Pre-Writing Skills

The ability to write requires developmental skills such as eye hand coordination- fine motor ability and visual discrimination. In order to be ready to write, children need to have developed hand skills. This means they need to have the strength and dexterity to handle, and control, small objects with their hands. But, they will also need to develop the muscles in their forearm and upper body to provide the strength and stability that will allow them to use their hands to manipulate and control writing instruments.

Eye-hand coordination is another pre-writing skill, as is the ability to process sensory information. The brain coordinates tactile and movement sensations as a child are writing, which allows him to make changes as needed to maintain muscle control.

A Pincer Grasp enables a child to pick up small items using the thumb and index finger. When a child has developed strong fine motor skills, he is usually able to use a pincer grip to easily twist dials or door knobs, turn the pages of a book, zip and unzip a zipper, and use crayons or pencils with precision. Here are some activities and materials you can make available to the children to help develop a strong Pincer Grip, necessary to develop pre-writing skills.

These are skills a child develops by practice with age appropriate developmental materials such as blocks- play dough- easel painting – puzzles- as well as being provided with crayons markers- pencils and any other “writing tools”. Children learn to write on their own- on paper when they express the desire  to writer something they see- or want to express. This is why we do “language” experience charts- as well as why we write what they tell us on their drawings and painting – That is why we look at picture books- we get them to talk- and then -they want us to write what they say.

Outdoor and gross motor play is vital to developing the fine motor skills needed for writing. Be sure to provide the children in you program with plenty of opportunities to climb, hang, swing, and dangle from monkey bars or other playground equipment. Twisting, turning, pushing, pulling, tugging, and lifting him/herself up are other activities that help to develop the muscles used for writing.

Use vertical spaces for drawing and other activities such as flannel boards, chalkboards, and letter and number magnets to strengthen the upper body while standing.

1. Provide lots of opportunity to work with Play-Doh and clay which helps develop finger and hand strength and control. When they are playing with these materials, children are squeezing and kneading, poking and pinching, rolling and pressing – all excellent strength building movements.
2. Provide comfy spaces to encourage tummy-lying on the floor with arms propped on forearms to read books, color or do puzzles.
3. To encourage and support pincer grip development:
4. Include activities that involve using tools such as tongs, tweezers, clothespins, and eyedroppers.
5. Let the children practice using chopsticks.
   1. Provide alternatives to paint brushes that require the child hold the tool between his thumb and index finger such as Q-tips and make-up sponges.
   2. Include activities that involve dropping small items through a slot ( for example, depositing pennies into a piggy bank).
   3. Have the children tear paper into strips. You can always use the strips for an art project!
   4. Have the children pop bubble wrap between their thumb and index fingers.
   5. Have wind-up toys available, and encourage the children to wind them themselves.
   6. Include beading and lacing activities.