Name Tracing Worksheets That Build Early Literacy

Inside: Name tracing worksheets that give students practice with handwriting, name recognition, and even beginning phonics.

Name Tracing Worksheets

I love how excited preschoolers get when they learn how to write their own names.

I adore seeing their eyes light up, and watching them stand a little taller as they point out their work.

Tracing their own name helps children build confidence with writing letters – and develops their interest in those letters.

Name tracing worksheets make it easy for teachers and parents to provide some practice. So here are a few options for you to try.

Name Recognition Worksheets

First, you could start with these free name recognition worksheets that also provide some name tracing practice.

Learning how to recognize your name in print is an important first step in early literacy. It also has a lot of practical value…

Suddenly, children can find their name on their artwork, cubby label, and backpack. Such independence!

Now, more than ever, it’s critical for students to be able to identify their own school supplies in the classroom.

With all that in mind, I created these editable name trace and find worksheets for you.

Teachers or parents type in three student names at once. The names magically fill in on three different worksheets.

Then, each child can trace their own name and then search for it on all the school supplies.

You can increase the challenge by inputting three similar names — or at least names starting with the same letter.

Or, you can make it easier by using names that are easy to distinguish.

Here’s what the file looks like when you open it in Adobe Reader and how you can customize it by entering your own students’ names:

To get your own copy, just scroll down to the blue rectangle with my logo on it at the end of this post. Click that, and you’ll be taken to a page where you can sign up for my newsletter (which I think you’ll LOVE!). As a bonus, I’ll email you these free worksheets!

More Name Writing Practice

You don’t always need a special worksheet to give children practice writing their own names.

Here are several ways you can encourage them to pick up a pencil or crayon and write their names:

• Try out a fun art activity like this name rubbing, and then trace over the resulting letters.
• Download and install a handwriting font such as Kimberly Geswain’s Primary Dots (which is free for non-commercial use) and type out each child’s name multiple times for them to trace.
• Get mailing label sheets from the dollar store, and let children write their name on a name tag sticker to wear every day.
• Encourage them to write their name on any artwork they create.
• Let them use special supplies such as scented markers, rainbow pencils, highlighters, etc.

Name Writing & Letter Sound Worksheets

The easy prep name writing worksheets in my store are an engaging next step for children who are interested and ready to start learning initial sounds for the letters in their names.

Students can trace their name and color the initial sound pictures for “their” letter. Then on the next page, they practice tracing their name and “reading” the sentences.

These name tracing worksheets are easy for teachers and caregivers to personalize. You simply type in any student name once, and it auto-fills across the 2 worksheets for that letter – similar to the Name Trace & Find Worksheets at the beginning of this post.

>>>You can buy your own set HERE in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

You’ll also find a few other fun name printables in my store. There are name crowns, stamp marker name worksheets, and personalized emergent readers which you can customize with each child’s name.

Your little learners will soon find the joy in reading and writing their own names!

Download the Back to School Name Worksheets

The name tracing and recognition worksheets from the beginning of this post come as a bonus to my newsletter subscribers.

To get your very own set, you can sign up right here:

I’ll add you to my weekly-ish newsletter too – it’s full of ideas and more free printables. Of course, you can unsubscribe at any time.