Free printable tracing worksheets as PDF

Sight Words Tracing Worksheets

Pick a Dolch list, or type your own sight words, and print a page to trace and write each one.

This free tool makes sight words tracing worksheets from the Dolch word lists, and it runs entirely in your web browser. No sign-up is needed, and nothing you create is uploaded or sent to a server. Choose a list such as Pre-primer or First grade, pick a tracing style and row size, and the preview updates as you change each setting. Every word appears as a solid model copy followed by dotted copies to trace, so children practise the same words repeatedly. You can print the pages directly, download a PDF of traceable sight words, or copy a link that reopens your settings. Teachers planning tracing sight words for kindergarten and parents working at home can use the same sheets.

How to make sight word tracing worksheets

  1. Choose a sight word list: Pre-primer (the default), Primer, First grade, Second grade, Third grade, or Dolch nouns.
  2. Pick a sheet type. Trace and write is the default. Word boxes gives a grid of boxes, and Trace, copy, write gives three columns.
  3. Choose a tracing style: Dots (the default), Dashes, Grey, or Solid black. Leave Green start dots on to mark where each stroke begins, or turn on Direction arrows to show stroke direction.
  4. Set the row size: Extra large, Large, Medium, Small (the default), or Extra small.
  5. Set Traced copies in a row, decide whether to Make the first copy solid, and turn Empty row to write it alone on or off.
  6. Set Items per page to As many as fit or a fixed number. Select US Letter or A4 paper.
  7. Use Mix up the order and press New order for a new shuffle each time. The order is kept in the link.
  8. Check the preview, then press Print, Download PDF, or Copy link.

Print opens your browser’s print dialog with only the worksheet pages. Download PDF builds a vector file that prints at true size. You can switch off the Name and Date line on each page and edit the title, which is set automatically, such as “Sight words: Pre-primer”.

What are Dolch sight words?

Dolch sight words are common words that children learn to recognise instantly, without sounding them out. Edward W. Dolch compiled the lists in the 1930s from the words that appear most in children’s reading books, and published them again in his 1948 book Problems in Reading. Many of them are hard to sound out, such as said, the, and where, so children learn to recognise them on sight. The lists are in the public domain.

How many sight words are in each Dolch list?

The Pre-primer list has 40 words, the Primer list has 52, the First grade list has 41, the Second grade list has 46, and the Third grade list has 41. Together these five lists hold 220 service words. The Dolch nouns list adds 95 more words, which are concrete nouns such as dog and ball.

Which sight words should kindergarten learn?

Many schools use the Primer list in kindergarten, though this varies by school. The usual sequence is pre-primer in preschool or pre-K, primer in kindergarten, the first grade list in grade 1, and so on. Check with your child’s teacher, because schools set their own order.

What does trace, copy, write mean?

Trace, copy, write is a three-step practice routine for one word. First, the child traces over the dotted word, which helps the hand learn the letter shapes. Second, the child copies the word on the next line while looking at the model. Third, the child covers the model and writes the word from memory, which shows whether the word is remembered. On the sheet, these steps appear as three columns headed Trace, Copy, and Write from memory.

Can I add my own sight words?

Yes. Use the My own words setting and type a list, with one word per line or with words separated by commas. This works for words outside the Dolch lists, such as words from your child’s reading book or a spelling list. Your custom words follow the same layout and settings as the built-in lists.

Frequently asked questions

Is this sight words tracing worksheet tool free?

Yes. It is free and needs no sign-up. It runs in your browser, and nothing is uploaded or sent to a server.

How many pages will a sight word list make?

Long lists run onto more pages, up to 20. With the default settings, the Pre-primer list fills about 8 pages. Changing the row size, the copies per row, or the items per page changes the count.

Can I download the traceable sight words as a PDF?

Yes. Download PDF builds a real vector PDF in the browser that prints at true size. Choose US Letter or A4 before you download.

What do the green dots and arrows mean?

Green start dots mark where each stroke of a letter begins, and they are on by default. Direction arrows show which way each stroke goes. You can turn either one on or off.

Are the letters the same style as school print?

The letters use single-stroke school print in ball-and-stick form, with straight sticks, round circles, and single-storey a and g. Each stroke follows the usual school order.

Can I mix up the order of the words?

Yes. Tick Mix up the order and press New order until you like the order; the order is saved in the link, so the same sheet can be printed again.