Writing Writing Development Development

Young AgesYoung Ages

By: Christina TosoBy: Christina Toso

Writing DevelopmentWriting Development• By 18 months they begin to hold a pencil

or crayon and scribble. • During preschool years, you can recognize

the shapes they are drawing.• By age 4, writing is clearly different from

their drawings.• Pseudowriting: children's early writing,

reveals knowledge about written language. This looks like scribble.

• By age 5, children are frequently incorporating letters and letter-like forms into their pseudowriting.

HandwritingHandwriting• In elementary school, children’s

handwriting becomes smaller and smoother.

• It becomes a little more legible.

SpellingSpelling• Learn to write their names and a few

words as soon as they know the alphabet.• First/second grade- incorporate common

letter patterns (-ight, -ound, -ing)• Invented spellings: words that are made

up by children by capturing the sound of what they are trying to spell– This is a hws the sun wl shin nd mi grdn wl gro

Composition SkillsComposition Skills• When preschoolers write they do it

with a purpose in mind– A toy, letter to grandparents

• When children start to write its usually in narrative form– Personal experience, fictional story

Promoting writing Promoting writing developmentdevelopment

• Provide tools for drawing and writing as soon as children are old enough to use them– Children explore with writing, drawing

and painting– As fine motor skills, cognitive abilities

and knowledge of written symbols continue to improve during preschool years, they will continually produce recognizable shapes and letters.