EARLY WRITING

Early Steps in Writing

• Good writing is all about muscle and motor control and hand-eye co-ordination.
• Finger muscles are only gradually developing at this stage so it will help your child greatly if he/she is practised at colouring, drawing, painting, making jigsaws, cutting with a scissors, manipulating materials such as marla or play-doh, blocks, lego, sand, jigsaws etc.
• Your child will be learning to write lower case letters initially so it would be very helpful if you could encourage this at home.
• Making letters on paper is not easy for the small child. He/she must learn to hold the pencil properly at an early stage and make regular shapes. The correct hold is 'two fingers, one thumb'.
• Stick up your child’s name on his/her bedroom door so that he/she can be familiar with its appearance. If he/she can practise writing this, it this is even better!
• Don’t discourage left-handedness. If that is your child’s definite natural inclination, don’t attempt to change it.