Educating Edgar
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Trace It
Trace big letters with a finger, the NSW Foundation way. A free letter game for children aged 3 to 7.
What your child does
A big letter sits on writing lines. The voice says, for example, "Trace the letter A." A green dot with a number shows where to start, and dotted arrows show which way to go. Your child puts a finger on the dot and follows the letter. Each stroke fills with colour, then the next numbered dot lights up. When the letter is finished the voice says its name.
What it practises
- Forming letters: where each stroke starts and which way it goes, in the order taught with NSW Foundation handwriting.
- Letter name recognition.
- Finger control, as a first step before holding a pencil.
How to play
- Open Educating Edgar and tap Trace It.
- Start on the green dot marked 1 and follow the arrows. A little light runs along the stroke to show the way.
- It's forgiving: a wobbly line still counts, and lifting the finger keeps what's done so far. Starting in the wrong place just shows the way again.
- After 3 letters, a star and praise finish the round.
Age guide
Made for children of about 3 to 7: preschool or kindy, and the first year of school (Foundation: Kindergarten in NSW and the ACT, Prep in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, Reception in SA, Pre-primary in WA, Transition in the NT). Younger children may like to play with a grown-up nearby.
Good to know
- No reading needed: a friendly Australian voice says every instruction and letter name.
- No timers, lives or scores to lose. Wrong answers get a gentle wiggle or bounce and a chance to try again.
- Letter names only (for example "B"), not letter sounds (phonics).
- Letters are shown in Edu NSW ACT Foundation, a free font in the NSW and ACT Foundation handwriting style.
- A mix of big and little letters by default. In the grown-ups corner you can choose big letters or little letters instead. The letters come from the letters you choose to practise (it starts with all letters a to z).
- Tracing on a screen is a warm-up, not a replacement for pencil and paper.
- Works on iPad, iPhone, Android and computers, and offline once it has loaded. Free for personal use.