There are so many fun ways to practice writing in your preschool winter theme. Check out these preschool winter printables for pre-writing practice. They’re all winter themed and ready to go in your lesson plans!
FREE Writing Practice Sheets for Preschoolers
For some preschoolers, writing comes very easily and naturally. Some preschoolers very quickly transition into using a tripod or quadrupod pencil grasp. They make curvy letters with ease and can make perfectly stick-straight lines.
And some preschoolers enjoy writing and seek opportunities for using their newfound skills. On their own, they make mini-books and enough drawings to cover the fridge twice over.
For some preschoolers, however, writing does not come so easily.
Some preschoolers hang on to that full palm “death grip” until they are five. For some preschoolers, their curvy letters look more jagged and their straight lines are anything but.
Writing is hard for them, and they don’t seek out ways to use the few skills they do have. They get bored easily and give pushback when encouraged to spend some time at the writing center.
Of all the skills we teach in preschool, writing skills and letter formation seems to have such a wide degree of development!
Because more likely than not, your preschool classroom probably does have a preschooler who can readily form every letter and then a preschooler who is just so discouraged.
This is the exact reason why I love pre-writing learning activities!
Emphasis on the “pre”.
This pre-writing printable worksheet can be used via finger-tracing, which is good for novice writers and can also be used as a fun winter tracing practice sheet, which is good for the masters.
But all these pre-writing printables are winter themed, which just adds to the fun! That’s right! It’s all preschool winter printables in this post and they all relate to learning to write!
FAQ About Teaching Prewriting Skills in Preschool
Prewriting skills are the fundamental skills preschoolers need to develop before they can effectively write and form letters. These skills include (but are not limited to) being able to draw, copy and color, and even just being able to make simple strokes with a pencil that mimic those found in writing. Prewriting is foundational to developing good handwriting skills.
A major prewriting skill is the ability to form the basic pencil strokes that make up all letters and numbers. They are as follows: |, —, O, +, /, square, \, X, and Δ. Focusing on building blocks outside of traditional letter and number tracing will help accomplish this. Children should practice hand and finger strength, crossing the midline, pencil grasp technique, hand-eye coordination, and even visual perception activities.
Some preschoolers will just sit down and start scribbling, drawing, or attempt writing letters. Others have no interest in using traditional writing materials. This is when all the hands-on activities mentioned above come in handy.
Allow your preschoolers to use playdough to make shapes, or play with magnet letters. Or use magnet letters as stamps to make letter impressions. Sit down and make an alphabet book with your preschooler, or ask for help making a shopping list. Do loads of fine motor activities that force them to use the pincer grasp, like beading onto pipe cleaner or picking up small items.
Related Reading
Winter Theme Preschool Writing Sheets
These pre-writing practice mats can be used in multiple ways. You can use various manipulatives for the tracing, just your finger, or go completely traditional and use a pencil!
All of those options are good and depending on the skill level of your preschoolers, you may try them all in your classroom.
Materials
- FREE pre-writing practice printable
- Small wintery manipulatives (We used floral pebbles)
- Dry erase markers (optional)
The Set-Up
Just print and laminate.
Or put the sheets in a dry-erase pockets instead of laminating. I prefer that because the dry-erase marker comes off so much easier in a dry erase pocket.
Set the winter pre-writing mats in your preschooler’s workspace with a bowl of wintery manipulatives on the side. You want something that looks like a snowball. You can use white Pom poms, floral pebbles, or acrylic snowflakes even!
Invite your preschooler to join you for some winter themed writing practice!
How to Use the Winter Theme Pre-Writing Practice Mats
There are a few different ways to use this pre-writing printable. They even vary somewhat in difficulty, so you can choose the method that is the very best for your preschoolers or kindergarteners.
Use Pre-Writing Practice Mats for Finger Tracing
This is the method you will use for your youngest preschoolers and even your toddlers. It’s all about establishing control, so invite your preschooler or toddler to use his finger the trace the lines on the mat.
When reading books to toddlers or your youngest preschoolers, you’ve probably noticed how they already trace things they see in the books. My boys love tracing the snake in the book, “Polar Bear, Polar Bear” by Eric Carle. This finger tracing method will be best for those kiddos.
Use a Winter Manipulative to on the Tracing Mats
This is the method I recommend for preschoolers who are still learning to use a pencil with a mature grasp but still need to work on control. Invite them the trace the lines using a small, winter-like manipulative. We used floral pebbles, but white Pom poms would work well too.
The purpose here is to move the snowballs along the dashed lines down to the snowman and using a small manipulative forces the preschooler to use a developing pincer grasp, which is needed for a mature pencil grip.
Use the Pre-Writing Practice Mats with Traditional Writing Utensils
This is the method that is best for preschoolers who already have a mature pencil grasp. It’s for those who like writing worksheets.
Invite them to practice tracing the lines using a variety of writing utensils. You can use the traditional ones, like a pencil, marker, or crayons. If going this route I invite my preschoolers to use several colors and rainbow write so they get lots of additional practice, still.
You can also place these mats in a dry-erase pocket, (which I really prefer over just laminating) and use a dry erase marker to trace. But did you know they make dry erase crayons, too?! Sometimes new materials can help get kids excited about writing.
Grab Your Own Winter Writing Printable Mats
Think this is something that will be popular in your preschool writing center? If you have a separate fine motor center you can add it there, too.
But keep reading for more preschool winter printables.
Get More Free Printable Winter Activities for Preschoolers
Looking for More Winter Tracing Worksheets and Prewriting Practice?
As I was looking for some ideas to add to my winter lesson plans for preschool, I came across these and had to share!
Mitten Letter Tracing Cards by The Letters of Literacy
Snowy Day Salt Tray by Modern Preschool
Snowball Writing Tray by Pocket of Preschool
Need more Fine Motor Ideas?
Fine motor skills are critical to learning how to write, but sometimes get overlooked in preschool. Try adding some of these fine motor activities to your preschool day.
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
These are adorable. So many new options since my kids were little. These will be perfect for my nephew when he visits. Thanks for sharing