Free Handwriting Practice Paper
Three-line handwriting paper (top solid, middle dashed, bottom solid) — the standard for teaching kids to write and for occupational therapy practice.
About handwriting practice paper
Handwriting practice paper — sometimes called dotted third, three-line, or SLT (solid-line, line, top-line) paper — is designed to teach proper letter formation. The three lines give the writer a clear visual target for where capital letters, lowercase letters, and descenders should sit.
This template is the standard in early elementary classrooms in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Occupational therapists use it extensively for children developing fine motor control, and it's a popular tool for parents homeschooling younger kids.
Common uses
- Kindergarten and early elementary handwriting
- Occupational therapy sessions
- Homeschool handwriting curriculum
- ESL and letter formation practice
- Penmanship and cursive introduction
- Cursive handwriting transition (3rd grade)
Common questions
Handwriting practice paper (also called "dotted third" or "three-line" paper) has a top solid line, a middle dashed line, and a bottom solid line. This gives writers a clear visual guide for letter height, x-height, and descender depth.
It's the standard in early elementary classrooms (kindergarten through 2nd grade) in the US, UK, and Australia, and is widely used in occupational therapy to help children form letters correctly.
Lowercase letters (a, e, o) should sit between the middle dashed line and the bottom solid line. Ascenders (b, d, h) reach the top solid line. Descenders (g, p, y) drop just below the bottom solid line.