I love to have personalized tracing packs available for preschoolers. Handwriting is a long process, and personalized tracing activities adds interest. Of course, many of the activities in Montessori education prepare the child’s hand indirectly for writing. That makes it much easier to focus on the actual name tracing and writing.
I’m excited to tell you about our latest editable printable packs … ocean-themed, editable name and word tracing packs in print or in cursive! The ocean-themed images and personalized names add interest and are perfect for summer. And the editable part of the pack can be used in print or cursive for any words or other languages, too! Before, we only had manuscript print for the uneditable pages at the beginning. But we’ve had requests for cursive, too, so now we’re offering both options!
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Montessori-Inspired Printables at Living Montessori Now
My daughter, Chrissy (a former Montessori child), and I have partnered to bring you a series of Montessori-inspired printables. The printables are typically themed and use a number of Montessori principles (although you don’t need to be a Montessori teacher or homeschooler to use them):
- They use isolation of quality.
- They use photographs or realistic images to emphasize reality.
- They typically use traditional Montessori colors such as red for consonants and blue for vowels.
- They emphasize lowercase letters, which are what we introduce letter sounds with in Montessori education. (Children tend to pick up the uppercase letters without being introduced if they’re introduced to the lowercase letter sounds.)
- They often feature themed printable versions of Montessori materials.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Ocean-Themed, Editable Name and Word Tracing Pack in Print or Cursive
The Ocean-Themed, Editable Name and Word Tracing Pack in Print is a new product in our Living Montessori Now shop! This ocean-themed printable tracing pack can be customized for names and words in any language … a low-prep activity that’s perfect for classroom or home! ! There are 73 printable pages and 54 different realistic images. The editable pages (pages 23-77) are compatible with print or cursive fonts.
This is a Montessori-inspired pack to help with name recognition and writing, sight word reading and spelling, and ocean geography and ocean animal identification. It’s designed for home or classroom. Preschool teachers will find many images that can be used for classroom names. A blank, editable page at the end allows for sticker images or glued-on images that aren’t included in the original pack. The 77-page pack is $9.95.
The Ocean-Themed, Editable Name and Word Tracing Pack in Cursive is a new product in our Living Montessori Now shop! This ocean-themed printable tracing pack in cursive can be customized for names and words in any language … a low-prep activity that’s perfect for classroom or home! There are 73 printable pages and 54 different realistic images. The editable pages (pages 23-77) are compatible with print or cursive fonts.
This is a Montessori-inspired pack to help with name recognition and writing, sight word reading and spelling, and ocean geography and ocean animal identification. It’s designed for home or classroom. Preschool teachers will find many images that can be used for classroom names. A blank, editable page at the end allows for sticker images or glued-on images that aren’t included in the original pack. The 77-page pack is $9.95.
Some Ways to Use the Name and Word Tracing Printables
There are so many different ways you can use this printable. Here are just a few ways. Note: I’ll be adding more as soon as I’ve edited some of our current photos!
Making Name Signs (Activity from 2021)
This activity is easily adaptable for a variety of ages. Even children who don’t need to work on their names can enjoy an art project of decorating their name for their room. In a room with other children, a name sign can be used to mark a child’s work that shouldn’t be disturbed. The finished name signs can also be used for hooks, cubbies, or any place you’d like a name or word label.
Each of my grandkids chose one of the images from the newly revised and expanded pack. Caleb (3) chose a goat kid. Caleb isn’t 3½ yet, so I just gave him a sheet of miniature rhinestone stickers to decorate his name sign. He was very careful to put stickers exactly on the dots and was excited to take his sign home.
Zoey (now 7) chose a lynx kitten, and Sophia (3) chose a rabbit kitten. I made both Caleb’s and Sophia’s signs in print and Zoey’s in cursive. I typically teach print first and then cursive, but many choose to teach cursive first. There are benefits to either way, so I think you should just choose for your unique situation.
Zoey wanted to make a decorative name sign. She chose to trace her name with a permanent marker for her sign. Then she decorated the cursive letters carefully with the miniature rhinestone stickers before adding other gems and written designs. Sophia made artistic designs with the miniature rhinestone stickers on hers. Zoey and Sophia also wanted to take their signs home for their room.
Name Tracing (Activity from 2018)
Children can trace either their first name or first and last name. When the spring pack was first published in 2018, Zoey was 4 years old and already knew how to spell her first name. So she worked on her first and last name.
In early tracing work, I like to show where to start each letter when tracing the name with a marker, pencil, or crayon. It takes a lot of practice for young children to become comfortable with both forming the letters and starting the letters in the correct place each time.
Rainbow writing is a fun way to practice name tracing, word tracing, or number tracing. Typically, the colors of the rainbow are used. For example, the child will trace over his or her name in red, then orange, then yellow, then green, etc., to create a rainbow of colors. It adds interest to writing.
Word Tracing (Activity from 2018)
If you’re working on word writing and would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing object with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.
The day after Zoey worked on her last name in 2018, I decided to help her analyze her name using the Montessori movable alphabet. We focused on the “ch” phonogram in “chick.” In addition to using the chick label from the pack, we used a chenille chick and our small wooden movable alphabet.
Zoey enjoyed the work and liked learning more about the “ch” sound.
If you’re wondering how to introduce phonograms, you’ll find ideas in this post: Phonics: How to Introduce Words Starting with Phonograms.
More Ideas from Personalized Holiday Name Tracing for Preschoolers – YouTube Video
This short video of then-4-year-old Zoey shows a few more ways the name-tracing part of the printables can be used. It’s just for a different time of year!
The Living Montessori Now Shop
We have some wonderful products for you in our Living Montessori Now shop! Be sure to check them out while you’re there. The prices are very reasonable, and you’ll find lots of help for Montessori at home or in the classroom.
Free Printables at Living Montessori Now
See my Free Montessori Printables category for free Montessori-inspired instant downloads.
Don’t miss our subscriber freebies (see list of available subscriber packs)! You’ll get a monthly freebie with link and password if you subscribe to the Living Montessori Now weekly newsletter!
You’ll also find more free printables through my free printables page.
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.
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