Many parents know the importance of reading to young children, but did you know that introducing toddlers and preschoolers to writing, can also help them develop important literacy skills needed for school success? This doesn’t mean that you should expect young children to write perfectly, but it does mean that they should have opportunities to draw and play with writing tools.
Young children also learn about how and why we write by watching adults write, so it’s important to “model” writing for young children. For example, after a child scribbles or draws, you can ask them to tell you about their picture and then write down what they say. Remember, young children develop as writers through real life settings when they are encouraged to experiment and when they write together with parents and other caring adults.
Young children also learn about how and why we write by watching adults write, so it’s important to “model” writing for young children. For example, after a child scribbles or draws, you can ask them to tell you about their picture and then write down what they say. Remember, young children develop as writers through real life settings when they are encouraged to experiment and when they write together with parents and other caring adults.
How writing develops in young children...
Experimenting Writers (Toddlers age 1-3)
- Scribble
- Show an interest in writing tools (pencils, pens, crayons, etc..)
- Like to make random marks on paper
- Might attempt to make objects/shapes/letters, but they are mostly unrecognizable
Emerging Writers (Preschoolers age 3-5)
- Draw pictures with some recognizable pictures, shapes & objects
- Begin to have a purpose for drawing or writing
- Often pretends to “write” by making random marks or letters on paper
- Learn to write his or her name in a recognizable form
- Start to use pictures or words to express their personal feelings
- Eager to tell others about their picture or writing
- Begin labeling pictures with recognizable letters or very simple words
- If asked “What do you want this to say?” or “What would you like me to write for you?”, child can dictate a story or message to an adult.
- Create recognizable pictures, shapes and letters
- Draw pictures with specific details
- Begin to write phrases or very simple sentences.
- Show an awareness of conventions of print – some spaces between words, left to right and top to bottom orientation
- Begin to experiment with punctuation, though not necessarily appropriately placed
- Begin to make “stories” that are 2 or more pages in length (including drawings)
- Want to “read” their writing (or stories) to others
