Trace the Letter M
Preschool · 3–5Dashed guides and a practice row for the uppercase M and lowercase m. Two humps, counted out loud while tracing, because the three-humped version is the most common error on this sheet. M is for moon, mouse and milk — say the sound rather than the letter name as your child traces. Print on A4 or US Letter.
Stroke order for M
Lowercase m is a short line down, then back up the same line and over into a hump, then back up again for the second hump. One stroke if the pencil retraces, and the retracing is the part children find awkward.
Count the humps out loud while tracing — one, two, stop. Three-humped m is the single most common error on this sheet and counting catches it before it lands.
Keeping it out of W territory
M points up like mountains; W dips down like water. Say it while tracing rather than afterwards. It is the one mnemonic in the alphabet that reliably survives the moment of hesitation mid-word, which is where abstract rules fail.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I stop M and W being flipped?
- M points up like mountains, W dips down like water. Say it while tracing rather than afterwards — it is the one mnemonic that survives hesitation mid-word.
- My child draws three humps on m. Why?
- They are concentrating on the shape rather than the count. Saying one hump, two humps, stop while tracing catches it before it lands on the page.