Free Printable Alphabet Fine Motor Mats for Kids

It’s well known to anyone that has been around children that they learn best through play and working with their hands. There’s just something about being able to touch and move a toy or manipulative that gets our kiddos excited about learning. Learning the alphabet can be challenging and occasionally boring to some children. Tracing alphabet sheets are not ideal lesson plans for littles.

These free printable alphabet fine motor mats with beginning sounds are no exception. I am thrilled with how many ways this alphabet activity can be use with different fine motor materials. Use them whole class, in small groups, or as a center activity.

alphabet fine motor activity for preschoolers. fill the alphabet card with a picture of an astronaut and the letter 'a' with mini erasers

use wikki stix to create cletters of the alphabet on alphabet outline mats for preschool literacy centers.

Recommended Grade Level:

Preschool

Kindergarten

Supply List
Coordinating Activities

Alphabet Fine Motor Mats Supplies:

Printer/Ink
Laminating Supplies
Paper Cutter
Mini Erasers/Buttons/Wiki Stix

text says: free printable alphabet worksheets and activities with 9 images of alphabet printable activities

Learning About Alphabet Fine Motor Activities:

alphabet activities for preschoolers

HAVING STUDENTS INCORRPORATE LITERACY AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPS ALPHABET KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICING PINCHING AND GRIPPING.

letter recognition and identifying letter sounds in the first step in successful reading. Fine motor skills help children with using utensils, brushing their teeth, and turning the pages in a book.

These Alphabet Mats are beyond versatile!

I want to make sure that every activity I create is accessible for every child. So there are ways that you can use this fine motor alphabet activity with special needs kids, but you can definitely also use them with typical and advanced children!

In addition to practicing fine motor skills here are some more ideas for what you can teach about using the alphabet tracing printable:

Initial sounds
letter formation
Matching a sound or word to a picture
Segmenting sounds

What Can Preschoolers Learn Using the Letter Tracing Alphabet Mats?

preschool alphabet tracing

TRACING AND UNDERSTANDING LETTER FORMATION IS A BEGINNING STAGE IN EARLY WRITING.

Get them using more than their thumbs on a phone screen and prepare kids for writing skills that they will need their entire life.

Letter recognition & formation can be strengthened by showing the mat to the child and letting him or her fill the letter. This can be done in so many ways. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:

Playdough
Wikki Sticks
Dry Erase Markers
Tracing With Fingers
Pom Poms
Mini Erasers
A Handful of Crackers
Etc.

Why Is It Important For Kids To Practice With Beginning Sounds Activities?

Besides the fact that kids love to play and make things with their hands, there are so many other reasons you should practice using the preschool alphabet activities mats with your child.

Early Reading Skills: Children can identify the beginning sounds in the word and match it to the letter symbol. This is a great way to get ready for early reading.

Phonemic Awareness: Having children clap out the sounds, or syllables, in the words can get them ready for segmenting and blending sounds together to form words.

Letter Formation: Whether your child is using a pencil, mini erasers, pieces of cereal, or their finger, they are learning how to correctly form letters. Have them tell you about any straight or curved lines they see in the letter.

Uppercase vs. Lowercase: The alphabet mats have both capital and lowercase letters. This can be a great time to show your child how to differentiate between uppercase and lowercase letters. How do they look the same? How do they look different?

How to Make the Alphabet Tracing Fine Motor Mats

To Prep:

Print the tracing mats and cut them out.

This is one activity that I definitely recommend laminating. Not only will it keep the mats safe from little hands longer, but if using the mats with say playdough or wikki sticks, you will need the lamination to make sure that the playdough or wikki sticks don’t stick to the paper and ruin it!

To Use:

Place the free alphabet cards at the literacy center. Provide children with mini erasers, Wiki Stix, or another small manipulative to use.

Choose a letter, name it, then build it by placing the manipulatives on top of the letter on the ABC printable. Repeat!

You can start with the first letter of the child’s name, pick random letters, or go in alphabetical order. It doesn’t matter!

Add A Challenge: When your child has mastered this free alphabet printable, have them write or use magnetic letters to construct the word in the picture.

Paint A Letter: Get even more creative using watercolors or finger paints to trace the letters on the letter tracing worksheets or use them as coloring pages.

Matching Activity: Give your child additional pictures of words that start with each letter. See if they can match the new picture with the same beginning sounds picture cards.

Fine Motor: Get additional practice in fine motor skills at the sensory bin with the Color Sorting activity.

Letters of the Alphabet: Try this Milk and Cookies Alphabet Sort to help your child recognize uppercase and lowercase letters.

Play a Game: Continue learning activities about letters and letter sounds with my Letter Magnetic Alphabet game.