Free Printable Handwriting Worksheets for 1st – 6th Grade

As teachers, I know we are always looking for easy resources that make handwriting for older students a breeze! I’ve put together free printable handwriting worksheets just for you!

When it comes to handwriting, tracing the ABCs gets boring for kids — and us — fast. Only younger kids can tolerate tracing their ABCs. Once they reach a certain age, regular handwriting worksheets are guaranteed to elicit some groans from the classroom.

I am always looking for ways to keep handwriting fun for my students, and I know I can’t be the only one who struggles to do so. Most handwriting worksheets out there are so boring, they aren’t even worth paying for. And even if they ARE free, most of the time they still don’t reach the standard that I aim for with my classroom activities.

After spending hours looking for great worksheets, I decided I had to make my own. My free printable handwriting worksheets get kids to practice their skills with engaging sentences, fun facts, and even positive affirmations! Since the practice consists of fun content as opposed to regular old ABCs, they are perfect for students from first grade all the way to sixth grade.

You can get your free printable handwriting worksheets here — just print and go, absolutely no prep work required! I am all about great printable resources that make our busy lives a little easier. I know your students will enjoy these pages, and you’ll pat yourself on the back for making handwriting practice fun again. Get ready for a class full of handwriting masters!

Why do students need good handwriting?

Even though we live in a digital age, handwriting still matters! It’s especially important to teach good handwriting skills while students are in distance learning. But why exactly is it so important? Keep reading to find out why your students need great handwriting to thrive in the classroom!

Handwriting greatly improves brain function in students. Maria Konnikova writes, “Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. In other words, it’s not just what we write that matters — but how.”

Most of us already know that writing things by hand increases our chances of retaining that information, but the benefits go further than that. Handwriting actually activates more areas of the brain and boosts creativity. Konnikova cited a study that found that out of a group of children, “the ones with better handwriting exhibited greater neural activation in areas associated with working memory — and increased overall activation in the reading and writing networks.”

The research around handwriting shows it’s not a skill to be forgotten, even while the world transitions to digital. Handwriting is a lifelong skill, and should be a staple in your classroom curriculum!

What’s included in these free printable handwriting worksheets?

Every teacher loves a good freebie! These free printable handwriting worksheets include…

●       3 print worksheets

●       3 cursive worksheets

●       3 D’Nealian print worksheets

●       3 D’Nealian cursive worksheets

●       Amazing tips for incorporating handwriting into your day

●       PLUS, a free sample handwriting assessment from the 180 Days of Handwriting Bundle!

Looking for year-long handwriting practice for older students?

If you try these worksheets and love them as much as I think you will, I’ve got good news! You can download my 180 Days of Handwriting Bundle for handwriting practice all year long. Imagine having handwriting practice checked off your list of to-dos in one simple step. Yes, please!

This year’s long supply of handwriting worksheets include categories like animal facts, out of this world space facts, gross and silly facts, and positive affirmations. Each category is 20 pages long except for Silly Alphabet Sentences (there are 26 in that document — one sentence for each letter). I suggest starting with the alphabet at the beginning of the year!

The bundle includes plenty of print, cursive, and D’Nealian practice. If you’re looking for bundles for one kind of writing, you can click here for print worksheets and here for the cursive version! 

You can print out the worksheets in booklet format to hand out to your students. Print them as monthly workbooks, quarterly or semesterly workbooks, category workbooks, or simply as needed. They make great morning warm-up activities, too!

Conclusion

You CAN make handwriting fun for your older students! Older students tend to dislike handwriting practice, but the research has spoken — good handwriting is crucial for a student’s success in the classroom and beyond. But don’t worry — you definitely don’t have to become the “uncool” teacher while you’re getting your students the handwriting practice they need. These free printable handwriting worksheets will keep your class engaged and turn them into handwriting experts in no time! 

Do you have older students who could use a little extra handwriting practice? Have you claimed your free printable handwriting worksheets yet?