Free printable letter R worksheets for preschool and kindergarten: trace uppercase R and lowercase r, find the letter, follow the letter maze and color R words.
Preschool and kindergartenCommon Core RF.K.1.D, RF.K.3.A2 free PDFs with answer keys
Change the numbers, layout and number of problems, then download a new PDF with its answer key.
R is a growling consonant that some children take a while to say clearly. These free letter R worksheets include tracing R and r, a find-the-letter grid, an R maze and a coloring page for “R is for rabbit”.
Free letter R worksheets to print (PDF)
Each of these letter R worksheets is a one-page PDF; the find and maze pages add an answer key. Press Customize to change the colors or paper size in the maker on this page.
Trace R and rArrows first, then on their own.PDFCustomizeFind the letter RCircle and count, with key.PDFCustomizeLetter R mazeColor the R path, with key.PDFCustomizeR is for rabbitColor, trace and draw.PDFCustomize
The letter R sound
R says /r/, as in rabbit, rain, ring and robot. The tongue pulls back without touching the roof of the mouth and the voice growls: rrr. After a vowel, r changes the vowel’s sound, as in car, her, bird, fork and fur; these are called r-controlled vowels and are taught later. R also forms blends such as br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr and tr.
R is for rabbit: letter R words for kids
Words that start with R: rabbit, rain, ring, robot, rocket, rose, rainbow, ruler, rug, radio.
R inside or at the end: car, star, tree, carrot, zebra, parrot.
The color page uses rabbit, rain, ring and robot, so children trace each word and color the matching letter.
Letter R at a glance
Place in the alphabet
18th of 26, after Q and before S
Type
Consonant
Uppercase shape
Straight lines and curves
Often confused with
P, K and n
Scrabble tile value
1 point
Grouping letters by shape helps handwriting: letters made of straight lines and curves, like R, combine both skills, so practice the separate strokes first.
How to write R and r
Uppercase R: A tall line down, back to the top, one bump to the middle, then a slanted leg to the bottom.
Lowercase r: A short line down, then back up and a small curve over to the right.
Uppercase R is a P with a slanted leg kicking out from the bump. Lowercase r is a short line with a small hook at the top, like the start of n that stops early. Children sometimes write r with too big a hook, making it look like n, so stop the hook as soon as it curves over.
Letter R tracing and the rest of the pack
Trace: letter R tracing with arrows to follow, then uppercase R and lowercase r on their own.
Find the letter: circle every R and r hidden among similar-looking letters, then count them.
Letter maze: color the R squares to make a path from start to finish.
Color: color the big Rr, trace the R words and draw something that starts with R.
Letter R activities for preschool
Short, hands-on games make the letter R worksheets stick. Try one a day alongside the printed pages:
Rainbow R: trace a big R seven times in rainbow colors.
Race cars: drive a toy car along an R track and growl rrr.
Rock painting: paint R and r on smooth rocks and line them up in ABC order with other letters.
Rabbit hops: hop to each R card and say a word that starts with /r/.
A letter R week plan
Monday: say the /r/ sound together, trace R and r on the first page, then try the Rainbow R idea above.
Tuesday: work through the find-the-letter page, count how many you circled, and move on to Race cars.
Wednesday: solve the letter R maze, then play Rock painting.
Thursday: color “R is for rabbit”, read rabbit, rain, ring and robot aloud and finish with Rabbit hops.
Friday: write R and r from memory, look for R in a favorite picture book and reprint any page that felt tricky.
Letter R worksheets kindergarten teachers can use
Kindergarten readers meet r in ran, red, rib, rip, rod, rub and run, and sight words such as are and here where r follows a vowel. The letter R worksheets teachers use focus on the starting /r/ sound; r-controlled vowels usually come in first grade.
Names: if someone in the family has a name that starts with R, the name tracing worksheets turn it into a tracing page.
Whole alphabet: the alphabet worksheets hub has all 26 letter packs plus ABC order and matching pages.
Letter R worksheets: frequently asked questions
What age are letter R worksheets for?
Preschool and kindergarten, usually ages 3 to 6. Kindergarten expects children to recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters (Common Core RF.K.1.D).
How many days should we spend on the letter R?
A letter-of-the-week plan uses one page a day: trace on Monday, find on Tuesday, the maze on Wednesday and coloring on Thursday, with Friday for review or a craft.
When should children say r clearly?
The /r/ sound is one of the last to develop. Many children say it clearly by age 6 or 7; ask a speech therapist if you are concerned.
What are r-controlled vowels?
Vowels followed by r, as in car, her, bird, fork and fur. The r changes the vowel sound, which is why they are taught as their own patterns.
Can I print a different letter or several at once?
Yes. The maker on this page can build packs for any letters, like S, A, T, P, I, N, or the whole alphabet.
