Learning to write consists of more than simply teaching children to form letters and learn the alphabet. It is a highly complex process requiring children to understand the concept of print as a means of communication. They also need to learn how written symbols represent spoken words, and the letter-sound correspondences involved in this process – not to mention actual letter formation and handwriting.
Differing Rates of Writing Development
Emergent writing develops over time and is likely to begin much earlier than statutory school age. However, notwithstanding this, early years education is now underpinned by principles of child-centredness – schools and other settings recognise that every child is individual and will develop at his or her own pace. This means that patterns of learning vary and children will not necessarily reach the same developmental milestones at the same time (chronological age).
Before starting school, most children have already developed a natural interest in mark-making and have started to play with tools such as paint, crayons, chalk and a computer screen. These early marks should be encouraged as they build children’s confidence and their desire to communicate.
Pre-writing Shapes and Handwriting Patterns
Children’s first writing attempts are likely to be a mixture of pictures, symbols and pre-writing shapes such as circles, lines and squiggles. These often mimic actual letter shapes, including letters from children’s own names, and help them to develop fine motor control (grasp).
Early patterning is a pre-cursor to focused handwriting practice, and need not automatically entail pencil and paper activities. Schools give children lots of opportunities to explore muscular writing movements in different contexts, on a large and small scale, in order to consolidate their learning (scribing in sand or corn flour “gloop”, painting, making patterns in the air with ribbons or streamers etc.).
Children’s motor development tends to proceed from gross to fine movement, so children should be encouraged to play with larger tools before becoming preoccupied with pencils. Certainly, if children are struggling to hold a writing implement in a comfortable three-finger grasp, then this may indicate that they are not yet developmentally ready to do this.
Letter Shapes
Capital letters may be easier for children to write, but schools tend to teach lower-case letters before upper-case, as the former are more prevalent in everyday writing (although children are taught appropriate use of capital letters, for example, at the start of a sentence and a name). Parents and carers would do well to note this, as it pays to be consistent with school policy in order to avoid confusion.
Most schools tend to follow a synthetic phonics programme for the teaching of reading and spelling. These introduce letters and sounds in structured teaching sequences, with consonants and vowels being taught in small groups. Letter formation is often taught when new sounds (phonemes) are introduced, which is logical and promotes multi-sensory learning – children learn what phonemes look like (visual), sound like (auditory) and “feel” like (kinaesthetic). This builds on children’s individual learning styles, making learning more effective as a result.
Beginning Word Sounds
When children are ready to make the transition from random writing (which may be “read” back differently each time), to writing based on conventional letter-sound correspondences, schools encourage children to have a go at spelling words independently by listening to the initial sound.
The teacher/practitioner will help children to compose a sentence or phrase, then break the flow of speech into individual words. Adults can model each word, articulating it as clearly as possible, and emphasising the beginning sound so that children can isolate it from the rest of the word.
Beginning word sounds tend to be the easiest to distinguish for young children, followed by end sounds and finally medial sounds. Simple two- and three-letter words are more straightforward, particularly CVC words – those made of a consonant, a vowel and another consonant. Middle vowels can be especially tricky to hear as they are similar and the differences more subtle, so they will take longer to master.
Letter Strings
As children’s writing develops, they gradually become able to spell more of each word, progressing from just the initial letter, to a string of two or three letters representing the sounds that they can hear in the word. A useful strategy is that of writing a line after the beginning sound (if the child is unsure of the remaining letters). This is a very effective technique as it enables the child to proceed with his or her writing without getting stuck on one word in particular. For example, the word “park” would become “p___”. As the child progresses, he or she will become able to identify other letters and may go through stages of writing “p__k”, “prk” and finally “park”.
Children’s writing development is likely to commence before they start school, through natural experimentation with writing materials and the urge to communicate. This should be encouraged as it will build confidence and help children to develop a sense of themselves as “writers”. If adults take the time to share children’s writing, this sends a very positive message about the value of every child’s literary “voice” – something worthy of being read and listened to.
