Trace the Letter A
Preschool · 3–5Dashed guides and a practice row for the uppercase A and lowercase a. Two slants down from the peak first, then the bar across — children who draw the bar first have nothing to attach it to. A is for apple, ant and alligator — say the sound rather than the letter name as your child traces. Print on A4 or US Letter.
Stroke order for A
Capital A is three strokes, and the order decides whether it works: slant down from the peak to the bottom left, lift, slant down from the peak to the bottom right, lift, then the bar across the middle. Children who draw the bar early end up with nothing to attach it to and usually restart.
Lowercase a on the second row starts differently — an anticlockwise circle first, then a straight line down the right side that touches the circle top and bottom. A gap between the line and the circle is the most common flaw and is worth a gentle mention rather than a correction.
What to watch for
Watch the direction of travel on the lowercase circle, not the finished shape. A clockwise a looks fine on the page but breaks the habit that c, d, g, o and q all depend on, and it is far easier to fix now than after five more letters have been learned the same way.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my child draw the crossbar on A first?
- Because it is the part they can see most clearly. Teach the order out loud — two slides down from the peak, then the bridge — and the shape usually fixes itself within a few attempts.
- Should I teach capital or lowercase A first?
- Capitals are easier, being made of straight lines, and most children write them first. Lowercase a needs a closed circle, which typically comes together around five.