DLTK's Educational Activities for Kids
Alphabet Ideas:  The Letter A Tracer Pages

A is for Apple (Standard font)   colour  OR  black & white

A is for Apple (Cursive font)   colour  OR  black & white

A is for Ant (Script font)   colour  OR  black & white

(standard and script = printing fonts)
(cursive = handwriting font)

Aa:  un ananas (en francais)   couleur  OU  noir & blanc

Aa:  la abeja (en espanol)   color   O  negro y blanco

These pages allow children to trace the letters to help with the learning process.  Here are some thoughts on how to use the pages with younger children (preschool).

• have the child identify the letter on the page

• point to which is the capital letter and which is the small letter

• ask what sound the letter makes

• point to the picture on the page and stress the letter's sound in that word "AAAApple starts with A"

• trace the upper case letters

• take a break if you wish and colour the picture

• trace the lower case letters

• try a few without tracing

• hang the finished page in a place of honour (show how proud you are of their accomplishments).  A sticker or stamp for a job well done is always nice!

Here's an alternate idea for kindergarten aged kids (my daughter's age)... this is our nightly routine (take a break and colour the picture when the child gets tired)...

• trace all the capital letters and lower case letters (doesn't take too long at this age)

• Count the capital letters in the first line.  Write the number beside.  Count the capital letters in the second line.  Write the number beside.  Ask what the two added together are.

• Estimate the small letters.  Count them.  How close was the child.  Ask if their estimate was greater or less than what they counted.

• Talk about the picture.  Ask the child to think of a story about the picture.  For children who've done this awhile, ask them what the BEGINNING of their story is, the MIDDLE and the END.  Ask them if their story is fiction or non-fiction.

• Ask your child to write the story on the back of the tracer page (sound out the words).

• Write the words, spelling them properly.  Point out where the child got letters right (Tasha usually doesn't get the entire word correct, but almost always gets the first and last letter.  Focus on the positive!)  Point out punctuation.

• Eat a chocolate chip cookie (mommy too... that was hard work!)