Spring-Themed, Editable Name and Word Tracing Pack

Learning to recognize and write his or her own name is a real milestone for a preschooler. It takes many steps and much practice to achieve. 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 revised and expanded printable pack … a spring-themed, editable name and word tracing pack. The spring images and personalized names add interest to the task of name recognition and writing. And the editable part of the pack can be used in print or cursive for any words, numbers, or other languages, too!

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).

Spring-Themed, Editable Name and Word Tracing Pack

The spring-themed, editable name and word tracing pack is a product in our Living Montessori Now shop! It was originally published in January 2018 and revised and more than doubled in size in March 2021. This spring-themed printable tracing pack can be customized for names, words, or numbers in any language … a low-prep activity that’s perfect for classroom or home! There are 84 printable pages and 62 different realistic images. The editable pages (pages 26-88) are compatible with manuscript, cursive, or other fonts.  

This is a Montessori-inspired pack designed to help with name recognition and writing, sight word reading and spelling, and identifying cultural spring symbols. The 88-page pack is $10.95.

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:

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.