Trace the Letter I
Preschool · 3–5Dashed guides and a practice row for the uppercase I and lowercase i. Line first, top to bottom, then the dot. Doing it the other way round is remarkably common and leaves the dot floating with a line placed hopefully beneath it. This sheet gives the capital its top and bottom bars, because a plain vertical is indistinguishable from a lowercase l. I is for igloo, insect and ice cream — say the sound rather than the letter name as your child traces. Print on A4 or US Letter.
Stroke order for I
Lowercase i is the line first, top to bottom, and then the dot. Doing it the other way round is extremely common and produces a floating dot with a line hopefully placed beneath it.
Capital I on this sheet has top and bottom bars. That is deliberate — a plain vertical would be indistinguishable from a lowercase l and nearly identical to the numeral 1.
Why the order matters
Body first, detail second is the habit being built here, and it carries straight over to j, and to crossing t and f. Getting it established on the easiest letter it applies to is worth the small amount of insistence it takes.
Frequently asked questions
- Should the dot come before or after the line?
- After. The line is the letter and the dot is a finishing mark, and that order carries over to j and to crossing t and f.
- How do I stop I, l and 1 being confused?
- Give capital I its top and bottom bars, keep lowercase l plain, and give the numeral 1 its flag. Three distinct shapes solve what no amount of context can.