Missing Strokes
A few strokes are missing. Draw them back to finish the character
What is Missing Strokes?
Missing Strokes is a free online Chinese writing game. Each character comes up in two squares, each missing a different run of strokes, so one square shows what the other lacks. The child compares the two, works out the gaps, and draws the missing strokes back in with a finger or a mouse, in stroke order. A teacher can switch to showing the full character beside one square instead, or to drawing from memory. A stroke drawn well enough fills in; after two tries it fills in on its own, so nobody gets stuck. Works with any word list, in traditional or simplified characters.
In the classroom
Project it and let students take turns coming up to draw the missing strokes, with the class calling out which part is gone. Or hand out tablets and switch the hint to From memory once a set is familiar, so they write the missing part without the reference.
At home
Sit beside your child with a tablet. Ask them to point at what is different between the two characters before they draw, then let them fill it in. A round takes about a minute per character, which suits a short daily session.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Missing Strokes free to play?
- Yes. It runs free in the browser on classroom.bbchinese.com, with no app to install.
- What does Missing Strokes teach?
- Character shape. The child has to see which strokes a character is made of and which piece is gone, then put it back in order, which takes closer looking than tracing the whole character.
- What if my child cannot remember the character?
- By default the two squares complete each other, so the missing part is always visible on the other side. A teacher can also switch on the full character beside the square. After one wrong try, a small dot marks where the next stroke starts.