Children love to put their ideas on paper and express their creativity in the form of drawing. This activity is the most important pre-writing task that gets them one step closer to writing letters and words. When we add tracing to little one’s drawing time, it helps refine those pre-writing skills, laying a strong foundation for writing.
On the surface, tracing looks simple. But actually, tracing is very beneficial – and it’s a fun way to learn!
Tracing is beneficial because it helps build:
Fine motor skills
Tracing letters builds strength and coordination between children's fingers, hands, and wrists. The more they practice, the better they’ll become at grasping their writing utensil and controlling their movements.
Pre-writing skills
Developing hand-eye coordination is another important benefit of tracing letters. It's important for children to learn to write where their eyes are telling them to.
Concentration and focus
Concentration and focus are necessary when it comes to pre-writing skills. When children are engaged in letter tracing activities, they have to focus on what they are doing. There might be a lot to concentrate on at the beginning, but it all works to develop their working memory and attention - two essential things we all need for learning.
Visual-spatial skills
Children's visual-spatial skills refer to their ability to sense how far the paper on the table is away from their face. As they experiments with tracing, they'll learn how to connect what they are seeing with how to form them using their pencils.
Creativity and drawing skills
Through tracing, children will also learn how to create movements that they can use to write letters on their own.
Be sure to download KnowledgePond Education's free workbook - Practise Your Letters - for fun tracing activities for your child
&
visit our unique Phonics for Children programme where children aged 3-12 can learn the English letters and sounds with expert individual sessions online!