Development of Prewriting Skills

When will my child learn to write? A question I have been asked by many parents over the years. I thought to post a quick explanation of when your child actually starts to print. Along with, how to encourage them and strengthen their developing writing skills.

From the ages of 15 months to the age of 3 years you will notice a big difference in your child's writing and drawing skills. This is known as Developing Stages of Writing. By the age of 15 months parents will notice their children making scribbles randomly. This can continue to around 2.5 years of age when they slowly progress to more controlled scribbling (e.g., circle, curves to imitate written words, diagonal, horizontal, and/or vertical lines). The more you provide fine motor opportunities (refer to examples) and over time your child's princer grasp (holding a pencil between thumb and pointing finger) will strengthen. Below I have attached a snap shot of what I have been using to asses children's stages of printing to help me assist them through each stage. By the age of 4 and 5 years I have noticed most children I have interacted with are at the 'Transitional' stage and by the age of 5 and 6 years they are at the 'Fluent' stage. Keep in mind every child is different and their are many different supports at your child's school or if you are concerned to contact their paediatrician and they will provide you with the next steps to support your child. In the mean time, these are a few options you can do at home to support your little ones and their fine motor skills. Side note: when you read or hear the terms "fine motor", "printing" and "writing skills" be assured they are all inter-connected!

How can I support my child's developing stages of writing? 

• Providing lots of opportunities for arts and crafts and the use of crayons, markers, pencils and paint brushes.  
• Pay attention to the way your child is writing or drawing and complement their efforts.
• Encouraging them to write and making comments as you notice it or having them tell you what they write empowers them to keep going and doing what they are doing! My daughter is at the controlled scribbles stage; where she try's to imitate my writing of words such as mom, dad, and/or her name. I always use positive words and explain what I love about her work (e.g., how she held her marker, how she used curves and angels in her writing and/or how straight she wrote with no lines). 
• Encourage art to express emotion. You would be surprised how much your child can show you in one photo when they are given some paint (any colouring tool) and they are frustrated. It will be a way to help them express themselves, strengthen fine motor skills, and self-regulate their emotions. 
• Display your child's master piece around the house! I keep stressing this point in my instagram and Facebook page, because it empowers and values the child to a whole new level! They are proud of their work and so are you. Displaying their work encourages them to keep trying and show you how well they can do what they do. 

Hope all of this was a good read and provided you with great ideas to try at home. If you have purchased the Kindergarten Activity Binder, refer to the literacy section where you will see a subsection on writing skills and a writing resource to help your child practice writing and drawing. Writing a daily journal about what they did at school, not he weekend, or what they learned is a great way to practice and strengthen these skills and many more!  

 Photo resource credits to https://www.whps.org