Overview

One way that children begin to prepare for the task of writing is through drawing, and drawing simple shapes and lines is often one of the first places they start. Try to encourage your child to draw top to bottom, side to side and diagonal lines. One element to be mindful of here is the direction in which your child is drawing. Try to encourage them to start their lines near the very top of the paper and bring their line down to the bottom. This top-to-bottom motion is an important foundational step for later handwriting success.

Tips & Tricks:

• Practice drawing on the sidewalk using chalk, on paper, or on a painted canvas! There are endless possibilities here.

• Use worksheets (below) that use arrows to direct your child’s tracing patterns. Or, make your own!

• Encourage your child to be creative and to draw to their heart’s content! Practice is one of the best ways we learn.