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Draw a Shape

Pupils trace big pre-writing patterns with a finger, pen or the mouse: a line down, a line across, a cross, a circle, then a zigzag, waves and a square. A green dot shows where to start and soft arrows show which way to go. These are the strokes that come before letters, and they work especially well on the interactive whiteboard.

For EYFS–KS1. About 5 minutes. Senses & listening. Low sensory, no reading needed, works without sound.

What pupils practise

• Build the arm, wrist and finger control needed for writing
• Start in the right place and move in the right direction
• Trace lines, circles and patterns smoothly

Tips for teachers

• Use the whole arm on the whiteboard first, then a finger on a tablet.
• Say the tip aloud as pupils trace: “start at the top and go down”.
• Start on relaxed and move to standard as control improves.
• Follow on with Letter Tracing, which uses the same board.

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