Handwriting and tracingPre-K to grade 3
Blank handwriting paper
A full page of empty primary-ruled lines, each with a solid top line, a dashed middle line and a bold baseline. Pick one of three line heights. Use it for writing, journals and copywork.
- Type your details or print blank
- Print or PDF, Letter or A4
- Free, no sign-up
On this page
What prints
This is plain ruled paper with nothing to trace. The title reads "Blank Handwriting Paper", and below the Name line one instruction explains the lines: tall letters touch the top line, small letters reach the dashed middle line, and tails hang below the bottom line. The rest of the page is filled with writing lines, each made of three strokes.
- A thin solid line at the top, which tall letters such as "b", "d", "l" and capitals reach.
- A light dashed line in the middle, which small letters such as "a", "e" and "o" reach.
- A darker solid line at the bottom, the baseline, where every letter sits.
On this page the dashed line is placed halfway between top and bottom, as on ordinary primary writing paper. That differs from the tracing sheets, where the dashed line is set to the height of a small letter in the grey font. If you plan to trace with one sheet and write on another, you may notice the difference, but the roles of the lines are the same.
There is no grey text, no answer key and nothing random, so the page prints the same every time.
The settings
The only choice that changes the paper is Line size.
- Large (pre-K and K). Tall lines, about seven to a page, for children whose letters are still big.
- Medium (grades 1 to 2). About ten lines to a page.
- Small (grades 3 and up). Narrow lines, about fourteen to a page, for older children and adults who print or write small.
The Practice box stays on "Blank handwriting paper". Switching it to another kind of practice changes the content of the page.
Ways to use it
- Copywork. Write a sentence or short poem at the top for the child to copy beneath it. Copying a model helps with spacing and letter size.
- Journal pages. A line or two a day about the weather or a favorite part of the day. Primary-ruled paper keeps young writing readable.
- Spelling and dictation. Say a word, have the child write it, then check it.
- Cursive and other scripts. The same three lines guide slanted writing, if that is what your child is learning.
Worked example: a first-grade journal
A parent chooses the medium size and prints a stack of pages. Each morning their child, Noah, writes the date on the first line. Underneath they write one sentence about yesterday, such as "We went to the park and saw a duck."
On Fridays the parent circles the neatest word on the page and points out any letter that floated above the baseline or went through it. After a month, the lines feel too wide, so Noah moves to small paper.
Pair this paper with letter tracing worksheets for learning shapes, or with handwriting practice sheets for sentences. When writing turns into spelling work, see the spelling test template.