English · Kindergarten–Grade 3
Free handwriting paper printables
Free printable handwriting paper for kindergarten to third grade: extra-wide kindergarten paper with a dotted midline, primary paper at 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch, story paper with a picture box, name practice paper, a landscape page, a lined journal page with a margin and date line, and trace-then-write rows.
Kindergarten handwriting paper (dotted midline)
Seven extra-wide rows (22 mm head line to baseline) with a blue head line, dashed midline and red baseline, for children forming their first letters. Free printable PDF.
Primary handwriting paper (3/4 inch)
Eight rows ruled at 3/4 inch with a dashed midline, the standard first-grade primary paper size. Free printable PDF.
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Primary handwriting paper (1/2 inch)
Twelve rows ruled at 1/2 inch with a dashed midline, for second and third graders who write smaller. Free printable PDF.
Story paper: picture box and writing lines
A dashed picture box on the top third of the page and eight 1/2 inch primary rows underneath, for draw-and-write stories. Free printable PDF.
Name practice paper
Eight wide rows with a start dot and a dashed midline; write the child's name on the first row for them to copy down the page. Free printable PDF.
Landscape primary handwriting paper
A sideways page of five long 3/4 inch rows with a dashed midline, for children who need extra room for a sentence. Free printable PDF.
Lined journal page with date line and margin
Twenty-five wide-ruled lines (8.7 mm) with a red margin line and a date line at the top, for daily journals and longer writing. Free printable PDF.
Trace then write paper
Eight wide rows split in two: an adult writes the model word on the shaded left half, the child traces it, then writes it alone on the blank right half. Free printable PDF.
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Children learn to write on paper that shows them where letters go: a head line, a dotted midline and a baseline, spaced for the size their hand can manage. These eight printable handwriting pages cover the sizes a child moves through from kindergarten to third grade, plus the special formats teachers reach for most: story paper with a drawing box, a name practice page, a journal page and a sideways page for long sentences. The rules use the classic primary-paper colours (blue head line, dashed midline, red baseline) and every sheet has a name and date line. Print at 100% and the rule heights are exact.
What's in this set
- Kindergarten writing paper. Seven extra-wide rows, 22 mm from head line to baseline, with a dotted midline, for the first letters written with a thick pencil.
- Primary writing paper, 3/4 inch. Eight rows at the standard first-grade size.
- Primary writing paper, 1/2 inch. Twelve rows for second and third graders whose writing has shrunk.
- Story paper. A dashed picture box on the top third and eight 1/2 inch rows below it, for draw-and-write stories, book responses and "my weekend" news.
- Name practice paper. Eight wide rows with a start dot. An adult writes the name on the first row and the child copies it down the page.
- Landscape primary paper. Five long 3/4 inch rows across a sideways page, for children who need more room to finish a sentence.
- Lined journal page. Twenty-five wide-ruled lines (8.7 mm) with a red margin and a "Today is" date line.
- Trace, then write. Eight wide rows split in two: the model word goes on the shaded left half for tracing, and the child writes it alone on the blank right half.
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Handwriting worksheet generatorYour sentences as print or cursive tracing rows on guide lines. Free to print.
Name tracing generatorDashed, dotted or grey letters on handwriting lines. Free to print.
Spelling worksheet generatorTest sheet, scramble, missing letters, ABC order and key from one word list. Free to print.
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Which paper for which child
- Ages 4 to 5 (pre-K and kindergarten): the kindergarten paper. Big rows let a child form the letter with the whole arm before fine control arrives. Expect letters to float; the dotted midline is a target, not a rule.
- Ages 5 to 7 (kindergarten and first grade): the 3/4 inch primary paper and the story paper. Most handwriting programs (Zaner-Bloser, D'Nealian, Handwriting Without Tears) start at this size.
- Ages 7 to 9 (second and third grade): the 1/2 inch primary paper, then the journal page once the child no longer needs a midline. Moving to single rules too early makes letter heights uneven, so keep the midline until tall and small letters are reliably different.
- Any age, learning their name: the name practice paper and the trace-then-write page.
How to use the lines
Teach three sizes of letter. Tall letters (b, d, f, h, k, l, t and every capital) start at the head line. Small letters (a, c, e, i, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, x, z) start at the dotted midline. Letters with tails (g, j, p, q, y) sit on the baseline and hang below it into the gap. Saying "tall, small or tail?" before each letter is faster than correcting it afterwards.
Tips for teachers and parents
- On the trace-then-write page write the model in a highlighter or light pencil so the child's own line shows on top.
- For a child who writes too big or too small, print the next size down or up for a week rather than correcting every word.
- Use the story paper for the weekly news: draw first, then write. The picture gives the child something to write about and settles the room.
- The landscape page suits left-handed children who smudge their work; the long row keeps the hand moving away from what they have just written.
Frequently asked questions
What size handwriting paper should a kindergartener use?
Rows of about 3/4 inch to 1 inch between the head line and the baseline, with a dotted midline. The kindergarten page here is 22 mm (about 7/8 inch); the 3/4 inch page is the next step. Many children start the year on the larger size and move to 3/4 inch by spring.
What do the blue and red lines mean?
They copy the colours of classic US primary paper. The blue line at the top is the head line that tall letters touch, the dashed grey line in the middle is where small letters start, and the red line is the baseline every letter sits on. The gap under the red line is for tails.
Can I print this handwriting paper on US Letter?
Yes. The PDFs are A4 but print at 100% on Letter paper with the same rule heights; the bottom margin is slightly smaller. Turn off "fit to page" so the printer does not shrink the rows.
Is there a version without the midline for older children?
The journal page: 25 single rules at 8.7 mm (wide ruled) with a margin and a date line. It is the natural next step after the 1/2 inch primary paper.
How do I make a name tracing sheet with this paper?
Print the name practice page and write the child's name on the first row in highlighter or light pencil; they trace it and copy it on the rows below. For ready-made sheets with dashed names, see the name tracing worksheets.
More writing printables
Before a child can use ruled paper they need pencil control, which the pre-writing worksheets and line tracing worksheets build. For letter formation on the same style of rules, see the handwriting worksheets and letter worksheets. Children who have just learned to write can use the journal page for a sight words sentence a day, and the word search printables make a good ten-minute reward.
Free library
Related collections
Free handwriting worksheets
Free sight words worksheets (Dolch and Fry)
Free word search printables
Free pre-writing worksheets
Free name tracing worksheets
Free line tracing worksheets
Free letter worksheets
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