Lying Figure Eights Tracing Worksheet — Medium Patterns, Draw from the Model, 6 Rows, Series F, Ages 5–6
Sideways eights, two round loops meeting in the middle, sit on the bottom line in six medium rows; 5–6 year olds get one solid eight and one dashed eight, then draw on.
1 A4 page · for home and classroom use
Lying figure eights
How to use this worksheet
- Start at the dark dot in the middle of the eight: go up and around the left loop, come back to the middle from below, then go up and around the right loop.
- Trace the dashed eight in the same order without lifting the pencil, then draw the next eights alone; a row fits eight to eleven.
- Let each eight rest on the bottom line; it is wider than it is tall, so it does not reach the top line.
What this worksheet teaches
The lying eight joins two loops that turn in opposite directions, so the hand has to switch its turning direction smoothly in the middle of one movement. That switch is a core part of fluent handwriting, where round letters and connecting strokes turn different ways. Drawing the eights from a model at 5–6 also trains the eyes to check that both loops are the same size.
Play idea
Racetrack: each eight is a tiny racetrack. In every row your child picks the smoothest one drawn alone and drives a fingertip car around it twice without leaving the track.
Questions and answers
Questions from parents
Why don't the eights reach the top line?
Each eight is two small round loops side by side, so it is wider than tall. Resting on the bottom line is correct.
How can my child check an eight drawn alone?
Compare it with the model: both loops about the same size, meeting at one point in the middle, with the bottom resting on the line.
Drawn from the model, the eight falls apart into two circles. What helps?
Trace the model together with a finger and say "left loop, middle, right loop" so the path through the middle becomes clear.