Copy a Card is an activity that you can do with one child or a group of children to practice the fine motor skills that will help them to form letters on their own.

This activity is a making progress activity, for children who have mastered some of the skills needed to learn to read and write.

This activity is an emergent writing activity. Emergent writing refers to a child's beginning attempts to use print in a meaningful way.

New resource! Download cards with figures on them to use with this activity here.

Where can I find this activity? (The links below are PDF files that will open in a new window.)

Copy a Card for one adult with one child, in English
Copy a Card for one adult with a group of children, in English
Copy a Card for one adult with one child, in Spanish
Copy a Card for one adult with a group of children, in Spanish

My child is having trouble copying even simple designs. How can I help?
Children who are having difficulty with this activity might need to practice without crayons and paper, and to “feel” what it is like to draw the shapes in a way that uses more of their senses.  For example, tell your child that you are going to draw a big circle in the air.  Model for the child by holding out your index finger and “drawing” a big circle in the air in front of you. Then, let your child try. You can also let children use their finger to “draw” big shapes on a carpet, on sandpaper, or in a tray with sand or rice.  Let the children try copying the figures that are on the cards in this “large muscle” way until they seem comfortable with it. Once comfortable, ask the child to use their finger to “draw” the figures on their paper several times. Afterward, you should encourage the child to follow the original instructions for the activity using the crayon on the paper.

How can I make this activity more challenging? Children who are ready for more of a challenge might be ready for some more complicated shapes to copy. You can also try letters and numbers.