Why does my child's 7 come out backward in 17?

The top line was started on the right. In 17 the 7 begins just right of the 1, so starting next to the 1 and going right sends the slant the right way.

Is 17 harder than the other teen numbers?

A little, because the 7 is the numeral children reverse most. If 17 is wobbly, spend a few minutes on the number 7 page first, then come back to this sheet.

Number 17 worksheets for kindergarten, free printable PDF

Number 17 worksheets

Number 17 tracing worksheet for kindergarten, the numeral as dotted outlines on penmanship guides — A real sample sheet.

A number 17 worksheet for kindergarten, for five and six year olds. It prints eight rows of 17 as dotted outlines on penmanship guides, with room after each trace to write 17 alone. Seventeen is one ten and seven more. Both of its numerals start at the top, and the 7 is the one children most often turn backward.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core K.CC.A.3.

One page for every number

Each number from 1 to 20 has its own page, with its strokes in words, the mix-ups to watch for and a sheet of that one numeral to trace. The numbers 1 to 10 are preschool pages and 11 to 20 kindergarten ones.

What's on each sheet

Number tracing. Trace each number across the line. Then write it yourself on the rest of the line. 8 rows per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

Whole ranges, like 1 to 10 or 11 to 20, print from one form on Kindergarten number tracing.

How to teach this

Make the 1, a straight line from the top line to the bottom line. Then the 7 in one stroke: start on the top line, go straight across to the right, then without lifting slant down and back to the left, landing on the bottom line. Across, then down. The 7 on this sheet has no line through the middle. What matters is the direction of the top line: left to right, the way you read. Count 17 on a calendar together: one week, another week and three more days.

Watch for: Writing 71 for 17. Seventeen says the seven first, so the 7 goes down first. The 1 for the ten belongs on the left. A backward 7, with the slant running down to the right. It nearly always comes from starting the top line on the right; start it on the left, next to the 1.

Common questions about number 17

Why does my child's 7 come out backward in 17?: The top line was started on the right. In 17 the 7 begins just right of the 1, so starting next to the 1 and going right sends the slant the right way.
Is 17 harder than the other teen numbers?: A little, because the 7 is the numeral children reverse most. If 17 is wobbly, spend a few minutes on the number 7 page first, then come back to this sheet.

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Aligned to Common Core K.CC.A.3. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated October 2026.

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