Letter Tracer

The big ideas

What the levels teach, in grown-up words.

• Letters are made of strokes in order. An L is a line down and then a line across; a B is a line and two bumps. Learning the stroke order and direction makes handwriting fast and even, and the same movements come back in every letter.
• Start at the top. Almost every letter starts at the top and comes down. The dot and arrow show where to begin, which stops the habit of drawing letters from the bottom up.
• b, d, p and q are twins. They share a line and a bump; what differs is which side the bump is on and whether the line goes up or down. Tracing them with the right stroke order is the surest way to tell them apart.
• Little letters sit on a line. Lowercase letters share a baseline and a middle line; tall letters reach up and tails hang below. Keeping letters on the lines is what makes writing readable.
• Cursive flows. Cursive letters are made in one continuous stroke and join to their neighbors, which is why they are quicker once learned. A few loopy letters are a gentle start.

Try it at home

Quick experiments that match the game.

1. Air writing. Trace big letters in the air with a whole arm, saying the strokes out loud: down, across! Then try it with eyes closed.
2. Tray tracing. Pour a thin layer of salt, sand or flour on a tray and trace letters with a finger. Shake to erase and go again.
3. Dot to start. When your child writes, put a small dot where each letter should start. It fixes most backwards and bottom-up letters.
4. Name practice. Write your child's name in large letters with a highlighter and let them trace over it with a pencil, then write it on their own underneath.