How to use it
Choose capitals, lowercase, or a capital and lowercase pair on each row.
Pick dotted, gray or outline letters and how many rows fit on a page. The alphabet runs over a few pages.
Print the pages and staple them into a little workbook, or keep one page out at a time.
Point to the solid letter at the start of a row and say its name and sound. Then trace the rest, starting at the green dot.
Make it last: print on cardstock, laminate it or slip it into a sheet protector, and use a dry-erase marker or Velcro dots so you can use it again.
Questions parents ask
Should we start with uppercase or lowercase letters?
Many children start with capitals, because they’re made of straight lines and big curves and all fill the same space between the top line and the baseline. Lowercase letters are most of what we read, so they usually come soon after. Upper and lower puts both on each row, like Aa.
How many letters should we practice at once?
A row or two is plenty for a young child. Short, happy practice most days does more than one long sitting, so stop while it’s still fun.
Which letter style should we start with?
Gray letters are the easiest first step, because the whole shape is there to follow. Dotted letters ask a little more, since your child joins the dots to make the shape. Outline letters give a wide track to stay inside, which suits a child who presses hard or likes big movements.
Why are the letters shaped like that?
They’re simple ball-and-stick print letters, built from straight lines and circles, the style many US classrooms teach. The lowercase a and g are drawn the way children write them, not the way they look in most books.
What are the empty lines on the last page for?
Spare rows on the last page print as blank handwriting lines. Use them to write letters from memory, or the letters in your child’s name.
Is my child’s name saved anywhere?
No. A name you type stays in your browser so it can print on the sheet. It is never sent to us.
Is it really free?
Yes. One email unlocks this and every other tool in the library, and you can print as many as you like. Your email also brings one short story each Tuesday, and you can leave anytime.
Read it with a story
This is a simple visual support for everyday routines, not a therapy or a treatment. If your child works with a teacher or therapist, they can tell you how it fits with what they already do. Picture symbols: Mulberry Symbols, CC BY-SA 4.0.