Emergent Literacy Part 3 (Writing)

LETTERS!  WORDS!  WRITING!    LETTERS!    WORDS!

One part of emergent literacy is beginning writing but what does beginning writing look like.  You may be surprised.  It starts with scribbling.  Yes when your child starts making marks of any kind on paper that is the beginning of writing but they usually begin this with a full fist.  So fine motor skills must develop as well to allow the child to learn how to hold a writing tool correctly.  Beware of coloring books and trying to keep your child in the lines at all times because you may actually be hindering their creative ability by doing so.  It's best to have plain paper, crayons (size and number depends on age/stage), markers (3 +), pencils, pens, paints, etc. for your child to experiment with while developing fine motor skills and emergent writing.  So what are some of the activities you could encourage your child to do to help them learn letters and encourage the writing of words-

• stencils, paper, crayons, etc.  Encourage your child to trace within the stencil or trace outside of an object they choose.  Then if they wish they can color it.  Let them color it anyway they choose to reinforce their creativity.  It doesn't need to be perfect.  They are learning.  The more freedom they have in their efforts the more they will explore at these tasks.
• Children especially very young children love to draw and write on most anything including walls.  There are several approaches you can take to this.  Just get mad (definitely not recommended); panel one side of the lower half of their bedroom wall in marker board or just put paper up or give them things to draw on.  These things could be boxes (the bigger the better) ; pieces of lumber; large pieces or cardboard or paper posted on the fence in the backyard with paint brushes or markers, crayons, etc.   How about the sidewalk or driveway with sidewalk chalk.  Draw shapes, talk about colors, write letters, write their names, write numbers, draw pictures and when it rains it all washes away.  Then the child can start all over again.  Be creative but make plenty of opportunities for your child to draw and write. There are crayons you can buy for the shower, tablets you use only water on (no mess), lots of options available for the parent who wants to reinforce these skills.
• You can buy cheap blank card sets, or tablets of paper, sticky notes, etc. for the child to write in.  Be creative, the more options the more they will want to write and/or draw. 
• Provide them with stamps and stampers with paper, tablets, etc.  Again the more variety the more interested they will become.
• Create letter shapes using play doh by rolling our the dough like a snake and forming the letters or use letter stamps or cookie cutters. 
• Make letter sugar cookies or any rolled cookie.
• Get letter shapes for the sandbox or beach or water play and have your child make words with them.  Also emergent writing creating words or their names. 
• You can also create letter writing games using any amount of letters (again start small 3-5)- create a bean bag toss with a box you section off placing letters in each spot (lower case and upper case) or buckets you label; create a bowling game with a ball, sticky letters attached to actual plastic pins or anything that ball will push over.  When the child tumbles a pin, they must get it and write the letter on paper,  marker boards, etc.  It's fun!
• Write the child's name on everything they do.  Have it posted in their room somewhere.  When you write it you must use proper format which includes properly formed letters with names beginning with a capital and all other letters lower case.  Once your child has mastered their first name (not nickname- they will need to learn to write their legal name in school) then move on to their last, then middle.  If you do not print well, and need to hang your child's name in their room, craft stores sell both cardboard and wood letters or you can print it on the computer using comic-sans (good format for printing).  REMEMBER TO USE UPPER CASE AND LOWER CASE LETTERS APPROPRIATELY WHEN CHILDREN ARE FIRST LEARNING TO WRITE.  It is extremely important and your child's teacher will be appreciative.
• Tracing letters, lacing letters, etc. are also great activities to help with fine motor skills, emergent writing, and letter identification.