Name and word mat maker

Say it, build it, trace it, write it

Type a name or a word and print a practice mat with four jobs. Say it and touch a dot for each letter. Build it with letter tiles, magnet letters or playdough. Trace it. Write it. One mat for each word.

Pick a design

Now: . Hundreds of designs to choose from.

Choose each part yourself

To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. What you type stays on your device: it is not sent to us and not saved.

Your worksheet:

How to make your worksheet

  1. Type a name or your own words, one on each line. Or pick a ready word set.
  2. Choose the dots: one under each letter, or one under each sound for short words.
  3. Keep the letter tiles on if you want a strip of letters to cut out for the build box.
  4. Print. Slide the mat into a plastic sleeve to use it with playdough or a dry-erase pen.

The reading skill

A child who can say, build and write a word has looked at every letter in it, in order. It is slow, careful looking at one word. For a name, it is how a child learns which letters belong to them.

Dots under the sounds

For short words such as cat, ship and duck, choose a dot under each sound. Letters that work together, such as sh and ck, share one dot. Longer words and names get a dot under each letter.

Ways to build

Use the cut-out letter tiles, magnet letters, letter stamps, or roll playdough into the letter shapes.

Good questions

Can I make a mat for my child’s name?

Yes. Type the name. It stays on your device: it is not sent to us and not saved.

Can I make mats for a whole class?

Yes. Type one name on each line. Each name gets its own page.

Can I use sight words?

Yes. Pick a sight word list, or type your own words.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limit.

Make another kind of sheet

Free · 2 minutes

Is reading hard for your child, and you are not sure why?

“Behind in reading” can mean ten different things, and each one needs different help. Check off what is true for your child. You will see the one thing to work on first, and what can wait.

Find where to start