Young children need to go through some preparation to arouse the act of writing. They need to pass through some processes before they can hold a pencil to write.
Two basic skills necessary to start writing; muscular skills and knowledge of the letters.
Muscular Skills
First, develop the muscular skills of the children in preparation for writing. Hence, provide lots of activities to develop and enhance hand strength, eye-hand coordination, pincer grip dexterity, directionality that is from left to right, and top to bottom.
Examples of fine motor activities to introduce to children in order to prepare them for writing are; squeezing sponges, transferring marbles with tongs, spooning and transferring grains, cutting paper with scissors, using clothes peg, etc.
All these activities give strength to the hand, wrist, fingers, and teach muscular co-ordinations necessary for the control of a pencil.
Knowledge of the Letters
For writing to happen, the knowledge of the sounds, names, and formation of the letters is essential.
Using the sandpaper letters, children learn the sounds of the letters, trace the shapes of the letters to gain muscular memory of the right formation of the letters they will write.
Next children analyse words using the large movable alphabet to familiarise more with the letters.
Children spontaneously boost into writing once the inner elements of preparation are properly done.
As educators or caregivers, no need to hold the hands of children or force them to write. Develop and prepare children’s fine motor skills and provide lots of opportunities for them to gain knowledge of the letters, with time they will write.
We can learn to prepare our children for writing without stress.
You nailed it ma,am.
Many thanks, Ma’am.