How to Help a Young Child Begin to Write
Writing begins with scribbling during the toddler years -- an activity many tots thoroughly enjoy. By the time a youngster is ready for school, he will have made substantial progress from his earliest chicken-scratch scribbles. As your child initially begins learning how to write, he will likely write the letters of his name all over the page, omit vowels as he learns how to spell, write in predominantly uppercase letters and leave no spaces in between ̶0;words.̶1; As he progresses, he'll learn the rules of writing and he̵7;ll have ̶0;I love you̶1; notes and Christmas lists for you before you know it.
Things You'll Need
- Storybooks
- Modeling clay
- Craft glue
- String
- Circle cereal
- Thick markers or crayons
- Pencils and pencil crayons
- Pencil grip
- Alphabet magnets
- Transparency paper
Instructions
Read to your child often, letting her see the words on the page and watch you moving your finger across the page as you follow the words of the story. This will help her to make a connection between the words you are speaking and the letters on the page, demonstrating that words have meaning. Be a writing role model. Let your child see you write often -- save the typing for after he's gone to bed -- and explain why writing is important, such as to communicate with others, make lists, record friends' phone numbers and fill out birthday invitations. Help your child to develop fine motor skills and hand strength with activities such as playing with modeling clay, pasting pictures and stringing cereal necklaces. Provide opportunities for your child to scribble and draw, to let her get comfortable with holding pencils, crayons, markers and pencil crayons. Start with thick watercolor markers or crayons, because these will be easier for a toddler to grasp. Keep a close eye on her when she̵7;s drawing, though, since the floors and walls can seem like ideal canvases to youngsters. Encourage your child to use his developing writing skills in a variety of ways. Even if your youngster's signature looks more like a few squiggly lines than a name, give him plenty of opportunities to practice. He can sign birthday cards with his scribbles, make lists of things he'd like to do today, draw pictures and write a description beneath or write stories from his imagination. Show your child how to hold writing instruments properly once she̵7;s developed the coordination necessary to hold them steadily. You can slide a pencil grip onto the instrument she is using to help her master her grip. Introduce your child to letters. You can play with magnet letters on the kitchen fridge, form letter shapes from modeling clay, trace letters on transparency paper or play letter and alphabet games on the computer. Your child might be ready to start writing the letters of his name by his 3rd birthday. However, others won't be ready for quite some after that.