Pre-writing
Zigzags Worksheet
Printable zigzags tracing practice. Changing direction sharply without lifting the pencil. Trace the dashed guide, then try the empty row underneath. Adjust the size to suit the hand using it, then print or save a PDF.
Four steps
How to practise zigzags
- 1
Say the cue
Down, up, down, up. Keep the points sharp.
- 2
Trace the guide
Start on the dot, follow the dashed line without lifting the pencil.
- 3
Try the empty row
The row underneath has no guide, so the movement is repeated unaided.
- 4
Shrink it over time
Reduce the row height as control improves.
What zigzags trains
Changing direction sharply without lifting the pencil.
Say this while they trace: “Down, up, down, up. Keep the points sharp.”
Why it matters later
v, w, x, z, and the sharp turns in 4 and 7.
That connection is the reason to practise the movement on its own. When one of those letters later refuses to come out right, the problem is usually this movement rather than the letter, and a page of zigzags fixes it faster than another page of the letter.
Where it sits in the order
This is pattern 4 of 11 in the teaching order used across these sheets. If it proves difficult, step back to slanted lines. Once it is comfortable, move on to humps.
Related printables
See all pre-writing patterns, or move on to alphabet tracing and number tracing when the movements are secure.
Answers