Development of children’s writing
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The development of writing and drawing is dependent on a mental and physical progression. A child needs skills such as concentration, memory, fine motor and language skills in order to be able to draw and then write.
Drawing is a pre-writing skill. Pre-writing skills are fundamental to learning to write.
Pre-writing skills are the child’s ability to hold a pencil, draw, colour, copy.
What do the scribbles mean? Should we ask them more about their ‘picture’?
For children to develop writing skills they need to be exposed to it, surrounded by it. We can model the uses and functions of writing for them to learn.
Development stages of writing
- Pretend or role play writing: This may include scribble, invented writing and letters, some conventional letters and tracing and copying
- Experimental writing: This may include invented spelling, mixed letter use and emergent spatial organisation (left to right)
- Early writing: This may include sentences, spelling and writing for different purposes.
Renae (Seriously Kids)
Renae is the founder & CEO of SK who has been working with families for decades. Her educational background and experience in the Early Childhood sector, as well as Social Science and Community Services has provided a broad base to her approach which focuses on balancing the informative but never at the expense of providing an entertaining read.
From working in the private setting, not for profit, as well as government agencies and at times combining her love of travel and work on a global scale, she is also a mum who has experienced the poo blowouts, the shopping tantrums and the sleepless nights.
