Trace the Letter Q
Preschool · 3–5Dashed guides and a practice row for the uppercase Q and lowercase q. The anticlockwise circle first, then a straight line down the right side that carries on below the writing line — it is an a with the tail extended, which is a useful way to describe it. Trace qu together rather than q alone, since the letter never appears without a u after it. Q is for queen, quilt and quail — say the sound rather than the letter name as your child traces. Print on A4 or US Letter.
Stroke order for Q
Lowercase q is a c-family letter: the anticlockwise circle first, then a straight line down the right side that continues below the writing line. It is a, with the line extended — which is a useful way to describe it to a child who can already write a.
The tail runs straight down rather than hooking, which is what separates it from g on the page.
A letter that travels in pairs
Q is followed by u in every word your child will meet, so it is worth writing qu together on the spare line rather than q alone. Practising the pair is more useful than practising the letter, because the letter never appears by itself.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Q always followed by U?
- For practical purposes with a child, yes. The exceptions are borrowed words that will not appear in early reading, so the rule can be taught as absolute.
- What sound does qu make?
- Two sounds blended: /kw/. Queen begins the way kween would. Being explicit about that stops children stumbling on every qu word they meet.