Why are there no ship or shoe pictures on the S sheet?

Ship and shoe start with sh, a sound of its own. Every word on the S words sheet starts with the s hiss, so the sound your child hears matches the letter they trace.

Which words are on the S words sheet?

Six of these eleven, in a new mix each print: sun, sock, saw, seal, soap, star, snake, snail, spoon, swing and spider.

Is S a good first letter?

The sound is easy and the shape is hard. S has no straight line to lean on, so many children can say it long before they can write it. Try it after a few straight-line letters like L, T and H.

Letter S worksheets for preschool, free printable PDF

Letter S worksheets

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

Letter S worksheets for ages three to five, in preschool or kindergarten. The first sheet is capital S and small s as dotted outlines on alternate rows. The second has six pictures, a sun or a sock perhaps, every word starting with the hissing s.

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.

sun
sock
saw
seal
soap
star
snake
snail
spoon
swing
spider

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. Each print takes 6 of the 11, so the next sheet is a different mix.

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. 6 of the 11 words, a new mix 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 S and small s are the same shape at two sizes, which helps. Start just under the top line on the right. Curve up and over to the left, come back across the middle, then swing round the other way and finish at the bottom on the left. Small s does the same thing between the middle line and the bottom line. Say it as you go: back, around, back. The sound is a long hiss, sss, which a child can hold for as long as their breath lasts. S also says z in is and his, but that can wait. The words sheet keeps to the hiss, so there is no ship or shoe on it: sh is a different sound.

Watch for: A backwards S is one of the most common reversals at this age. The starting point fixes it: S always starts at the top right and heads left first. Small s drawn as tall as the capital. Point to the middle line. Small s lives between it and the bottom line.

Common questions about letter S

Why are there no ship or shoe pictures on the S sheet?: Ship and shoe start with sh, a sound of its own. Every word on the S words sheet starts with the s hiss, so the sound your child hears matches the letter they trace.
Which words are on the S words sheet?: Six of these eleven, in a new mix each print: sun, sock, saw, seal, soap, star, snake, snail, spoon, swing and spider.
Is S a good first letter?: The sound is easy and the shape is hard. S has no straight line to lean on, so many children can say it long before they can write it. Try it after a few straight-line letters like L, T and H.