Why I Give Daily Writing Opportunities to my Toddler

Hello!

Today I wanted to write about something I am very interested in - Early Writing! 

It has always fascinated me how children develop from their early mark making to actually writing sentences which others can read.

In this blog I share information and ideas about you can support your child to have a go at writing and to believe that they can do it!

Vicki xx

Did you know my toddler can write?  Well.... not quite, but she believes she can write; which is far more important at the moment!

Having taught in Reception for many years, I have sooo often heard that phrase 'but I can't write yet' and unfortunately it is frequently combined with a fear of even picking up a pencil and having a go.   The trouble is that when children do start to learn their phonics and to really 'write' they will undoubtedly make many mistakes; therefore it is so important that our children are both willing to have a go and that they have the inner confidence to believe that they can do it.  

Creating a Growth Mindset

Those children who are saying 'but I can't write yet' are often the children whom we might say are showing a 'fixed mindset'.  This is when they have developed learned helplessness and believe that they only have their current level of ability or intelligence.  

I believe that all children are born with a growth mindset; the thought process where we believe that with effort and practice that skills can be developed.  If you look at a baby trying so hard to roll over than you can really see a growth mindset in action!

Children often develop a fixed mindset because of our adult interactions with them and our over-protective concerns.  To nurture our children's growth mindsets we need to focus much more on the learning process' rather than the outcomes; giving the message that failure is an important part of learning. 

A child who has not been trusted with writing tools and encouraged to give it a go is more likely to think that they can't do it, whereas a child who has been encouraged from an early age to make meaningful marks will develop the confidence and belief that they can give it a go and not be fearful of 'getting it wrong'.

Creating an Environment for Writing

How often does your child see you writing?  I've really noticed that the main times my daughter sees me writing is when I am making a shopping list and when I am writing cards for people - unsurprisingly these are the two types of writing I most frequently see her engaging with in her play.

A great starting point for creating an environment for writing is reflecting on how often and what sort of writing your child sees you doing.  If it is, like me, in writing shopping lists, think where can you position the same or similar resources so your child can also access them.   It is really important that those opportunities for early mark making are freely available and they are not having to always ask to use them.   By giving daily opportunities for writing you will be giving the message that they can have a go and they can do it!

Resources you may like to include in your child's environment could include; different sized paper, notepads, plain stickers, post it notes, note cards, envelopes, pens, pencils, crayons,  felt tips.  Basically anything which will excite them and engage them in their writing!

Remember... if your child is writing for a purpose, make sure that purpose is fulfilled - take their shopping list to the supermarket with you, post the card to Grandma, stick the sign on the door!

What to Expect

When young children first start 'writing' they will often be making marks which may look to you just like 'scribble'. It is really important that you value these first marks and that your child is 'having a go'.

When you are writing, ensure you are explicitly sharing your thought process and the meaning of the words that you write down. An example of this would be 'Oooh we don't have any tomatoes left; I'm going to write them on my list. There I have written tomatoes so we can remember to buy them at the shop.' Once your child has experienced you doing this you can then encourage them to think about putting meaning to their marks e.g. 'What are you writing on your list? Does that say baked beans?'

As children develop their writing skills you may find that they begin to use marks which are becoming increasingly similar to letters. It is very common that the first letter of their name is featured regularly in their writing. Again, make sure you really value your child's attitude to writing and their willingness to have a go.

Once children are at school and learning phonics, often the progress to writing recognisable letters is very quick and children will often start by writing the initial sound of each word before then progressing to writing the consonants and then finally you will see them being able to sound out and write whole words and then sentences!

Hints and Tips

Having spent many years teaching young children to write, these are some of my top tips:

- Don't focus on pencil grip or handwriting when children are enjoying the freedom and excitement of writing. Pencil grip and handwriting can often be significantly improved by further opportunities for developing gross and fine motor control (not sure what I mean by gross and fine motor control - download my FREE parents guides here)

- Ensure the opportunities for writing are continuously in the environment. You can rotate what is out as long as there are always writing opportunities available.

- When children start learning phonics in Reception, they will often be taught to use a sound chart to help with their writing. Try to have the same sound chart available at home and encourage it's use when your child is writing.

- Focus more on praising your child's attitude to having a go at writing than in correcting their errors or praising them when they get things 'right'.

- Try to encourage your child to do their own 'writing' using what they know, rather than giving them words to trace or copy. For children at an earlier stage of their development this will be using their own marks and for children later in their development this will involve encouraging them to make marks which represent the sounds which they can hear.