
- Page 1: straight lines across, lines down, slanting lines, zigzags and waves. Page 2: arches, cups, loops, castle walls and spirals.
- Every stroke starts at a green dot and runs the way writing goes; apart from the straight lines across, each row sits between two faint lines that show how high to go.
| Choice | On US Letter |
|---|---|
| One stroke, Large | 5 rows on one page |
| One stroke, Medium | 7 rows on one page |
| One stroke, Small | 11 rows on one page |
| All of them, Large | 2 pages of 5 rows |
| All of them, Medium | 2 pages of 5 rows |
| All of them, Small | 1 page of 10 rows |
pencil-warm-up.pdf, two pages titled “Pencil Warm-Up” with a Name and Date line. For a week of one stroke, choose Zigzags alone: 7 rows on a single page. On the free plan a small line with our name is printed at the foot of the last page.
How it works
- Choose one stroke for a whole page, or all of them from the easiest to the hardest.
- Pick the size: large for a first pencil grip, smaller as control improves.
- Choose dotted lines or pale grey ones to go over.
- Download and print; each row starts at the green dot.
Frequently asked questions
- What order should the strokes come in?
- Roughly the order children manage them: straight lines across and down, then slants, zigzags and waves, then arches, cups and loops, which are the shapes joined handwriting is made of, and spirals last. “All of them” prints them in that order.
- Why is there a green dot?
- It marks where the pencil starts, so the stroke is made the way writing goes: left to right, lines and slants from the top down, and spirals from the middle out.
- Which size should I choose?
- Large for three- and four-year-olds holding a chunky crayon, medium for most of preschool, small for children about to start letters.
- How many rows fit on a page?
- On US Letter, 5 rows at Large, 7 at Medium and 11 at Small when one stroke fills the page. With all ten strokes, Large and Medium share them over two pages of 5, and Small fits all ten on one page.
- Can I put a title or the child’s name at the top?
- Yes. Type it as the title, for example “Leo’s lines”: it is printed at the top of every page and names the file. The Name and Date line can be switched off if you write the name yourself.
- Is anything uploaded?
- No. The sheet is drawn in your browser as sharp lines. On the free plan a small line with our name is printed at the foot of the last page.