Emergent writing skills has been an ongoing project over the past several months; teachers observed children who showed their interest in using various writing tools in different spaces. They would carry these tools throughout the classroom, so teachers left clipboards and materials to write with in every area of the room. Some children were learning how to grip the writing tools, others were tracing and recognizing letters, and some were just interested in the texture of each tool. The children explore the writing materials in different ways based on their age and developmental level however, they are all developing important fine motor skills.
The children’s writing involved very simple explorations at first, however, over time the children’s writing changed and became more controlled and complex. As children begin to grow and develop, these simple marks began to incorporate various features of conventional written language. Most recently, the children have been interested in tracing letters in their names and imitating teachers as they write letters. Teachers will be providing stencils and other tools for the children continue their interests in experimental writing. Their writing samples often include circles, dots, vertical lines, horizontal lines, and repeated marks on the page. The children indicate that they recognize that marks and letters represent concrete ideas when they describe what their writings say. These observations demonstrate that early literacy skills develop and become more complex over time. It is important that children of all ages are given opportunities to explore and develop theories about literacy materials.
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