Pencil Control Worksheets: Lines, Zigzags and Waves to Practise

Pencil control is the skill of guiding a pencil where you want it to go. Tracing lines, zigzags and waves gives children that practice in a fun way, long before they are writing letters.

Why these lines?

Letters are built from a handful of strokes: straight lines, slants, curves and loops. Practising them separately makes real letters easier later.

How to use the pages

1. Start at the green dot.
2. Trace the dotted line with a finger first.
3. Trace it with a pencil or crayon.
4. Try to reach the star without lifting the pencil.
5. Do one page and stop. Short and fun is best.

Tips for success

• Sit at a table with feet flat on the floor.
• Use a short chunky pencil or crayon.
• Do not worry about staying exactly on the line.
• Praise effort and finishing.
• Try tracing in the air or in sand first.

Making it a game

• Pretend the line is a road for a toy car.
• Say a rhyme while tracing: zig zag, zig zag.
• Race the clock gently to finish a line.
• Use different colours for each row.

Pencil Power builds from straight lines to curves, zigzags, loops, spirals and shapes in a gentle order.