Writing is an essential skill of human language and communication. We write in order to deliver a message with accuracy and thought when our verbal abilities are limited. The great thing about writing is that it can be learned. Starting on the child’s early years, you can already hone their writing skills.
In our Preschool in New York, we have devised different programs and activities that help improve a child’s writing skills. Yet, here is something interesting that you would love to know. Your child’s writing skills go through stages. Now, why is this important to know? It’s like this. When we know that children’s activities can in fact help increase their skills later on, we would expose them to these activities even more to help them improve.
Case in point: Writing.
- Stage 1: DoodlesAt around 18–30 months, toddlers already learn how to hold pencils, crayons, or even pens. They strike at anywhere they find interesting to make marks on. They create doodles that are randomly distributed on the floor, at the walls, and yes, even at times on their sibling’s skin. You might overlook this but at this point, toddlers are already increasing their fine motor skills. These skills involve the grasp of their fingers, which they need to hold pencils in order to write clearer later on.
- Stage 2: Firm DoodlesWhen they reach 2 years onwards, their hold on these writing sticks gets stronger. This means that they can now make clearer shapes, such as straight lines, curved marks, and even circles.
- Stage 3: Lines, PatternsAs they turn three, toddlers already discover that their lines or curves are in fact part of something. They will find out with delight that lines are different from circles and ovals. This discovery is already a stepping stone to recognizing letters, which is also integral in our Head Start Pre-k programs.
- Stage 4: ImagesAround age four, children begin to form images that they have been thinking in their mind. At this point, their memory is also expanding at a great deal. They learn to draw common images such as the sun (a circle surrounded by lines) or a boy/girl (comprised of a circle and lines for the limbs and body). Being able to draw improves their ability to make their writing skills even firmer.
- Stage 5: LettersThis is now the part when children learn how to write letters and numerals on their own. In our center for childcare in Bronx, New York, we help expand this stage even more so their writing skills convert to reading skills.
These writing stages show us that every activity that children engage in will benefit their learning later on. So even if your child is still doodling or already making bold strokes, praise and appreciate them. If you also enroll them at Sharon Baptist Head Start, your children can have further learning exposure that they deserve.
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