How it works
- Type or paste the list. One word per line. A list copied from a school email or a spreadsheet column works too.
- Each word gets its own line. The word is repeated across the line in dotted letters to trace, with a wide gap between copies, and an empty line follows for writing it without help.
- Pick the letters and size. Print, D'Nealian or cursive. Medium lines suit first and second grade; small lines fit more words on a page for older children.
- Print or save as PDF. At the medium size a page holds four words, so a list of 12 words makes three pages.
Under More options you can add a solid example above each word, give each word up to three empty lines, or turn off the repeat to trace each word just once.
Look, say, trace, cover, write, check
Tracing a word is only the first step. Teachers often use this routine with each word on the sheet:
- Look at the word and notice the tricky part, such as the ie in friend or the silent w in write.
- Say it aloud, then spell it letter by letter.
- Trace the row, saying each letter while writing it.
- Cover the traced row with a hand or a folded strip of paper.
- Write the word on the empty line from memory.
- Check it against the traced row and fix any letter that is wrong.
Writing the word from memory, not copying it, is what makes the spelling stick.
Ideas for the list
- The school list. Type it on Monday and do one page a day, five minutes at a time.
- Word families. Group words that share a spelling pattern, such as light, night, bright, right, so the pattern is practiced, not just the words.
- Words missed on the test. Put them back on next week's sheet with two empty lines each.
- Sight words. For common words such as said and was, the sight word tracing worksheets give each word a whole page.
- Sentences. Once the words are known, use them in a sentence with the handwriting worksheet generator.