ChartKidWhy trace and copy still works
Writing a word by hand, several times, is still one of the most reliable ways to fix its spelling. The hand learns the shape of the word, and that shape is what a child reaches for in a test.
The three-step sheet
Each row on the trace sheet has the word twice in light grey and a blank space. Trace the first, trace the second more lightly, write the third unaided. The copy sheet drops the tracing: the word is printed once in full, then copied twice. Use trace for new or hard words and copy for words the child nearly knows.
Handwriting lines
The rows have a top line, a dashed midline and a baseline, the same guides used in most primary classrooms, so tall letters reach the top and small letters sit under the dashed line. Children used to a different style of line can simply ignore the middle one.
The typeface
The words are printed in Andika, a typeface designed for people learning to read and write. The a, g, q and y are the simple shapes children are taught to write, not the printed-book shapes, so what they trace is what they should produce.
Say it, write it, check it
The sheet is better with a grown-up nearby for the first minute. Say the word, let the child say it, then write. After the unaided word, check it against the printed one together and praise the parts that are right before fixing the rest.
Add a puzzle on the same sheet pack
Missing letters is ticked here as well because it pairs well with handwriting practice: copy on Monday, fill the gaps on Tuesday. For the full set of puzzles see the spelling worksheet generator.