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Handwriting Worksheets for 1st Graders

15 free PDFsUS Letter or A4No login

Letters, words and sentences to trace and write on first grade lines, copy work, and blank first grade writing paper.

Download the handwriting worksheets

Letters A to Z

Review every uppercase and lowercase letter at first grade size.

Words to write

Days of the week, months, number words and color words.

Sentences to trace

Trace a short sentence, then write it on your own.

Copy work

Copy sentences and a short poem neatly.

First grade writing paper

Blank lined paper, with or without a picture box.

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these handwriting worksheets

First graders still need handwriting practice, but at a smaller size than in kindergarten. These handwriting worksheets for 1st graders use first grade lines: 5/8 inch from the top line to the baseline, with a dotted middle line. Every traced letter has a dot showing where to start.

The set reviews uppercase and lowercase letters A to Z (a model letter, a letter to trace, start dots only, then room to write), then moves to words children write often: the days of the week, the months, number words and color words. Sentence pages have children trace a short sentence and write it again below, with spaces between words and an end mark. Copy pages give a printed sentence to copy neatly.

Two pages of first grade writing paper, one with a picture box, are ready for any writing.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.APrint all upper- and lowercase letters.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.2.ACapitalize dates and names of people.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.2.DUse conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.5Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

How to use them

  1. Start with the letters pages to check that every letter starts at the right place.
  2. Sit with good posture: feet flat, paper slanted, a relaxed pencil grip.
  3. Trace slowly. Neat is better than fast.
  4. On the sentence pages, use a finger to leave a space between words.
  5. Use the copy pages for near-point copying practice, a skill children use all through school.

Teaching tips

  • Tall letters (b, d, f, h, k, l, t) touch the top line. Small letters fit between the dotted line and the baseline.
  • Letters with tails (g, j, p, q, y) hang below the baseline.
  • Watch for b and d mix-ups. b starts like h: tall line first.
  • Short, daily practice (5 to 10 minutes) works better than a long session once a week.
  • Have your child circle their best letter or word on each line.

Questions teachers and parents ask

What size lines do first graders use?

First grade writing paper is usually ruled 5/8 inch from the top line to the baseline, with a dotted middle line. These pages use that size.

Should first graders still trace letters?

A little tracing is helpful to review starting points, but most practice should be writing on their own. Each page moves from tracing to writing.

How can I improve my child's handwriting?

Short daily practice, starting each letter at the top, good spacing between words and praise for neat work all help.

Do these pages print on A4?

Yes. Every page prints on US Letter or A4.