Printable Third Grade Writing Paper

Writing in cursive

In Texas, third grade is when cursive becomes a way to write, not just letters to practice: the state standards ask third graders to “write complete words, thoughts, and answers legibly in cursive leaving appropriate spaces between words”. In California, a 2023 law (AB 446) requires handwriting lessons in grades 1 to 6 to include cursive or joined italics in the appropriate grade levels.

Zaner-Bloser’s own shop sells its Grade 3 paper upright, on 8 × 10½ in sheets, with a ⅜” ruling and a red baseline. This page opens with that size: the midline halfway, 3/16 in between rows, and 17 rows on a US Letter page under a strip labeled Name and Date.

Small letters, full pages

At 3/8 in the small letters are only 3/16 in tall, under 5 mm, half the height of kindergarten’s. Seventeen rows hold a book report, a letter to a pen pal or a page of spelling sentences, so one sheet is usually one assignment. For cursive drills, print one page per letter family, headed by your own model letters.

Which third grade paper?

Third grade paper isn’t the same everywhere. Zaner-Bloser’s own Grade 3 paper is 3/8 in with a red baseline, and it keeps 3/8 in for Grade 4 with a blue one. Some other Zaner-Bloser-branded grade 3 paper is 1/2 in, and D’Nealian classes stay on 1/2 in through third grade. If the paper your school sends home looks different, match it: pick 1/2 in in the Letter height list, or untick Red baseline for the blue style.

The step to notebook paper

Of the Zaner-Bloser sizes, 3/8 in is the smallest, and it matches notebook paper: Pacon’s wide ruled filler paper is ruled 3/8 in, the height of a tall letter on this page. To print that ruling, open the lined paper generator, choose Custom and enter 0.375 in; its Wide ruled option is a little narrower, at 11/32 in. Students who write smaller can go on to college ruled paper, and a child who still needs bigger rows has the second grade writing paper, with 1/2 in rows.

Writing rows per page at 3/8 in (9.5 mm) letter height

Counted by the generator with this page’s settings: at least 1 inch of unruled space at the top, with the Name and Date labels just above the first row, 3/16 in (4.8 mm) between rows and a ½-inch bottom margin. Rows that don’t fit whole are left off, and the summary above the preview updates as you change the settings.