Do you want to help your child start writing? Here are some things to think about

When your child masters writing the first letter or their name, they’ll feel extremely proud to have made (and left) their mark. And rightly so. It’s not a process that can be hurried. Writing recognisable letters is a very complex skill to master – one that involves many streams of development, including language, cognitive, emotional and gross and fine motor skills.   

At first, when we are learning to write, forming each letter can take great concentration and effort, as we plan and carry out the combination of movements. Over time, with practice, writing can be performed almost automatically and without thought. 

Earlier is not always better. In fact, laying strong foundations which support your child’s current stage of development is the key to later success.  

Being able to write letters which other people recognise will feel like a really important rite of passage for your child, but it’s a skill which should not be rushed or forced.  

Some skills need to be integrated by your child’s brain and body; this means that two or more different skills are combined to work together on a task.  

Writing letters involves your child integrating their still-developing fine motor skills with an understanding of written language, in order to produce a mark that they know has meaning.  

Integrating skills requires time and practice to get each individual skill right before they become able to smoothly use them together to achieve a goal, such as writing.  

Inspiring your child to write by giving them lots of playful opportunities to practise the skills involved in writing is key.  

You can help your child to develop and integrate their writing skills by offering a range of activities which they enjoy while they build a desire to write letters. This could be play which seems unrelated to writing, such as playing with clay to strengthen their fine motor skills or telling stories out loud to support their understanding of language.  

Give your child their own writing opportunities as often as possible, by making sure they have the option to write in ways which link to their likes and interests. They might want to help with jotting down a shopping list, writing a birthday card for a friend or noting down the names of their favourite characters.  

Children are more likely to copy what they see, not what you say.  

Make sure your child sees you writing in real life situations or as part of everyday tasks, this will help them to see that we live in a literate world where marks provide a valuable means of communication. This can be tricky as so much of what we write is now on screens, but taking the time to use a pen and paper occasionally will make a big difference.  

Remember, motor development does not progress at the same rate, or in the same pattern for all children. There is broad variation in the ‘typical’ age that children progress through motor milestones and embracing the skills your child is learning now, without comparing to others, will help them (and you) enjoy the journey towards writing.