Why does small e start in the middle?

Because the line across comes first. Start there, go right, then curve up and around. Starting at the top makes a c with a bar stuck in it, and the bar ends up anywhere.

Why only four pictures on the E words sheet?

Few things a preschooler can name start with an e sound. Egg, elephant, eagle and escalator do, so the sheet prints those four, in a new order each time.

Eagle sounds different from egg. Is that a mistake?

No. E has two sounds at the start of words: the short one in egg and elephant, and its name in eagle. The sheet keeps both so your child hears that one letter can do two jobs.

Letter E worksheets for preschool, free printable PDF

Letter E worksheets

Letter E tracing worksheet for preschool, capital and small letter on penmanship guides — The picture follows the options you pick. Tap to see another version.

Letter E worksheets for three to five year olds, in preschool or starting kindergarten. One sheet traces capital E and small e as dotted outlines on alternate rows. The other has four pictures to trace: an egg, an elephant, an eagle and an escalator.

Free printable PDF worksheet.

One page for every letter

Each letter has its own page, with its strokes in words, its sounds and, for most letters, a sheet of words that start with it.

The words you'll trace

Say each picture's name. Listen for the first sound. Then trace the word beside it.

egg
elephant
eagle
escalator

Every picture's name starts with the letter's sound, and beside it the word is printed as a dotted outline on a writing guide. The key page writes the words out in ink.

These are every picture the sheet has for this letter, so all 4 print each time, in a new order.

What's on each sheet

Letter tracing. Trace the letter on each line. Then write it yourself on the rest of the line. 6 rows per page.
Words that start with the letter. Say each picture's name. Listen for the first sound. Then trace the word beside it. All 4 words, in a new order every time you print.

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

Every other letter prints from one form on Preschool letter tracing.

How to teach this

Capital E is one line down and three lines across. Pull the tall line down from the top first, then add the lines across, top, middle and bottom, each starting at the tall line and going right. The middle one can be a little shorter. Small e is the only letter that starts in the middle of itself. Begin halfway between the middle and bottom lines, draw a short line across to the right, then curve up, back over the top and round like a c. E has a short sound, the one at the start of egg and elephant, and it can say its own name, as in eagle. Say both with your child when you name the pictures.

Watch for: Children draw capital E with four or five lines across. Count them out loud as you trace: one, two, three. Small e started at the top, like a c, ends up with the bar in the wrong place or missing. It starts with the little line across, then goes around.

Common questions about letter E

Why does small e start in the middle?: Because the line across comes first. Start there, go right, then curve up and around. Starting at the top makes a c with a bar stuck in it, and the bar ends up anywhere.
Why only four pictures on the E words sheet?: Few things a preschooler can name start with an e sound. Egg, elephant, eagle and escalator do, so the sheet prints those four, in a new order each time.
Eagle sounds different from egg. Is that a mistake?: No. E has two sounds at the start of words: the short one in egg and elephant, and its name in eagle. The sheet keeps both so your child hears that one letter can do two jobs.