Ready to Write Chart
Get ready to write! Check these four things before you start.
Need more than one? Tap + for extra copies (up to 10).
How to do it
- Sit tall.
- Feet flat.
- Pinch the pencil and use your helper hand.
Teaching tip
Do a quick check together before every writing time.
About this chart
Four things to check before writing: sit tall, feet flat, pinch the pencil and a helper hand on the paper, plus tips for grown-ups.
What kids practice
These sheets build the hand strength, control and habits that make writing easier. They warm up little hands, practice staying in the lines, and teach where each letter starts. They help many children, with or without dysgraphia. They are not a test and not a diagnosis. Messy, slow writing is normal in kindergarten.
Watch for
- Starting letters at the bottom. Point to the green start dot every time.
- Gripping the pencil with a fist. Try a short pencil or broken crayon so a pinch grip happens on its own.
- Pushing through tired, sore hands. Take a break and come back.
- Waiting a long time to ask for help. If writing stays painful or very hard, ask about an occupational therapist (OT).
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full handwriting helpers (dysgraphia-friendly) guide for kindergarten.
More sheets in this set
2. Finger Warm-Up CardsEight hand warm-ups like squeeze a sponge, roll a play-dough snake and tear paper into bits.
3. Paths That Get NarrowerStraight, wavy, zigzag, hill and step paths, each in three lanes that go from wide to narrow.
4. Big Dot-to-Dot ShapesFour big numbered dot-to-dot shapes, like a square, triangle, house or star.
5. Cutting StripsWide colored strips with dashed lines to cut: straight, wavy, zigzag and hills. Fewer has easier lines, More has trickier ones.
6. Giant Rainbow LettersOne giant uppercase and lowercase letter with numbered start dots, plus a row of each to trace and write. Reload for a new letter.