• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • About
  • Videos
  • Contact

Play to Learn Preschool

A delightful preschool experience

  • Thematic Units
  • Learning Centers
  • Dramatic Play
  • Literacy
  • Classroom Management
  • Virtual Preschool
Home
  • Blog
    • Thematic Units
    • Learning Centers
    • Dramatic Play
    • Literacy
    • Classroom Management
    • Virtual Preschool
  • Shop
  • About
  • Videos
  • Contact

This post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure for more information.

Tracing Lines for Pre-Writing Practice

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn

Allowing young learners to practice pre-writing skills is easy with a light table, tracing templates, and small manipulatives! Tracing lines is a step in helping young students understand the mechanics of written language. While participating in tracing lines for pre-writing practice, they can begin to see how written language functions.

Tracing Lines: Not Just for Pencils!

Tracing is typically thought of as taking a pencil, crayon, or marker and following along the lines underneath some paper. But tracing doesn’t have to involve drawing at all! Playing with small manipulatives on top of templates can also help young children to understand how writing works while refining their fine motor skills.

Skills Objectives for Pre-Writing Practice

Pre-writing skills provide opportunities for students to strengthen their fine motor skills so they can hold a pencil to draw, write, and color. Other practical skills include:

  • Coordination
  • concentration
  • moving focus from left to right
tracing lines
In this image, a student traces a zig-zag path with pony beads.

Preschoolers have different levels of fine motor abilities, so it is important to promote experimentation with writing through fun activities like tracing at the light table. Providing opportunities for emergent writers is key in developing their future reading and writing skills.

Tracing Lines as Pre-Writing Activities at the Light Table

The light table is an engaging center to promote writing skills. With its glowing light, simply place table scatter, mini erasers, pom-poms, gems, and the like with line templates and watch the students work their way over to the table to have fun. The tracing lines can be straight, curved, diagonal, zig-zag, or a combination. These lines can be printed on transparency paper or just regular paper. Both options work great on the light table. Start with this free tracing lines template for ideas.

tracing lines flat marbles

More Literacy Activities

There are many ways to provide young learners with engaging literacy activities at the light table. Check out these ideas to keep the learning going:

  • Letter dots
  • Word builders
  • Letter construction
tracing lines
letter construction on carpet
Are you a teacher?

FREE Name Bundle!

Enjoy Free Name resources perfect for your preschoolers!

After you subscribe, you will be redirected to the FREE Name Resources. We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn

Filed Under: Learn to Write, Light Table

You May Also Enjoy These Posts

Learning to WritePreschool Table Scatter IdeasSpider Counting Activity for Preschoolers
Spider Counting Activity for Preschoolers
Emotions Sensory Bin for Big Feelings

Primary Sidebar

Are You a Preschool Teacher?

Join our private Facebook group (only for preschool teachers) and find even more great ideas. We can’t wait to meet you over there!
Join the Group!
Are you a teacher?

FREE Circle Time Ebook!

Tips and tricks to maximize learning and minimize stress!

After you subscribe, you will be redirected to the FREE Ebook. We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

 

Copyright © 2023 Play to Learn Preschool  •  All Rights Reserved  •  Privacy  •  Terms of Use  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs