Upward Bound Learning Center

Tracing is a powerful way to practice fine motor control. Toddlers are just starting to enter the emergent writing period, when they begin to understand that writing is another way to express their thoughts.

Simple activities, such as tracing lines and shapes, can build strength and coordination between your toddler’s fingers, hands, and wrists. The more he practices, the better he’ll become at grasping his writing utensil and controlling his movements.

Tracing helps little ones refine their pre-writing skills, and builds the foundation for drawing and writing letters and words.
Tracing is beneficial because it helps build:
Fine motor skills
Pre-writing skills
Concentration and focus
Visual-spatial skills
Creativity and drawing skills

Just exposure to words is the single most important thing that you can do to help build the language pathways in your child’s brain,” says Laura Phillips, PsyD,💫

Why early reading and writing skills matter?

This is because early literacy development provides children with a strong foundation of linguistic skills, improved grammar, higher quality writing, better spelling, and increased oral communication.💯