Lined Paper Template

Orientation Portrait Landscape

Line Type Solid Dashed

Select Box Location No Box Full Top Full Bottom Top Left Top Right Bottom Left Bottom Right

Number of Lines

  Show Name and Date

  Feedback

Line Color

Select Text Location Hide Top / Under Name & Date At Bottom

Additional Text Optional Text Here. You can HIDE this part or choose it at the bottom.

Paper Type US Letter A4

Select Paper Template

To change the page border and colors, please select a theme from below. Once selected the PRINT PREVIEW will update with a sample of how the page will look.

Default

Valentine

Halloween

Fall

Christmas

Easter

  Download   Print   View

How to Use the Lined Paper Template Generator

1. Select your paper orientation: Choose if you’d like your template to be oriented vertically, like a portrait, or horizontally, like a landscape.
2. Choose the location of the ‘box’. Our template includes a box for students to draw pictures or take free-form notes. You can choose to place this box at the top, middle, or bottom of the page. You can also align it to the left, right, or center. If you don’t want a box on your page, choose the ‘No Box’ option. 
3. Decide if you’d like to include a name/date line. Our tool has the option to include separate lines for students to write their names and the date. Check this box if you’d like these lines included, or deselect it if you’d like a simpler template.
4. Set line color. Use our selection tool to choose what color you’d like your lines to be.
5. Choose line type. Select if you’d like solid or dashed lines. As a guide, solid lines are more commonly used for older children, whereas the dashed lines provide more guidance for younger kids still learning how to write their letters.
6. Set the number of lines. Use our sliding bar to choose how many lines you’d like on each page.
7. Enter additional text. If you would like to include additional text on your page, such as instructions for an assignment, type it into the additional text box. 
8. Set text location. Decide where you’d like your text to appear on the page. Our tool has options for placing the text at the top of the page, at the bottom, or hiding the text. Choose this last option if you wouldn’t like to include any extra text on your pages.
9. Choose paper type. Select whether you would like to print your template onto A4 or US Letter paper. This will ensure the formatting is correct when the template is printed.
10. If desired, select a paper design. At the bottom of the tool, we have options for a range of paper designs you can add to your template, from Christmas to Valentine’s Day. Scroll through the options to view all your choices. If you’d prefer a more basic template, select the ‘default’ option.
11. Download or print your lined paper template. Once you’ve got the template where you want it, you can download or print the template. Just click the green buttons at the bottom of the page, or the orange buttons in the ‘Preview Image’ bar.

Uses for Lined Paper

There are plenty of ways teachers can use lined paper to help their students learn. A few ideas for how to use lined paper include:

1. Helping kids practice their handwriting.

One of the most common uses for lined paper is to give students space to practice their handwriting. Whether trying to help first- and second-graders learn to write their letters, or allowing older kids to practice their cursive, lined paper gives students the space and structure to hone their handwriting skills. Evidence has shown that practicing handwriting can help brain development in young students.

2. Teaching students to write stories.

Lined paper can also be used to help teach students how to write stories or paragraphs. For instance, an educator might give students the space to draw a picture of their choosing, then ask the students to write a short story about that picture. What location have they drawn? Who are the people in their drawing and what are they doing? Exercises like these are key for building up students’ narrative skills and logical thinking capabilities.

3. Administering spelling or history quizzes.

Ah, the dreaded moment when a teacher pulls out a stack of papers and calls for a pop quiz. No student likes them, but quizzes are a necessary part of learning, and using lined paper templates can make a teacher’s life easier when grading. Whether administering a short spelling test or asking students for longer-form answers, using a simple lined paper template can help keep quizzes consistent, making these easier for teachers to compare and grade.

How to Encourage Students to Use Lined Paper Properly

Especially when students are young, they can struggle to use lined paper properly. Here are a few tips on how to help kids learn to use lined paper.

1. Tell a story about writing on the line.

Telling stories about complex rules can be a great way to help students understand them. For example, when teaching students about writing on lined paper, you might want to tell them a story about the letters ‘sitting’ on the line. Many educators cast letters into bird-like roles, and explain that the letters have to ‘sit’ together on the bottom line of lined paper to keep their balance. This is a great visual for students and can help them understand what may seem like arbitrary rules. It can also remind them later where to place their letters if they forget, since the story is more likely to stick in their memory.

2. Include a dotted middle line for reference.

Especially for younger students, including intermediary lines can be a great way to help them generate neat handwriting. In our tool, if you select the ‘dashed’ line type, the tool will automatically add intermediary lines marking the midpoints of letters. This extra reference can be very helpful for younger students still getting used to writing letters.

3. Show students examples of proper use.

Students may learn by practice, but having good guides is key to making sure they’re practicing well. Teachers can draw examples on the board of what good writing within the lines looks like, but also should have examples for what bad writing within the lines looks like. This can help give students a frame of reference for whether their writing meets the expectations or if they have room for improvement.

More Resources for Teachers

If you’re an educator looking for more resources to help your students, you’re in luck! The Word Finder has a Teacher’s Nook filled with tools for teachers, from a math worksheet generator to a crossword maker. If you’re searching for something you can’t find in our Teacher’s Nook, reach out to us and let us know; we might be able to add it.

Feedback

What do you think about our Lined Paper Generator? Was this tool useful for you, or are there features you’d like to see added to the Lined Paper Generator? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out using the ‘Contact Us’ page linked below to share your suggestions.