Free printable tracing worksheets as PDF

Sentence Tracing Worksheets

Use the ready sentences or type your own — each one is printed in dotted letters to trace, with a line to copy it.

Sentence tracing worksheets are printable pages where a child traces complete sentences, following dotted letters, and then copies the sentence onto an empty row. This free sentence tracing worksheet maker runs in your web browser. You do not need to sign up, and nothing you enter is uploaded or sent to a server.

Choose one of three levels of ready sentences, or type your own, one per line. Then pick a tracing style, a row size, and how many traced copies you want. The preview updates as you change each setting, so you can check the page before you print or save it as a PDF. It works well for a quick practice sheet at home or in the classroom.

How to make sentence tracing worksheets

  1. Choose a paper size: US Letter or A4.
  2. Pick a level of ready sentences (Level 1, 2 or 3). To use your own text instead, choose My own sentences and type one sentence per line, up to 120 characters each and 40 sentences in total.
  3. Choose a tracing style: Dots, Dashes, Grey or Solid black.
  4. Leave Green start dots on to mark where each stroke begins. Turn on Direction arrows if you want to show which way each stroke goes.
  5. Pick a row size, from Extra large to Extra small.
  6. Set the number of traced copies of each sentence. Turn on Make the first copy solid if you want the first copy to be black rather than traced.
  7. Turn on Empty row to write it alone, so the child copies the sentence beneath the traced version.
  8. Set Items per page, and turn on Mix up the order if you want the sentences shuffled.
  9. Keep or switch off the Name and Date line, and edit the title if you wish.
  10. Check the preview, then click Print, Download PDF, or Copy link.

Print opens your browser’s print dialog with only the worksheet pages. Download PDF builds a vector PDF that prints at true size. Copy link gives you a link that reopens the same settings later.

What size lines for sentence tracing should you use?

Choose a large row for children who are still learning to form letters, and move to a smaller row as their control improves. Row size is measured from the top line to the baseline. The options run from Extra large (1 in) and Large (3/4 in) down through Medium (5/8 in), Small (1/2 in) and Extra small (3/8 in). Bigger strokes are easier to control, so a larger row suits a beginner better.

Words never shrink to fit the row, so the row size also affects how a sentence lays out. A long sentence wraps onto a second row at a space. Level 3 sentences, at 8 to 12 words, are the most affected, so a size that suits a short sentence can produce a lot of wrapped rows for a long one. Check the preview before printing, and keep the same row size across a set so the child sees a consistent pattern.

Why trace whole sentences?

Tracing whole sentences teaches three things at once: a capital letter at the start, a finger space between words, and an end mark. Every ready sentence starts with a capital and ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark, so the dotted sentence shows all three. Single words practise letter shapes only, while a sentence shows how those letters are used together in a line of writing.

The finger space is worth practising on its own. A child needs to learn where one word stops and the next begins, and a sentence gives a natural place to pause and space. The letters follow single-stroke school print, with each stroke in the usual school order, so the child practises the stroke order taught in US school print. Adding an empty row beneath the traced sentence moves the child from following dots to writing the same sentence alone.

Frequently asked questions

What sentences should kindergarten trace?

Start with Level 1, which uses short sentences of 3 to 4 words. Move to Level 2 (5 to 7 words) once tracing feels steady, and try Level 3 (8 to 12 words, with two parts or a question) only when the child can follow a longer line across rows. You can also use My own sentences to practise words the child already knows.

How do I make my own sentence tracing worksheet?

Choose My own sentences and type one sentence per line. Each line can be up to 120 characters, and you can enter up to 40 sentences. Set your row size and number of copies, then check the preview before you print or download.

Which ready sentences are included?

There are 25 sentences at each level. Level 1 has sentences such as “I can see.” and “We can run.”, Level 2 has “The dog is big and brown.” and “I like to play with my friend.”, and Level 3 has “Can you help me find my yellow hat?” and “When it rains, we jump in the puddles and laugh.”

Is it free and printable?

Yes. The generator is free and needs no sign-up. You can print directly from the browser or download a PDF that prints at true size on US Letter or A4 paper.

Can I use the worksheet for writing practice too?

Yes. Turn on Empty row to write it alone, which places a blank row beneath each traced copy so the child can copy the sentence without the dots.